How can we increase levels of trust at work to improve safety? This is a critical question, specifically when it comes to getting the most out of a behavior-based observation and feedback process. For workers to accept feedback, they need to trust an observer's capability (accuracy) and intentions (caring, not punishing).
Finding little "real world" research on building interpersonal trust, I called together a group of my research students and colleagues and asked them to brainstorm and reach a consensus on how to build trust. After almost two hours, we arrived at an interesting and seemingly useful list of proposals. We also learned something first-hand about developing feelings of trust. This brainstorming process brought us together as a group that relied on each other for ideas and feedback.