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1. Overview
Trust is a vital component of a team which fosters innovation, sharing, collaboration, and productivity
To build trust among team members, assess trust, understand gaps, and incorporate positive changes
Specific actions are required to build trust
2. Trust is Essential to Team Effectiveness
Trust encourages risk raking
Allows team members to challenge the normal way of doing things
Encourages the discovery of more innovative solutions
Trust facilitates information sharing
Enables team members to have open honest conversations
Fosters a feeling of confidentiality - “what’s said in the room stays in the room”
Trust encourages collaboration
Allows the team members to spend more time working together than protecting themselves or “watching their backs”
Trust enhances productivity
Enables team members to put aside personal goals to achieve common team goals
Fosters commitment of every member to work together efficiently
3. Build Trust Among Team Members
VIDEO
Assess Trust
Catalyze Understanding
Address Trust
Practice Behaviors
Anchor Change
4. Specific Trust Building Actions
Be honest: be upfront and truthful even with difficult conversations
Getting caught in a lie destroys trust
Show people you care: genuinely care about other people’s interests as much as your own
Being “me-oriented” sets off alarms
Trust others: give the benefit of the doubt until you have data to the contrary
Jumping to conclusions inspires mistrust
Address issues directly: confront the problem to improve the working relationship
Avoiding issues erodes trust
Share relevant information: share knowledge, interests, and experiences to create common ground
Blindsiding someone breaks trust
Follow through on commitments: act responsibly and reliably by carrying a fair share of the workload
Missing deadlines (without prior discussions) makes you seem unreliable
Say “no” when you mean it: let the other person have their needs met elsewhere if you truly can’t handle additional work
Saying yes without follow through leads to others doubting your commitment
Share what you know and what you don’t: be generous with your knowledge but admit when you don’t have the answers
Acting like a “know-it-all” alienates people