What’s Trust Got to Do with It?
The Operating Leader – January 2022
What’s Trust Got to Do with It?
My early career in the construction industry taught me about how to focus, work hard and get things done. I really liked the business of construction. I liked the processes, procedures, and the execution of the work. There was an incredible sense of accomplishment when we were able to deliver a project that the customer was pleased to accept and pay for. It was thrilling to produce good, profitable work, and it was even more fun because I got to do it as part of a team.
If you are like me there are few feelings that are better than being successful as a team, especially when you feel as though you are a supported full participant of the team. Not just supported when things go well but supported when things don’t go well. The best leaders in companies know the importance of trust and that trust is a two-way street.
A conversation like this, about trust in a team, can go a lot of ways and trust me (pun intended), I have had a lot of conversations about trust with others and many more with myself. If you want to build a great team then trust must be the foundation. Trust in your leaders, trust in your managers, trust in those reporting to you and trust in your peers is essential to having a functional, high-performance team. There is much written on this topic, and I encourage you to dig in and learn all you can about how to foster trust on your team. I quite like the book – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. It is written as a fable and for me it never gets old.
I would bet that most people would say they know what it feels like to be trusted. When I feel trusted, it is a strong, uplifting feeling that makes me feel as though I can do more, am not alone and that someone (my boss, co-worker, client, team, etc.) will always have my back. When I have trust from others, I am stronger. The opposite is true when there is a void of trust.
I have intentionally not been prescriptive where trust is concerned. That said, I want to share this thought – if you want to build trust and keep that trust then… make it a habit to do what you say you are going to do. Leader or subordinate, if you commit to doing something, which may include doing that something by a certain time, then deliver on your promise. Know that failure to do what you say erodes trust and that is bad for you, your team and business. What has been your experience with trust on teams?
I have been working with start-up leaders and innovators for over 20 years in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I have worked in companies as a mid-level manager, as senior and executive management, as a founder and, on and off for the last 14 years, as an embedded executive and advisor.
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