How to build trust as a team (a model and two suggestions)

Trust (and how to build it)

Trust is front of mind this week.

It’s the bedrock of how any team operates.

Without it, things will come unstuck.

I think of conversations we can have as a team fall into two types.

The logical layer and the emotional layer.

The emotional layer is the base of the triangle.

The logical conversations all sit on top of that.

Without a solid base, it’s a very unstable triangle and doesn’t bode well for long-term relationships, stability and growth.

In so many relationships (work and home) we tend to focus only on the logical conversations. 

They are safe, and easy and don’t require us to be vulnerable.

We tend to swerve the emotional conversations. They can be uncomfortable.

And yet this is where it all happens. This is where the direction gets set.

Trust absolutely sits in this level because without that emotional alignment we create our own stories rather than listening to the truth from our team.

There are many ways to have this conversation.

Here are two suggestions.

Suggestion 1

Have a conversation about your values with someone else. Reflect initially on the values that are important to you. Then listen to someone else’s values. Really listen and be present. Write them down.

Then swap round. You share yours and why they are important.

Look for what you share in common.

Look for what’s neutral.

Look to see if there are values that clash. Then figure out to how to work with that.

It’s not a normal conversation but every time I’ve done this, it has taken the trust and the understanding to another level.

Suggestion 2 

Have a conversation as a team (at work or home) about what builds trust and what erodes trust. The simple things we're not even aware of can have a big impact (in both directions).

Whenever I’ve leaned into this it has always made all the logical conversations significantly easier and faster.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on. I’d be amazed if it doesn’t deepen your relationships, build trust and accelerate decision-making, and progress toward your goals.

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