7 Proven Steps to Build Trust in Dysfunctional Teams

Dysfunctional teams lack trust.

Here are 7 proven steps to build it fast:

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

Sound familiar:

-> You have an open-door policy, but no one enters
-> You give clear directions but got 15 questions back
-> You asked for feedback, but got only averted glances

Know why?

They don't trust you.

Don't wait patiently for trust to develop.

Manufacture it.

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

There are 2 types of trust:

Dependable Trust
-> Reliability, competency, commitments kept
-> Wards off micromanagement

Emotional Trust
-> Respect, safety, having each other's backs
-> Encourages radical candor

High-performing teams demand both.

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

1/ Raw Materials

Quick reminder:
-> Be honest
-> Own your mistakes
-> Honor your commitments
-> Communicate early when you can't

These are table stakes.

-> Hire good humans too.

They're are foundational to your system.

Remember: With any system, Garbage In = Garbage Out

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

2/ Write Your User Manual

You are not as clear or consistent to work with as you think.

The secret to improving both: Write it down.

Readers of my MGMT Playbook got a full breakdown and access to my Personal User Manual templates.

Join for free:https://t.co/gIQbqkd3lg

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

3/ Set Targets

Well, maybe not targets, but intention.

Manufacturing something is hard if the team doesn't have the specs.

So discuss:

-> Why is it important to you?
-> Why they'll benefit from leaning in?
-> Co-author the agreed behaviors.

They'll own what they create.

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

4/ Design the Line

What's on the trust factory floor?

-> Show people you care
-> Show them you're fair
-> Show your vulnerability
-> Shine a lot of light - transparency is key

There's a reason the quote "sunlight is the best disinfectant" has lasted 150 years.

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

5/ Walk the Floor

Your goal isn't to direct. Your goal is to support.

-> Find what's working and praise it
-> Find what's not working & seek to understand

You don't build trust. You earn it.

Know who people trust?

Those they can help: https://t.co/i7ROBxTUdM

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

6/ Make It OK To Pull the Cord

If there's one company that knows how to manufacture, it's Toyota.

All of their assembly lines have an "Andon Cord" to ensure quality.

A quick tug by any worker can stop the line to address a problem.

You want your team to do the same.

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

Three things happen:

-> You crowdsource interactions that require examination, building a shared understanding.

-> This simple act of empowerment will accelerate trust.

-> You're normalizing high standards & accountability, a clear exit sign if you can't operate that way.

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

7/ Compress Cycle Times

Look back on groups you trust:

-> College friends
-> Military platoons
-> Sports teammates
-> Theatre productions
-> Startup founding teams

They had two things in common:

-> Concentrated interactions
-> Collective moments of risk & reward

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

What can you orchestrate?

-> Physical: I took a team up a 1500' mtn in the winter on snowshoes

-> Emotional: A friend brought her team for a historical tour of Normandy

-> Social: A full team competitive hackathon weekend w/ prizes

Be thoughtful & inclusive, but be daring.

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023

Doesn't trust need to be authentic?

100%

My wife had a great analogy:

-> You can farm the old way. Till the earth, sow seeds & hope the weather cooperates.

Or

-> Improve your yields, farm year-round inside, optimized by systems.

Why wouldn't you try to earn trust faster?

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) March 23, 2023