Building Trust on Teams

This week the Wily Manager guys talk about building trust on teams.  If you’ve every been on a team that was a bit dysfunctional, then this week’s discussion will resonate with you.

Monday’s Tip: Have a clear focus. Trust requires that people have clear expectations.  On a team those expectations need to be commonly understood and aligned.

Tuesday’s Tip: Hold people accountable. High trust teams have a high level of accountability to both the leader, and the other team members.  As the leader it is critical to hold to account for agreed-upon expectations.

Wednesday’s Tip: Recognize Team Dysfunction and address it. There are many symptoms of teams with low levels of trust.  A leader must address these symptoms as soon as they appear to avoid a deeper problem.

Thursday’s Tip: Practise humility as a leader.  The leader sets the tone on a team, and a leader who admits his mistakes, and gives credit to team members where it is due, will engender high levels of trust.

Friday’s Tip: Reinforce positive team behaviors. When people display positive, high-trust team behaviors, leaders should look for ways to reinforce and reward that behavior.