Embedding and Maintaining a “High Trust” Team Culture
The five critical components of a “high trust” team culture require a comprehensive effort to embed them and especially to maintain them over time.
The arrival of new team members or the acquisition of another team can add significant stress to an existing culture. And the more members there are, the greater likelihood that several of the components are allowed to dissipate or grow stale. A constant and vigilant effort is required. Using the suggestions I offer can help to achieve and maintain a dynamic, positive team culture.
Fostering psychological safety is more magic than science, and it is co-created. The entire team must share the steadfast belief that it is not only acceptable but required that each member expresses themselves freely; that they can ask questions and speak up, admit mistakes and failures without the least kind of adverse reaction. To ensure this, the leader must actively invite input and replace blame with curiosity. Make clear to all members their voices matter and explain why their viewpoint is essential. Make it easy for people to ask for help . Show that you as a leader accept others for being different. Make sure no one undermines the work of another, and you don’t as well. How you respond to even wacky ideas sets a tone. Instead of deriding the wackiness, lean into learning what was behind the idea. Showing humility and fallibility, actively supporting each individual and encouraging open communication are all essential to promoting a safe environment.
Clarity concerning norms and expectations about roles and behaviors starts at hiring and is periodically reinforced. Make sure that each position has clearly defined and documented tasks and responsibilities; that objective and strategy are well understood. Communicate expectations openly and on a regular basis in both one on one and group settings. Provide constructive feedback by asking questions designed to elicit understanding rather than blame, such as How did you come to…? How would you evaluate what happened? And especially work at soliciting feedback, again by asking questions: How can I help? What should I do that I haven’t? Celebrating successes also offers a great opportunity to repeat expectations and objectives. And, finally, address conflicts promptly and fairly, not to assess blame but better to understand how the conflict came about.
Connection is the glue that binds team members together, since human beings are social animals. It is built on feelings of warmth, unity of purpose, and empathy through having meaningful conversations and building on commonalities. Often commonalities are not innate; rather they are constructed through activities. Frirt, team leaders should strive to know each of their team members professionally and personally, learning about their interests, concerns and home life, their professional and personal goals. Second, engage in team-building activities through bonding events. This can occur during business hours, with special lunches and even fifteen minute coffee breaks, called “fica” in Sweden. PwC states that these fifteen minutes have helped produce stronger bonds among team members. Team retreats are also excellent opportunities for bonding and often can include members’ significant others. Special team dinners, particularly to celebrate team and individual milestones can be very helpful. Finally, volunteering together as a team has proven very successful in building morale and connection.
Just like in the lives of individuals, meaning and purpose are essential to a “high trust” team culture. Teams must have a short, powerful statement encapsulating the purpose and core values of the team. Start with the questions: What is the contribution we want to make in our clients’ lives? What are the core values we live by in trying to make that contribution? When hiring for a team, consider adopting a modified Isadore Sharp approach that he used in building the Four Seasons hotel chain. Sharp hired for attitude, knowing he could train for skills. Teams should hire those with similar core values because it helps ensure the creation of a framework showing how each team member’s work advances the team purpose. Leaders should use actual examples to show how a particular action advanced the team mission. It is particularly worthwhile to include clients’ voices about how a team member made a difference. The best teams routinely collect client impact stories to share with members. This also provides an occasion to celebrate those achievements, which in itself acts to reinforce them. When the whole team is involved in decision-making, it becomes easier to connect the team purpose to the decision. The result of all this is to foster a sense of personal ownership.
Finally, investing in talent development helps ensure a “high trust” culture. This begins with building the right kind of pipeline of potential team members. Instead of waiting to fill a position after someone leaves or when the workload has already become too burdensome, having an established list of viable candidates. With whom you keep in regular contact not only saves time. It helps ensure a great “fit.” Selecting candidates who share your purpose and core values is one critical component. Specific skill sets are another, as well as a sense that the person will have a rapport with other team members.
Perhaps the most important component of talent development involves growth, so vital to all team members. Fostering and rewarding a culture of continuous learning helps ensure growth. This learning could be informal, based on taking on special projects or “stretch” opportunities. These can result directly from regular weekly or bi-weekly meetings. Coach responses from team members by asking them, What could I do for you that I am not doing? Or learning could involve more formal activities, such as obtaining special designations or certificates. Finally, use mentorship and coaching to help encourage a growth mindset. Creating a continuous learning environment requires an investment, giving team members the time and the financial backing to embark on certain learning goals, or creating a sabbatical structure in which team members can qualify to take up to a month or more with pay to achieve a specific objective in line with advancing the team’s purpose.
In the end, establishing and maintaining a “high trust” culture is an obligation of all team members, with the team leader showing the way. It requires constant vigilance and a commitment of time, attention and resources. “High trust” teams are rare, but they are worth the effort. How do you know when you have a “high trust” team culture? To paraphrase Justice Potter Stewart regarding pornography, you’ll know a “high trust” culture when everyone feels it.