Renew Trust
Trust is the foundation of a productive and positive work environment. When trust is present, team members feel confident in their colleagues' abilities and intentions, leading to enhanced collaboration and communication. This mutual confidence allows for the free exchange of ideas and feedback, which is crucial for innovation and problem-solving.
Trust fosters a sense of psychological safety, where individuals are comfortable taking risks and making mistakes, knowing they will not be unfairly judged or penalized. This environment encourages continuous learning and improvement, vital for personal and organizational growth.
Trust also enhances job satisfaction and morale. Employees who trust their leaders and peers are more likely to be engaged and committed to their work. This commitment translates to lower turnover rates, as satisfied employees are less likely to seek employment elsewhere. Additionally, a high-trust environment attracts top talent, as skilled professionals prefer workplaces where they feel respected and valued.
Trust requires active and consistent renewal. There are many ways to renew trust and one of the easiest and cost-free methods is to hold regular open communication sessions. Team members can openly share thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of judgment. This transparency fosters trust and understanding within the team.
Open communication sessions are most effective if the discussion is structured with questions to help start and guide the discussion. Below is a set of questions that can help a team discuss how well they function.
This is a great activity for a team with moderate to high levels of trust among members. The session can be structured in different ways depending on team dynamics. A team with a high level of trust can go through the list of questions together and talk about how they would rate the team.
A team with a moderate level of trust may have team members individually complete rating the questions, submit their answers to the leader who collates the answers. The results are presented to the group for discussion.
The most important consideration for the structure of an open discussion is to ensure all members feel comfortable discussing the topic. If they don’t feel comfortable in an open discussion, takes steps to anonymize their comments and thoughts.
Discussion questions to assess team dynamics.
Complete the sentence stem: People in my work unit…..
Indicate your agreement with the statement.
1 = Almost never 2 = Occasionally 3 = Some of the time 4 = Frequently 5 = Almost all the time
1. Are honest in communicating even when we disagree.
2. Understand the roles, goals and expectations of the job.
3. Talk on a regular basis and value that time together.
4. Admit mistakes and take responsibility for fixing the problem.
5. Are skilled at their jobs.
6. Are recognized regularly for good and outstanding performance.
7. Are given opportunities to grow and develop in their jobs.
8. Keep agreements and if they can’t keep the agreement will discuss other options.
9. Are willing to listen to both sides of the story.
10. Like to learn and grow.
11. Share information.
12. Limit and discourage gossiping.
13. Are happy when one of their team members receives recognition, praise or a promotion.
14. Talk about difficult topics such as conflict between people and unjust actions
The deliberate and continual renewal of trust ensures the team remains cohesive, sustains their successes and is adaptable, ready to meet ever-changing demands. Ultimately, teams that prioritize trust are better equipped to achieve their goals and thrive together, both professionally and personally.