"A team is not a group of people who work together. A team is a group of people who trust each other." ~Simon Sinek
I have had the good fortune to work on some amazing teams. Some which I built; some I was brought into; some in which I sought membership. But, what makes a team stand out from others?
Trust is the differentiator. The best teams have been those where there was a level of trust and respect in which candid conversations could be held, beliefs and opinions challenged, accountability as a shared responsibility, and mutual regard, appreciation, and admiration of each other. Titles did not matter. Degrees were irrelevant. Race, gender, religion, and politics were tangential. Instead, vulnerability, candor, and honesty were elevated.
These are the teams where the most achievements were made; the best outcomes generated; expectations exceeded over and over again. Were things always sunrays and flowers on these teams---NO! Instead, we held each other accountable, we had each other's back, we leveraged each other's strengths, and we maintained the highest of expectations for each other. This inevitably led to tough conversations, identifying shortcomings, acknowledging failures, and admitting our wrongs.
In the Toyota Production System (TPS), production line workers are all empowered to stop the production line if they see a need (maybe a defect in an auto, a safety need, etc.). This system is based upon a level of trust among and of the employees. Shouldn't all teams have this level of trust? Shouldn't we all work in such a safe space that we feel comfortable (and confident) to sound an alarm? To call out a misalignment? To address a misunderstanding? And yet in many instances, we either remain complacently silent or resort to the opposite extreme of being so self-righteous in exposing another's faults we fail to remember to be morally and ethically responsible with our words or how to critique with empathy.
So how do you build trust? How do you develop others? How do you inspire growth? How do we work together for the greater good? How do we create safe spaces? How do we collectively hold each other to the highest expectations and support one another?
The next time you are at a team meeting, find ways to establish trust. Foster communication. Be transparent. Encourage collaboration. Show appreciation. Model leadership qualities and skills. It's becoming more and more of an unlikely combination, but teams + trust add up to incredible outcomes.
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