In this episode of Manager Lab we examine why employee trust is declining and why trust matters for engagement, alignment, speed, and retention.

We unpack the three trust pillars—competence, benevolence, and integrity—and explain common causes of erosion like poor transparency, inconsistent actions, short-term decision-making, and fear at work.

Finally, the episode gives six practical, immediate actions for managers: narrate decisions, close the say–do gap, share information early, increase accessibility, invite and reward dissent, and follow up quickly—showing how small, consistent behaviors rebuild trust and improve performance.