Building TRUST

The other day, I was having a mentoring session with one of my leads. The whole discussion point started with a build failure and we ended up discussing for 90 minutes. There were 2 topics that came in during this discussion, symptoms and root causes. We debated on the root cause and finally it boiled down to having more TRUST among team members. We also did have a discussion on symptom and manifestation; however I plan to have it as a separate discussion later. The most important point that came up was “OK, how do we build trust”. I did not have a straight forward answer and I understand still I do not have it. That kept me thinking and I could come up with below framework. At least this is something where we could start.

 As always, my favourite and the most important one is COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE and COMMUNICATE. If there is good enough, healthy communication among team members and they are aligned on goals, we have almost won the battle. There are various effective channels of communicating with(in) team. The important part is to ensure that this is happening on a regular basis. There is a set cadence. 3 effective ways of having great communication are

• Regular retrospectives (Discussed this in an earlier thread here)
• Regular feedback sessions. The important aspect to be noted here is, this need to be both ways. (Again, discussed this in an earlier thread here)
• Timely appreciations. This is something most are not really good at. We take things for granted and forget. Did I say “forget”? (Shame on me)

Being “transparent” with team members is yet another important aspect. Let them know why we do, what we do. It is always better because when others understand this, they are inclined to appreciate stuffs better.

Being “consistent and predictable”. As leaders, we are always being watched. Consistency and predictability is the key. If we expect our team to be consistent and predictable, we better be.

Enable and empower them. A leader becomes effective only when the team members are able to replace the leader. And that is a definitive benchmark for any leader, how many in the team can replace leader himself. Gone are the days of command and control. A leader moves to next level only when the team elevates the leader up and not when the team members pull him down. When the next level is not rightly enabled and empowered, they pull you down :-)

Once the team members are enabled, the most important thing a leader can do is to give them their space. Let them be alone. Give their breathing space. Let them explore. But guide them.

Allow them to fail. The faster the team fails, the faster they learn, the better they become.

Any transformation takes time. Be patient. Steven Covey has put it right, when he mentioned about the law of Farming. There is no silver bullet, no short cut. If it takes so much time, give that time. There is a defined timeline to reap the benefits after we sow the seeds. The challenge here is to know how long we need to wait, since we cannot be waiting indefinitely. Wait as much required and know when it needs to quit.

And finally, make them feel important. The best way that has worked for me is to tell it on face. Never hesitate to tell the team members that “You are important!!!”. Believe me, it means a lot for them, and by the way when you tell that, do not fake. The new generation is smarter than us:-)