Surface Ripples

Teamwork Comes from TRUST

Stephen Covey, author of “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” once commented that “without trust we don’t truly collaborate; we merely coordinate or, at best, cooperate. It is trust that transforms a group of people into a team.”

The art or science (or both) of teamwork has been the subject of many studies. The US Navy SEALS generally won’t put someone on the team if they can’t trust them. So what is it that creates this “trust” that seems to be so important? 

From what I’ve seen, there are several factors at play:

First and foremost, team members must feel safe.  This means that not only must they feel safe to make mistakes, but they must also feel safe to admit them, ask for help and that people won’t try to “stab them in the back”.  There are countless stories of certain industry sectors where people claw their way to the top over the backs of others, where admitting to weakness or mistakes is a “career limiting move”. 

Another factor is communication.  Team members must have open and frank communication and be able to feel safe in saying things.  This has already been mentioned in the first paragraph dealing with safety.  However, it’s just as important to be able to voice concerns, complaints, criticisms about what’s going on. Of course, when it comes to one’s teammates, things need to be done in a more diplomatic way, but if someone isn’t, say, pulling their weight or is causing trouble one way or another, then an “intervention” is needed and fast before team morale and productivity suffer irreparably.

Understanding one’s own strengths and weaknesses as a team member is also vital. Some people are “naturals” at sales. Others may not be so gifted in this area, but turn out to be brilliant organisers, administrators and checkers. Yet others are able to keep the team “together” when tiredness sets in or morale starts to flag.

Understanding the interplay of all these factors (and more) is vital in managing team dynamics. Once the team truly trusts each other to “have their back” it’s amazing what they can accomplish!

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website  provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  

Labels: Leadership, Productivity, Teamwork

posted by William Martin @ 08:54