While I speak and write a lot about trust and its role in leadership and organizational culture and climate, I must be honest and vulnerable enough to admit that there have been times when I have been in – and possibly contributed to – situations where we have trust issues in teams. I write about similar themes in the chapter I contributed to the book, “100 No-Nonsense Things That ALL School Leaders Should STOP Doing.” Well, my team and I have been experiencing issues with this recently and I have done a lot of reflecting and learning from this experience.
Trust is an essential component of any team, whether in a business or personal setting. When trust exists within a team, members are more likely to work together effectively, share information openly, and make decisions more confidently. However, when trust is lacking, teams often become ineffective, as members become guarded, withhold, and are less likely to collaborate. In this blog post, we will explore the causes of trust issues within teams and how to fix them.
Causes of Trust Issues in Teams
There are several reasons why trust issues can arise within teams. Some common causes include:
- Lack of transparency: When team members feel that information is being kept from them or that the team leader is being evasive or secretive, it can erode trust.
- Lack of accountability: When team members feel that they are not being held accountable for their actions or that their contributions are not being recognized, it can lead to distrust.
- Conflicting interests: Teams that are comprised of individuals with different goals and interests can often experience trust issues. When team members feel that their interests are not being taken into account, it can lead to distrust.
- Poor communication: When team members are not communicating effectively, it can lead to misunderstandings and erode trust.
- Personal differences: Personal differences between team members, such as personality clashes or conflicting values, can lead to trust issues.
An Example of a Company Resolving Its Trust Issues
A company was facing trust issues within its sales team. The sales team was responsible for meeting sales targets and generating revenue for the company. However, team members were not working together effectively, and there was a lack of communication and collaboration. The sales manager noticed that the team was not meeting their targets, and morale was low. After investigating the issue, he found that trust was at the root of the problem.
The sales manager recognized that the trust issues within the team were due to a combination of factors. Firstly, there was a lack of transparency, as some team members felt that information was being kept from them. Secondly, there was a lack of accountability, as team members were not being held responsible for their actions. Thirdly, there were conflicting interests, as some team members were more focused on their individual targets, rather than working together to achieve the team’s goals. Lastly, there was poor communication, as team members were not sharing information effectively.
The sales manager knew that he needed to address the trust issues within the team if they were going to meet their targets and improve team dynamics. He decided to take the following steps to fix the trust issues:
- Increased transparency: The sales manager made a conscious effort to be more open and transparent with the team. He held regular meetings to update team members on the progress of their sales targets and provided them with the information they needed to do their jobs effectively.
- Improved accountability: The sales manager put systems in place to hold team members accountable for their actions. He set clear expectations for each team member and provided them with feedback on their performance.
- Aligned interests: The sales manager worked with team members to align their interests with the team’s goals. He encouraged team members to work together and provided incentives for them to do so.
- Improved communication: The sales manager encouraged team members to communicate more effectively. He held regular team meetings and provided team members with the tools and resources they needed to communicate effectively.
The results of these efforts were immediate and significant. The sales team’s morale improved, and team members began to work together more effectively.
The good news, as this scenario highlights, is that when trust breaks down among a team, those issues can often be resolved. My hope is that, just like this company’s story above, my team and I can find a resolution to our trust issues soon, too.
If you would like to learn more about how you can build trust as a leader, I hope you will consider enrolling in my free course called “Unlock Your Leadership Potential.”
