How to rebuild trust in a broken team?
Trust lacking Observed behaviors
- Caution
- CYA actions
- Fear
Trust Happening Observed behaviors
- Regard for others
- Open talking and listening – with agenda on work outcomes
- Reliability
This all comes back to the work. People don’t necessarily have to like each other and they must trust that what the other team members are doing and what the project manager is doing will get done.
One way to restore Trust
Return to the “Why am I here? Why are you here? Why are we all here?” This is in reference to the work at hand. If people are in a meeting, and they cannot tell you why they are there, and why the other people in the room are there, and the skills + responsibilities of the team, others and themselves…they will never have trust.
Another way to restore trust
If trust is lost because the team had commitment to specific task, and one or more people did not complete their task for the team. This kills trust…in the person(s) who did not complete their task and the project manager / team-leader to handle the work.
To fix this meet with the person(s) and possibly the team and renegotiate their time and what they can give to the team project. Meet with their manager and see how to better develop a way to share time for the project work and the day-to-day stuff.
What do you think?
Are the ideas above appropriate to restore trust? What would you add?