Are employees withholding information from each other? Blaming coworkers when something goes wrong? Bringing every disagreement to YOU instead of addressing it themselves?
These may look like everyday workplace frustrations, but they could signal something bigger.

Often, the issue is not teamwork, but a lack of trust.

I recently read an Inc. article called “Employees Are Losing Trust in One Another.” Edelman’s 2026 Trust at Work research found that trust between coworkers fell from 82% in August 2024 to 73% in August 2026. As trust declines, communication becomes more difficult. Employees may second-guess each other, make assumptions, and collaborate less effectively.

So, what can leaders do to help employees build trust?

1. Clarify expectations.

• Make sure employees understand their responsibilities and what others need.
• Encourage follow-through. Trust grows when people do what they say they’ll do.

2. Help employees understand their differences.

• Not everyone communicates, processes information, or approaches work the same way.
• Different doesn’t mean difficult. It just means people may need different approaches.

3. Address minor issues before they escalate.

• Encourage employees to have conversations WITH each other, not ABOUT each other.
• Don’t let small frustrations turn into resentment.

At your next team meeting, ask employees two questions:

• What’s one thing you need from your coworkers to do your job well?
• What’s one thing YOU could do to make their jobs easier?

You might be surprised by the answers. And more importantly, you may uncover expectations nobody realized weren’t being met.
You don’t have to be best friends with your coworkers. But you do have to be able to count on each other.  Are you seeing any of these behaviors on your team? Let’s talk about what’s getting in the way and how you can build a team that trusts each other more.

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