The Trust Factor

When I was in the early years of my career, a lot of talk existed among teachers about the "us vs. them" atmosphere and how "we can't trust them" because "they don't trust us."

Any organization must have the proverbial trust between the different factions.

For example, in a school district:

• the board of education must trust the superintendent
• the superintendent must trust the board of education
• the superintendent must trust the central office staff, principals, etc.
• the principals, central office staff, etc. must trust the superintendent
• teachers must trust the principals, central office folks, board, etc.
• all factions must trust each other to some extent (I could go on forever)

If any of those factors break down, difficulty may ensue. It is tough to identify "trust" and how it relates to "morale," but these two words hold a great deal of power, especially in a school district.

Furthermore, when pieces of an organization become incomplete — for whatever reason — things fail to be accomplished. Some people fear change and avoid it with a passion undefined. Others revel in change. Mixing together the revelers and avoiders is an interesting task. (Yes, I know that avoiders is not a word ... it sure fit well, though).

Some perceived truths:

• Trust matters
• Morale matters
• Belief matters

Do you believe in the mission of your organization? Do you know the mission of your organization? Do you ever think about questions like these?