Lack of trust is the most common complaint we hear from teams.

This is a problem we can help teams solve.

Trust is the foundation of individual relationships, and the same is true for teams.

• Without trust, misunderstandings take on epic proportions, negative intent is assumed, and relationships break down.
• With trust, mistakes are forgiven, benefit of the doubt is extended, and relationships fuel productivity.

All that, because of trust.

In the Building Trust in Teams workshop, we start by working with the team to assess their dimensions of trust, typically by collecting trust feedback for everyone on the team. Individual scorecards tell each team member what they’re doing to increase and decrease the trust that other team members have in them. The team then explores ways to change the trust trajectory so they can work together more effectively.

When you talk to leaders and teams about increasing trust, they say things like, “Once you lose trust, it can’t be re-established,” and “You can’t measure or create trust; you just know it when you see it.”

Our clients say differently.

Feelings of trust change over time. People make choices that cause others to trust them more, or less.

Trust comes from believing in the competence and character of another person. Behaviors drive the perception of trustworthiness. When team members demonstrate their knowledge, skills, experience, and results, belief in their competence increases.

When they doubt one another’s character, they need to see and hear evidence of their colleague’s positive intent and integrity to increase confidence in their character.

The key to increasing trust in teams is to help teams see that trust is all about behavior.

There’s no denying that examining team trust can be uncomfortable, but every team reports back that it’s invaluable.