Every problem companies experience with their employees springs from the same root cause: there is too little trust in the environment. There is too much fear.

Too little trust and too much fear in a workplace has a name: it's called a toxic work environment.

Poor performance, high turnover, problem employees, tension between teams, burnout, political infighting and lack of commitment -- they are all symptoms of a broken culture.

Here are five ways to build trust into your company's or department's culture.

Talk About Fear and Trust as Business Topics.
For many leaders, this is the hardest step to take. We have been trained not to talk about our fears. If there is a high level of fear in your organization already, employees may bite their lips rather than tell the truth about your toxic culture even when the topic appears on a meeting agenda.

If you want to gauge the fear-versus-trust level on your team, talk about culture at your next meeting. Invite your employees to share their thoughts. If it's not a safe environment for people to contribute, then they won't. Don't blame them. See the sludge in your culture, and take steps to clean it out!

Trust Your Staff First.
Give even the beginning staffer the opportunity to show that you can trust them, too. If you want a company culture built on credibility, help other people get into situations where they have to prove that you can believe in what they say.

If people know that speaking up will get them in trouble, they'll be quiet or say "Our culture is perfect!" Actions speak louder than words. Your actions will build trust on your team far more than your words will. It may take time to get your employees to trust you, but that time is well spent.

Stop Blaming and Shaming Employees for Mistakes.
The third way to build trust in your organization is to step away from the philosophy of blaming and shaming employees for mistakes. Every mistake is a learning opportunity. If you track your employees' mistakes but say nothing about their triumphs, you are begging for the best people to leave and only the most fearful ones to stay.

Role Model Appropriate Leadership.
Role model appropriate leadership and get your fellow leaders to do the same thing.  Too many managers look at "the employees" as a bloc and seldom think about the individual people they supervise, or their needs or challenges. Real leaders are intently focused on the people who report to them and the energy on the team. Every leader can develop that same focus. You can support one another on the journey!

Be Patient.
Don’t expect them to do everything you suggest perfectly or trust completely right away. The ability to wait with expectation but not impatience is to lead by example, and a hallmark of a great leader they will learn to trust.

There is no higher priority for any leadership team or individual leader than to build trust on his or her team. You can start right now!
http://www.successdrives.net/5-ways-to-build-trust-among-your-employees/