You've just invested in a sleek red Ferrari Roma.
This speed demon isn't just any car; it's meticulously crafted for top-notch performance. Everything, from the engine to the suspension, has been fine-tuned for high-speed handling.
But imagine this: to cut costs, you swap out the high-performance Pirelli tires for a set of all-season Goodyears from a local shop.
Suddenly, your supercar struggles to hit top speeds or steer through the chicane smoothly.
Ridiculous, right?
So why let high-powered leadership teams work in low-trust environments?
Just as high-quality tires are critical for a Ferrari's performance, trust fuels your team's success. Without it, even the most talented professionals become an average bunch.
How do you build trust within your team for optimal performance?
Now Let's Hit the Brakes and Talk About Trust
Now, let's briefly hit the brakes and talk about the speed bumps caused by low trust.
I remember a time when we needed to pivot our strategy. We had an offsite with the whole leadership team to execute a plan.
After the meeting one of my leaders came to me and suggested an alternate approach that was better than what we decided on in the room.
When asked, “Why didn’t you speak up when we were together?” she stated I was not comfortable.
Oof.
That's Covey's "low trust tax" - slowing progress and costing the business both tangibly and intangibly.
It has been proven that high-trust firms outperform low-trust ones by a staggering 3x, according to Covey.
The good news?
Trust can be measured and, therefore, managed.
Through surveys and assessments, behavioral standards and performance metrics trust levels within an organization can be observed.
Remember, trust isn't a destination; it's a team commitment.
As a small entrepreneurial organization, we took a simpler approach, which included trust as a topic for discussion at meetings. Once we set our trust charter, those who struggled to be vulnerable and transparent didn't stick around long. As we improved our conversations about trust, team performance accelerated.
So, how do you check if trust is running flat in your team's tires?
A few trust off-ramps:
gossip after meetings instead of speaking up
hesitation to send emails fearing backlash or judgement
lack of accountability for results from individuals and teams
blaming others for performance
micromanagement
Don't sweep these under issues under the floormats.
But what should you do?
A simple suggestion is to raise the issue of trust at your next meeting.
As a leader, I found the topic hard to address directly. We read "5 Dysfunctions of a Team" together. The fable by Lencioni makes the trust conversation very accessible because you can discuss the characters in the story. There is a great team assessment that will ease the team into talking about trust rather than it being a head-on collision.
Put trust in the driver's seat, address it openly, and your team's performance will accelerate.
And hey, if you need assistance from your trust mechanic, count on me.
Let's roll, but this time, with trust as our premium tire!
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