TRUST IN TEAMS

WHY TEAMS?

We put people together in teams because we believe;

# It creates synergy where the sum is greater than the parts. Through team work there can be higher performance, higher creativity (idea generation), higher productivity, better problem solving & decision making.

# It encourages multi disciplinary work where people with different skills and abilities work together for a common aim. Team members work towards a shared purpose and common goals and they share skills. They also complement each other by taking on different team roles such as described by Belbin. Resource Investigator, Teamworker, Co-ordinator, Plant, Monitor Evaluator, Specialist, Shaper, Implementor, Completer Finisher. (see belbin.com)

# A good team can be motivational, encouraging a sense of belonging and  achieve greater things than could be done Individually. In a good team there is no back stabbing, gossiping or dirty politics where people are working for self.  It stimulates mutual learning and provides a support network. There will be enhanced communication amongst team members.

HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS

High performing teams are able to deliver more than the sum of their parts. In his book The Culture Code: the secrets of highly successful groups, Daniel Coyle reports on academic research where different teams were asked to assemble a tower from uncooked spaghetti, tape, string and a marshmallow. Consistently school children outperformed CEOs, MBA students etc. Teams comprising of people with less knowledge, less skill and lower IQ can outperform what appear to be ‘better” teams. Coyle states the school children perform better “not because they are smarter but because they work together in a smarter way”

Just putting together a group of people and calling them a team doesn’t mean these benefits will accrue.

IMPORTANCE OF TRUST

Patrick Lencioni in his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team says no quality or characteristic is more important than Trust. It seems blindingly obvious but as he quotes  “people need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed” (Samuel Johnson)

No team quality is more important than Trust. BUT trust doesn’t just happen it needs to be understood and worked at. We wouldn’t dream of keeping the team accounts without training and study but we will happily lead a team without studying what makes for good trust. We think of trust as a soft skill and intuitive. We fail to recognise it requires hard work and attention to build trust in a team. 

WHAT KIND OF TRUST?

What is meant by trust in a team? There are different situations in which we might say we trust. Of the three forms of trust I describe below it is the third one “relationship trust” or as Lencioni calls it “vulnerability trust” that is required to build a high performing team. 

1. Contractual Trust . I trust this will happen because there are rules in place to ensure it does. If the other party doesn’t perform they will be punished.
2. Performance Based Trust. Based upon past knowledge of your competence (you have the capabilities to do it and a track record of good results) and your character ( your integrity and intent) I trust you to do what you say. (Patrick Lencioni calls this predictive trust)
3. Relationship Based Trust or Vulnerability Trust. You have revealed to me what makes you tick, I know your strengths and your weaknesses and I trust you to lead me into unchartered waters.

TRUST IS A BUSINESS DRIVER

Stephen Covey talks of the economies of trust turning trust into a hard nose business practice and benefit. He says in higher trust organisations things get done quicker and at less cost. The opposite being true that if you have a team with low trust things will take longer to do and the cost will be higher. Building trust is good stewardship of resources ( time and money)

High Trust = Speedier Results at Lower Cost

Low Trust = Slower Results at Higher Cost

Low Trust organisations are characterised by duplication in layers of management, bureaucracy, red tape, high control & approval requirements, internal politics, withholding information, in fighting, hidden agendas, manipulating, disengagement.

The opposite of trust is distrust which is the same as suspicion . In this work environment you need to choose your words carefully, be very measured, dot “i”s and cross “t”s. Even still people will find a way to misinterpret what you say. It takes massive time and energy to reach agreement.

In a trusting environment there is confidence. Even if you say the wrong thing people will get your meaning. Things get done quickly.

BUILDING PERSONAL TRUST

Trust starts with yourself and your own behaviours as team leader. Establish yourself as trustworthy and this will impact your relationships, spread to the teams you work with and beyond. Your personal trust is a function of your character and your competence. Based on a ILM survey the important elements of character team members are looking for are integrity (consistency, reliability, predictability), openness, communication, whereas for competence it is the ability to perform well, get results and to make sound decisions. 

TRUST = CHARACTER + COMPETENCE

See Trust as a personal competency that you can work at to improve. You develop the competency through exhibiting trust building behaviours.

Leadership starts with influence and influence starts with trust. (Tanmay Vora). There is no leadership without trust

BUILDING TEAM TRUST

1. Work on your own trust character and competence. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Be real and confront reality. Demonstrate respect for all team members. Right wrongs that you become aware of. Show loyalty to your team.  Be accountable to them. Listen first. 
2. Extend Trust to the team members. You create trust by giving trust not withholding it until earned. 
3. Create an environment of openness and transparency. Don’t withhold information to create power, share what you know. Don’t engage in the kind of “political behaviour” that wastes everybody's time and energy.
4. Be clear about team expectations. Everyone knows what the team is aiming at and what is expected of them. They know what the purpose of the team is and what will guide the team through unchartered times. 
5. They know they are connected to you and the team and together you have a shared future. They know their place in the team and that you are committed to supporting them to do well. Create a place where they feel safe. 
6. Be vulnerable and build a team with relationship trust

• # leader goes first - show the example by being vulnerable before you expect this of          others
• # acknowledge that others may be correct
• # don’t be defensive 
• # do not be afraid to admit the truth about yourself
• # extend trust - this can make you fell vulnerable and you should manage the risk but   you must extend trust to build trust

7. Open disagreement. Encourage the team to evaluate options together and to evaluate team performance and in doing so affirm that it is OK to hold different views. Build the security and bond that comes from honest differences resolved without destabilising the team.

With trust existing in your team the members will have high levels of engagement and satisfaction and enjoy the task and challenges. Co-operation and problem solving will occur naturally as will information sharing and knowledge exchange. Your performance will exceed smarter teams who don’t enjoy your smarter ways of working as a team