School of PE Blog

Trust builds safety. According to Google's study on what makes their teams so successful, the number one factor was psychological safety. In fact, in this study, they realized that it didn't matter who was put on a team or their qualifications in their field. What matters was "how the team members interact, structure their work, and view their contributions." A team with trust knows that they're safe to take risks and ask questions, can count on each other to get their work done, has goals and execute plans, and fundamentally believes that their work matters. These teams will be more productive and have better working dynamics than those without trust.

If the most important factor (and in the end, the main goal) to trust in a team is feeling psychologically safe, then how do we get there? What steps do we take to create an environment and team where each member feels empowered to ask questions and take risks to better the entire group?

It's the little things, really. We're all naturally hardwired to protect ourselves against threats in our lives; even things that aren't physically threatening can create distrust. These threats in the workplace come in the form of people's perceived opinions of our competence and ability- psychological threats. For example, take a situation in which you need clarification on a topic, something as simple as needing to know a date or goal outcome. Instead of seeking that clarification, we hold back. We eliminate the threat of others' opinions by simply not asking. This doesn't help the situation, however. Instead, it leads to even more work trying to figure out the answer on our own.

In the end, developing a team that works well together, that knows their responsibilities, and that can trust each other to do their jobs well comes down to small steps that you can take in your workplace every day to cultivate trust.

1. Encourage Communication- Starting off strong: when communication stops, trust dries up quickly. Encourage open communication lines so that team members can always talk about issues they're having without fear of reprimand.

2. Be Transparent- Explain everything clearly and concisely. Make sure that every part of a topic is completely explained, and that honesty is always a priority. During communication, transparency is a key factor in these lines of communication remaining open both ways.

3. Have Personalized Meetings- Meet with individuals to get to know them, their strengths and weaknesses, their concerns, etc. Having a time and place that encourages team members to speak freely and let themselves be heard goes a long way in building trust.

4. Plan Team Building Activities- Have activities, scheduled and unscheduled, for team members to interact in a stress-free, collaborative manner that has something to do with the work they're trying to achieve. This helps eliminate barriers in the way of forming relationships that have the potential to build trust.

5. Encourage Collaboration- Encourage collaboration within the context of work as well. Something like pairing together individuals whose job descriptions aren't closely aligned can help them develop skills in various areas rather than just their own.

6. Eliminate Cliques- Cliques are groups that have barriers for entry designed specifically to keep others out based on perceived elitism. They're the opposite of a team. Cliques do nothing to foster trust, and instead divide and isolate individuals based, again, on perception. By eliminating cliques, and allowing everybody to be part of the team, you'll have an inherently more trusting environment.

7. Appreciate Often- Show your appreciation for a job well done in any scenario. A team member that knows their skills are appreciated and valued will be more trusting and higher performing. Appreciation can come in many varieties, such as prizes for goals met, and incentive programs to improve employee engagement to name a few.

8. Show Leadership Qualities- Every team needs a good leader, and excellent leadership goes a long way in creating a team based on trust. A team that knows they can trust their leader to do their job will be more trusting of each other. Here are a few ways that you can display good leadership qualities.

9. Follow Through on Promises- By stating a promise and keeping that promise, you're developing a positive system of dependence. Teach your team that they can trust you. Give them a positive example by saying what you're going to do, and then doing what you said. This demonstrates how to follow through and cultivates trust from the very beginning.

Here are a few things to keep in mind that will help you along the way.

1. Trust can happen gradually and instantaneously, but it's all in the actions you take on a daily basis. It's easy to say that the little things don't matter, and that mistakes happen, and they do! But trust is a process that happens through individual instances as well as with consistency in the long run.

2. Value inclusivity and diversity in order to show each individual team member that they're valued for who they are and what they individually bring to the table. Diversity isn't only in the color of your skin, or where you're from, or your disabilities. Instead, diversity is in the individual skillsets you bring to the table.

3. Admit when you're wrong, even when it hurts. In fact, it should happen especially when it hurts. Admitting wrongdoing or mistakes will go a long way in teaching your team members that mistakes are okay to make, and apologies are always necessary when it affects other people.

It doesn't matter if you're building a brand-new team or you have an old team: trust within a team is vital for productivity and progress. Implementing these strategies to cultivate trust with your team will be beneficial in any scenario. By keeping these steps and tips in mind, you'll be able to cultivate trust within your team that will continue through the duration of your time together and beyond.

Consider building your team's expertise and experience by partnering with School of PE. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help your team members take their careers to the next level!