Trust is the foundation of the human relationship and the foundation of an effective team. I recently shared how our behavior will create or destroy trust in the article The Evolution of Trust, and more about trust as the foundation of a team in the article The Five Dysfunction of a Team.
Paul J. Zak, the author of Trust Factor, shares in The Neuroscience of Trust the 8 management behaviors that will foster trust.
We could use the 8 behaviors as discussion points with teams to improve our way of working. The question could be, How are we doing on:
- Recognize excellence: personal public recognition from peers that occurs immediately after the fact, tangible and unexpected has the largest effect on trust.
- Induce “challenge stress”: stretch goal, but a still achievable goal, assigned to a team will intensify focus and strengthen the social connection.
- Give people discretion in how they do their work: autonomy and self-organization, is another important contributor, being trusted creates trust.
- Enable job crafting: trusting people to choose what they will work will ensure focus and motivation. The author gives the example of Valve, the gaming software company, I recommend their employee handbook to have an idea of how they work, and inspire the conversation with your teams.
- Share information broadly: uncertainty and stress undermine teamwork, openness, transparency and daily synchronization are the proposed antidotes.
- Intentionally build relationships: encourage people to care for each other will make them happier and more productive.
- Facilitate whole-person growth: meet frequently and give constant feedback on personal and professional growth.
- Show vulnerability: asking for help, and acknowledging what we don’t know, help to build credibility.
Could this discussion be the Retrospective on Trust for your team?