The answer, according to many American workers, is when the exec stops talking and leaves the room.

Faith in companies - and by extension, executives - has plummeted to the point that half the people on the payroll no longer believe much of what corporate leaders have to say these days, according to a new study from Towers Perrin.

The study, made from the views of 1,000 workers, is a wake-up call for any executive who is paying attention, shows that worker trust in companies has hit a low point in America.

Here's something of shocker from the survey: nine out of 10 workers actually want to hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth from the boss of their boss's boss.

They crave it, in fact.

Seeing the light

Some executives are starting to see the light, says Cincinnati-based Donna S. Grummich, communication consultant for Towers Perrin, a New York City-based human resources consulting firm with offices worldwide.

"Several of my clients realize they've asked employees to take on a lot of responsibility and swallow a lot of bad news - to keep their heads up," Grummich said.

"Some senior leaders are realizing that they can't act like (problems) don't exist anymore. They can't stand in front of employees with their hand out and not come clean about realities and the future and why they're asking employees to hang in there."

About one-third of the employees surveyed believe that information from the company is less credible than it was just three years ago (although it's interesting that another third believes the information received from a company is more credible than it was three years ago).

Grummich is in the business of employer-employee relations and was not terribly surprised by the findings, which polled a range of age, ethnicity and income levels.

"Many senior leaders in an organization don't realize the influence they have over an everyday worker," she said.

Talk to employees

Workers, no matter the task, always have a reserve of desire and initiative that they will or will not tap, depending upon their mood. Grummich calls it discretionary effort.

That optional will to work breaks down when people no longer trust a hierarchy.

But Grummich suggests a way for leaders to reclaim credibility with those they lead.

"(Executives) should just take off their jackets and face employees," she said.

"Whether it's over a piece of pie, in a video or town hall meeting or just putting themselves in the line of sight, talking to people and answering questions - it's almost a fix in and of itself."

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E-mail at jeckberg@enquirer.com