Has Trust lost its ‘Trust’? | Stakeholder Management

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The word is abuzz about funds being embezzled or malpractice within company. Recent news about controversies and scandals are doing the rounds and ties that were painstakingly built appears so fragile. In the past days a CEO has stepped down, misuse of money in a blue chip company, and non-conformance of standards spells disaster in the parlance of people management.

Governance by every company is based on strong ethics and values and yet incidents like these rock the boats, sending shivers down the spine. Many exclaimed in disbelief ‘It’s just not possible”, and yet that’s exactly what happened – trust deficit.

It’s in good faith and belief that something is entrusted, but when the person manning the gate gives up blowing the cover then it’s a classic case of the ‘cats guarding the chickens.” Stakeholder Management is proving to be more critical. One might wonder if the company or the whole crew or the entire block that bungled, but all it takes is one rotten apple that makes the basket stink. And despite the foolproof security measures put in place, failure like the incidents cited can not only be frustrating but erode the confidence misplacing the faith.  The murky matters cast a long shadow sparing none from suspicion. Paradoxically, the benefit of doubt cannot be passed and things have worsened to a state where one has to prove innocence. So where went the ‘you are innocent unless proven guilty’. We live in different times that demands drastic changes and impose difficult compliances lest we face dire consequences.

What makes one misbehave? Chances, conditions, circumstances, or plainly greed. Whatever might be the motive, it shatters everything the individual stood for, and along with brings down the whole house. Integrity is imperative. Character is what you do in the dark – when no one is noticing. Integrity plainly put is ‘do what  you say and say what you do’. Hence, it becomes critical that we pay more attention to our human assets by studying behavioral aspects and identify scope for improvement. Not everyone is strong; some are susceptible. It’s up to the management to identify the grey areas and iron out the weakness. A SWOT generally helps – especially from an ethical standpoint.

Stakeholder Management involves your internal partners as well, whom at times, are overlooked. Build trust. It works both ways – employers and employees. It is incumbent on an individual to be accountable. You are answerable to your actions. So, the choice is clearly yours.  

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