There is no question that the high-performance teams I have worked with and observed have high levels of trust between all team members.
Trust s very evident in high performance teams. These teams are highly focused on their goals, achieve superior results, and outperform similar teams.
We watch each other’s backs; have a diversity of skills and competencies to complement each other; have a diverse range of opinions, which we openly share; and communicate consistently about any issues that affect the team.
We give and receive feedback on performance and take that feedback on board as a way of becoming even better at what we do.
Trust generally only comes up in discussions when it has been breached, or the team is dysfunctional or the culture is toxic.
Without trust, a team is just a group of individuals doing their own thing. It is very ‘I’ focussed rather than ‘we’ focused. It doesn’t matter how capable or talented each individual is, if trust isn’t present the team will not reach its full potential.
Consider teams you have been part of, what were the building blocks of trust in place?