At our All-to-All meeting on February 24, 2025, Ian Pong, a staff scientist in the Superconducting Magnet Program in the Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), presented an insightful and thought-provoking talk on trust, a core stewardship value in the workplace.

Citing a study presented in the Harvard Business Review, which analyzed data from 360 assessments of 87,000 leaders, Pong explained that there are three elements to trust:

• Positive Relationships
  • Stay in touch with the concerns of others
  • Give honest feedback in a helpful way

• Good Judgment/Expertise
  • Use good judgment when making decisions
  • Others seek their opinion

• Consistency
  • Walk the talk
  • Follow through on commitments

Pong noted, “While the study indicated that these were the key elements of trust, the data showed that relationships appear to matter more than judgment or consistency when placing trust in leaders.”

For example, the study found that even though a leader “may be above average on” positive relationships, consistency, and good judgment/expertise, “a leader’s trust rating fell most significantly when relationships were weak.” The authors concluded that “trust is an important currency in organizations, and any leader would be wise to invest time in building it.” Moreover, they noted that “we all intend to do things that don’t get done, but once a relationship is damaged or if it was never formed initially, it’s difficult for people to trust.”

Although the study focused on leadership, Pong believes that “trust is not solely for leaders or limited to work; it’s for everyone and everyday life.”

For more information on ATAP News articles, contact caw@lbl.gov.