We’ve already covered Shared Care, Making Commitments and Giving Feedback—today I'm talking trust. When I work with teams, I often hear "Yes! We trust each other!" however, when I speak with members individually, the real dirt comes out. So, what's the issue?

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‍Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or integrity of someone or something.

‍It’s the confidence that others will act in ways that are honest, fair, and predictable, and that they have your best interests in mind.Trust can also refer to the sense of security you feel when you rely on someone or something to do what they say they will do, even in uncertain or risky situations.In relationships, trust is the foundation that allows open communication, collaboration, and support to flourish. Without trust, teams, partnerships, or friendships struggle to grow or sustain themselves.

‍So, how do we build trust?

‍Sometimes it’s as simple as doing what we say we are going to do. Being honest and dependable. Sure, that’s easy enough -but what about when the unexpected happens? Things are more difficult than we originally assumed?

‍Trust is not a “one and done” event, it’s a living, evolving entity that requires some care and feeding. After all, we’re human, we make mistakes, things don’t always go as planned, we have crossed wires and bad moods, we’re prone to overcommitment, too optimistic (or pessimistic), we step on toes or generally mess up. Stuff happens.

How can you be a more trusted leader and build more trust on teams?
Action steps:

• Be transparent: Share information openly, even the uncomfortable stuff. Many leaders want to be bulletproof with perfect answers or total power. Of course you want to use discernment in what is shared, with who and why but sharing all that is appropriate helps people feel they are seeing the whole picture.
  
• Say what you mean: Learn to be direct (but kind!). Stop sugar-coating your words until no one knows what you’re actually saying. Avoid sharing only the palatable parts of your message, and leaving out the more difficult truths.
  
• Show vulnerability: Admit when you don’t have the answer. It makes you human—and it builds trust when your team knows it’s okay to not be perfect. Acknowledging mistakes, admitting when they don’t know something, and being open about challenges - and sharing what you are doing next - can help build trust.
  
• Keep people updated when conditions change: When you’ve made a commitment and something changes, keep your team updated with what has changed, why it changed, and what action you’re taking next (even if the action is “Finding out more about what changed”.)
  
• Support one another: Show that you’ve got each other’s backs.Recognize the contributions of others. Offer support or peer coaching. Develop a culture that offers help when someone is struggling.
  
• Respect boundaries: Trust thrives when team members respect each other’s time, boundaries, and perspectives. Honor different working styles, cultures, and opinions. Not everyone works or thinks the same way. Flexibility with how people contribute builds trust in their capabilities.
  
• Apologize when you mess up: Just get over yourself and say “Sorry, I messed up.” “Sorry, I was a little short with you.” “Sorry, I interrupted you.” Just do it.

Trust sounds simple, but isn’t always easy. We must have the humility to recognize when we’ve broken or damaged trust in relationship. We also need to have the skills to repair this valuable aspect of teams.