Here’s a simple, powerful exercise to boost trust within your hybrid work team
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What factor in high-performing teams is even more important in a hybrid work environment than it ever was in the office setup? In one word, Trust.
Here are just a few key reasons why:
Trust bridges the gap caused by people working from different locations and time zones. Separation can cause misunderstanding, wrong assumptions and, well, mistrust. When trust is embedded in the org culture, teams are more apt to believe in each other’s commitment, intentions, professionalism and work ethic. Trust engenders collaboration which is connected to strong performance.
Trust encourages people to take ownership of their roles and tasks which is central to accountability. In remote/hybrid workplaces, people can feel isolated and uncertain that they’re being heard and things are getting done. They need to feel that they have each other’s backs. They need to trust that their colleagues are committed to the team’s goals, and in turn they rise to meet that accountability goal.
Trust sparks innovation and creativity. When people trust others they feel safe and more free to open up and share new ideas, thoughts, and feedback. Innovation is critical for any company to stay competitive. It is still possible in a remote or hybrid workplace to bounce ideas off each other when there is a sense of trust among the members.
Before we dive in, I want to tell you that this is not “touchy-feely” stuff we’re about to get into. Trust is measurable and studied, and is key to what makes a team function, accomplish goals, and successfully navigate through change.
Taking leadership in building trust with your teams is an important priority—and a process. This exercise is a great starting point. It’s one we often use in coaching, designed to lay the foundation of trust for a team. It can be deployed at the start of any team meeting.
Let me add that there is nothing that can truly replace the live, energy exchange that meeting together in person offers. This would be a great exercise for an in-person offsite or one of the days in the week that employees are required to come to the office.
Having said that, this exercise can be done successfully in a virtual or hybrid situation. The key is to ensure that everyone is able to participate equally, so plan ahead by walking through the participant’s experience to make it as inclusive (and memorable) as possible.
Quick trust-building exercise to create a space for open, honest interaction
“What do you need?” exercise
Go around the room—virtual or otherwise—and ask this question to each person: “What do you need everyone in this group to do for you to feel safe?”
Each one gets to describe what they personally need to feel safe and comfortable within a group to allow open discussions. Make sure you listen attentively, and respect each answer without challenge or followup. This is meant to be an opportunity for everyone to be heard, not for results per se.
What you get from the conversation can be pretty remarkable. One member said, “I’ve been with this company for 16 years and we’ve never had any kind of agreement together on this stuff. This is the most wonderful thing we’ve ever done!”
Results:
Helps each member understand more about the others as well as themselves – many people have never been asked this question before, or known how others feel.
Sets ground rules for a team environment that feels comfortable for everybody.
Builds trust, as advertised...
Don’t be surprised if some emotions bubble up from this exchange. It helps to be prepared for this, and to consider a personal follow-up with any team member who shows an emotional response, as there may be underlying discomforts or even conflicts that were triggered by a question around safety. It’s important to address these responses before they grow into unproductive interpersonal conflict.
The upside is that you will likely notice more engagement, energy, and open exchange right away. Rinse and repeat as a team meeting or team-building practice by modifying your questions to fit the outcome you’re looking for, i.e., “What do you need to have happen with this project right now to feel comfortable taking the next step?” Here is more information and another great conversation-starter tool to check out.
When we join a company, partnership or team, our expectation is that everyone involved will exhibit professional behavior toward us and each other. Instead, it’s highly possible that we may become one of the more than 60 million adults in the United States who are affected in some way by bullying behavior at work.
What kind of behaviors are we talking about? Our definition is any interpersonal behavior that causes emotional distress in others sufficient enough to impede their productivity or disrupt organizational functioning. It isn’t just a personality conflict — it’s a chronic pattern of disrespectful behavior.