Team Trust and Confidence
Who do you trust? Family? Friends? Your co-workers? How far does your trust extend? Even more widely to community members, local and national governments or perhaps some global organisations? Reflecting upon this question myself gives rise to some conflicting feelings. I WANT to be trusting, yet there is so much in the news that makes me question that trust, particularly at a national and international level when the disconnect between my values and some of the behaviours being reported seems vast. If all the memes around ‘partygate’ are anything to go by, never mind the war in Ukraine, there is much work to be done to build trust within the different national and international factions, yet I don’t want these events to turn me into a cynic. In truth there is work for us all to do at every level. Trust is like a piece of paper, once crumpled, even in just one corner, it can never be pristinely the same again. And so it is with all our relationships - they require continual nurturing.
Trust is such a fundamental value, it is no wonder it forms the largest and foundational segment in Lencioni’s ‘The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team’ triangular leadership model. In these times when trust seems fragile, it’s good to remind ourselves as leaders that we can build trust with those around us by creating a psychologically safe environment in which we can share our vulnerabilities. Whether or not we are believers, the seasons of Lent and Ramadan give an opportunity for us to test our resolve, challenge ourselves and come closer to our vulnerabilities. Fasting, abstaining, and making a commitment to do or not do something, takes determination and a trust that we can face and overcome adversity, often relying on or trusting in others to support us when times are hard.
Lencioni says, ‘Trust is the confidence among team members that their peers’ intentions are good, and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group. In essence, teammates must get comfortable being vulnerable with one another … and be confident that their vulnerabilities will not be used against them. It is only when team members are truly comfortable being exposed to one another that they begin to act without concern for protecting themselves … they can focus their energy and attention completely on the job at hand, rather than being strategically disingenuous or political with one another. … Teams that lack trust waste inordinate amounts of time and energy managing their behaviours and interactions within the group.’
What can we do to build trust? As leaders, we need to go first and demonstrate our vulnerabilities, being prepared to ‘lose face’ so our team members will take the same risk themselves. We can’t stage it, it has to be genuine, otherwise we will immediately lose trust as we are felt to be manipulative. And we need to create an environment where there is no ‘punishment’ for vulnerability, otherwise people will be afraid to say things that could be seen as damaging or critical, when their intention is to enable further growth, which leads to further growth and success of the team. And we can use psychometric tools, such as EmergeneticsTM, to get to know each other’s preferences at a more conscious level. Consciously reflecting upon the behaviours we see around us means we can work to reduce any negative impacts and ultimately overcome the absence of trust, to create the psychological safety we all need and crave.
Reflections:
How comfortable do you feel around your team? Are you prepared to be vulnerable with them?
How confident are you that your peers’ intentions are good? Does your team waste time on politics and posturing?
Do team members chastise one another for admissions of weakness or failure?
How well do you know each other?
What one thing would you be able to do to further develop trust with the team?