An entry for a "quick chat" on the calendar should seem normal. It certainly does in positive workplaces. Yet today, employees do not treat such meeting requests as they should. Rather, they look for a deeper meaning behind them: from how the request is phrased, to what time it is scheduled, and what information is missing. As per Gallup research findings into workplace trust, employees' perception of uncertainty at work is greatly influenced by the degree of trust they have in their organization. When there is more trust in place, ambiguity tends to be temporary; when there is less trust in an organization, uncertainty becomes laden with deeper meaning. Rarely is the interpretation associated with that particular meeting only.
This is what causes some employees to become uneasy prior to what appear to be normal meetings. Although the reminder note might not be loaded, the larger communication environment will influence the meaning attributed to the silence that surrounds the scheduled meeting. Studies conducted by Statistics Canada have indicated that employees now view their work environments through the prism of job security.
