Most people do not pay attention to the issue of trust in their organization until it is broken. But by then the damage is done: people withhold facts and information, managers set convoluted goals, management is not available, people talk behind each others' backs—the list goes on and on.

What causes trust to be broken in an organization? Some prevalent "trust busters" include broken promises, unethical behaviors, unfair practices (e.g., unearned promotions), not getting good results, miscommunication, no communication, no recognition, no feedback, and misrepresenting an area of expertise according to Cynthia Olmstead, organizational change expert and co-author of The Ken Blanchard Companies' Building Trust program.

The good news is that trust can be regained.

"But it is a long drawn and costly process," says Anand Pillai, VP & Global Head of Talent Transformation for HCL Technologies. "This has to start from the top with the key people walking the extra mile to lead by example and build back the lost trust by adhering to even the small promises and commitments."

If your organization is looking for ways to evaluate the level of trust currently present in your organization, or is thinking about how to enhance the trust between people in your company, here are eight places to begin.

1. Demonstrating Trust
If you want to create a trusting work environment, you have to begin by demonstrating trust. Establishing rules, policies, and procedures to protect against a few bad apples sends the wrong message to the vast majority of people in your organization who need and deserve to be trusted.

2. Sharing Information
Information is power. One of the best ways to build a sense of trust in people is by sharing information. Sharing information sometimes means disclosing information that is considered privileged, including sensitive and important topics such as the competition's activities, future business plans and strategies, financial data, industry issues or problem areas, competitor's best practices, the way group activities contribute to organizational goals, and performance feedback. Providing people with more complete information communicates trust and a sense of "we're in this together." It helps people think more broadly about the organization and the inter-relationships of various groups, resources, and goals.

3. Telling it Straight
Study after study has indicated that the number one quality that people want in a leader is integrity. People want to follow