Introduction

What does it take to build healthy, effective teams?

Some have said, "You have to get the right people in the right seats on the bus."

Some have said that you have to have people that know what they're doing.

Others have said a tenacious focus on accomplishing goals is the bedrock of trust.

Or, you might agree with Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) that a Level 5 leader makes all the difference.

For those that are already thinking about the communication and conflict issues related to team management, you might say the ability to get along with others trumps these other important aspects of teaming.

To all of this I say, "yes".

Patrick Lencioni, a contemporary leadership thinker and consultant suggests that vulnerability-based TRUST is actually the foundation on which cohesive teams are built. Can your team members admit when they are wrong? Do they ask for help? Do they offer sincere praise when it is appropriate? I can see where he is coming from. Here is his model of effective teams in one image:

Mr. Lencioni proposes that all team-cohesiveness starts with trust. And he isn't the only one speaking out on this subject.

David Horsager is the author of The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships and a Stronger Bottomline.

Christopher Evans wrote Leadership Trust: Build It, Keep It.

Megan Tschannen-Moran shares her thoughts in Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools.

And Charles Green, an author and consultant, focuses solely on trusted business relationships in his consulting work. He has written an enlightening article on the subject here:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/trustedadvisor/2012/04/03/why-trust-is-the-new-core-of-leadership/#6e1f24cf5e12


Many companies include trust in their core values statement. Bill Egger's former employer, MOOG (manufacturers of precision motion control products) includes the quality of trust in their core values statement. Could it be that so many well-respected product- and profit-focused businesses really give that much attention to such a "soft" quality? Read this excerpt from MOOG's core value statement and consider how trust might impact team performance:

"For our collaboration to be effective, mutual trust is crucial.  Each of us has to be willing to rely on what our teammates have said and what they've done.  We trust that people show up every day and put forth an honest effort.  If one of our folks has signed off a piece of work as complete, we believe it is complete.  If someone make a statement, we believe the statement is honest and correct.  This level of trust has to be earned and, in order to maintain it, everyone has to deal with each other honestly and fairly."

Ok, we get it. Trust matters!

Most of us have an idea about how trust is built, maintained, lost and re-established.  We are dealers in trust from birth, but maybe we have never intentionally studied trust in order to make it stronger! Why are some people natural trust-builders and others aren't initially trusted? What is the DNA of trust? How can I be fair without blindly trusting every Joe-Schmoe who walks through the door petitioning for my trust? What are the behaviors that can help me as a leader strengthen my 'trustworthiness'. Are we undermining our own influence without knowing it? If I've lost trust, how can I ever hope to restore a friend or colleague's faith in me?

For the next few weeks, we will have an online book study and discussion related to Stephen M.R. Covey's in-depth look at the subject of trust in his book The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything. Stephen is the son of renowned leadership expert Stephen Covey whom you probably know for his smash-success The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  In his book, you will see that Stephen (Jr.) does not fall far from the leadership tree.

Dig in over the next few weeks, read the chapters, participate in the online dialogue and let's see what conclusions we can draw about effective teams from this thought-provoking book.

I will post one blog post each week that will be sent to your inbox. Read the chapter for that week, then log on to see what your colleagues are thinking and learning from this incredible book!


See you in Chapter 1 "The One Thing That Changes Everything"!


To find an overview, go here: 
https://www.amazon.com/SPEED-TRUST-Thing-Changes-Everything/dp/1416549005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468437967&sr=8-1&keywords=speed+of+trust

* Since we've talked about becoming a feedback-seeking culture, I will give one Feedback Coin (FC) for each typo you find in my blog - yes, I'm serious. It's just a fun game. You can use your coins at the end of the study in the Innertwine Store (which I'll let you know more about later).