Building trust within a new team is incredibly important. Without trust, team members will not be motivated to complete their tasks. Team members want to know early in the team building process:
What will be expected of me?
What can I expect from the other team members?
This is all about trust. Building trust takes more than the group deciding that they can all be trusted. Each person on the team needs to know and understand the group's goals and how each member of the team will contribute to those goals. Team members also need to know a little about each of their teammates. While it is important that group members get to know each other, it is also important that they do not divulge too much too soon.
Effective teams operate within an atmosphere of trust, and that leaves all the "office gossip" outside the team. As team members get to know each other, they will begin to genuinely care about each other. In order for trust to develop and grow, team members must feel comfortable and confident that they can share information.
Think about trust and the images and behaviors that come to mind during:
A time you felt trusted.
A time your trust was compromised.
Most people trust others when they:
Who do you trust?
Who trusts you?
Thinking about the people you trust will help you discover what helps you trust others. This may help you develop trust in other relationships. You could also ask those who trust you why they do and work to develop other reasons for people to trust you.
The team leader plays a key role in developing trust. The leader must create a positive environment and model the expected behavior. It is also the leader's responsibility to reinforce positive behaviors and correct negative behaviors. The leader may also be responsible for teaching appropriate ways to share information and what information is to be shared (or not shared) outside the team.
Ultimately trust is the center of communication and the core of team work. Use this simple evaluation to see if you are a trusted leader.
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Velda Arnaud,
Ph.D.
Executive Director
Lead, Educate, Serve Society
leadeducateserve@gmail.com
Last updated 1/1/15 (va)
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