How to Build and Maintain Trust in the Workplace

by Rachel Campagna, The Great Courses

Trust is integral to the success of any relationship, whether that relationship is personal or professional. But establishing trust isn’t always easy. It not only requires honesty and solid communication, but also a certain level of vulnerability. Most of us probably don’t want to let our guard down in the workplace, and yet trust is vital to building a successful working environment.

In the six lectures of How to Build and Maintain Trust in the Workplace, leadership coach Rachel Campagna will help you understand the importance of trust and how it works from a professional perspective. As you get a clearer picture of what trust entails and how it contributes to workplace success, you’ll also gain a greater appreciation for the importance of communication, consistency, and competence—the three Cs every effective team needs.

As invaluable as trust is to professional success, with trust comes the possibility of disappointment. Loss of faith in an employee, a coworker, or a manager can impact not only your own work, but also the overall environment and confidence of everyone around you. And so, you’ll also learn how to address the inevitable moments when trust breaks down, as Rachel highlights the importance of knowing the difference between accidental and deliberate violations of trust and how to respond to them.

As you will discover throughout these lectures, trust is simultaneously robust and fragile—It can take a long time to build and very little time to break, but no team can truly succeed without it. Join us to learn how to create a workplace environment where trust thrives.

Audible Audio

Published January 29, 2026

Reviews

[Literatures Movies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of the content falls into the category of common sense, but that does not make it redundant. In fact, hearing these ideas laid out clearly is what makes the book effective. It highlights the different ways trust is built, tested, and broken between companies and employees, often through small, everyday actions rather than dramatic failures.

What stood out to me is how often workplace issues come down to assumptions about intent. When both sides genuinely operate with good intentions, many problems simply do not arise. Expectations are clearer, communication is smoother, and conflict is easier to resolve. The problem, as the book subtly points out, is that many workplaces today are built on mutual distrust. Employees expect to be taken advantage of, and companies assume employees will cut corners if given the chance.

This cycle of defensiveness makes trust harder to establish and even harder to maintain. While the book does not offer radical new frameworks, it does provide a useful reminder that trust is not created through policies alone, but through consistency, transparency, and follow-through over time.

[John Remedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although obviously geared towards office culture and the corporate grind, Campagna has some good insights rooted in clear, direct communication and basic psychology. Its post-COVID release means it covers some Return to Work/Return to Office concepts, albeit in a minor way.

[Amy Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So important in the work place. I learned a lot and hope that I'm a trusted employee.

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard most of these in my sales trainings. The last lecture about trends was fairly interesting.

[Rochele Beard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for all leaders! I appreciate that it covers both what can break trust as well as repair it. Will listen again as it had me doing a good bit of self reflection in many instances.

[Arianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing ground breaking. The chapter on rebuilding trust where the author said to deny you did anything wrong really gave me the ick.

[Trissy ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The points in this book are known but it's good to hear what builds trust in the workplace so we are more aware of our behavior at work. Good read!