Work That’s Fulfilling, Fruitful, and Fun
I’m a big fan of Patrick Lencioni, his team at The Table Group, and their mission to make companies more successful and work more fulfilling.
In listening to their podcast At the Table with Patrick Lencioni, I’m continually impressed with the team’s commitment to build trust with each other. They know, of course, that with strong mutual trust, their work becomes more fulfilling, more fruitful, and more fun. And with an environment like that, just think of how well they’re able to support their clients.
When the Trust Is Absent
An absence of trust, as many know, is at the foundation of Patrick’s book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. When a team exhibits an absence of trust with each other, they:
- Hide their weaknesses and mistakes
- Hesitate to offer help or ask for help
- Keep grudges
- Avoid spending time together
Perhaps that list made you think of people you currently work with or colleagues from past roles you’ve had.
Now look through the behaviors again. Instead of an outward look at others, look inward at yourself. Are any of the listed behaviors true for you? Do you keep your mistakes a secret so no one finds out you’re not perfect? Do you resent others on your team so much that you’d never fully forgive past missteps? Do you keep to yourself rather than extend a helping hand to someone who may need it?
Tracking Team Issues Back to the Absence of Trust
I work with leaders and their teams to help them stop hating Mondays, and more often than not, the root cause of that disdain for Mondays is a lack of trust on the team.
A leader may reach out to me for a solution to low productivity, team conflict, lack of a leadership pipeline, poor performance and low morale, or high turnover. Do I help with these challenges? I do. Can I track many of them back to a team that doesn’t fully trust each other, their leader, and/or the organization as a whole? Yes.
Given that information, then, what’s a leader to do? How can you build your own level of trust in your team members and encourage them to do the same?
Make a Commitment to Remind, Respect, and Remember
To build trust, I follow the three R’s and encourage my clients to do the same:
Remind. One of my favorite quotes comes from Samuel Johnson who said, “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.” People know what trust is. They don’t need that instruction. They simply need a reminder of the expectation that trust move beyond the basics. The most common version of trust (e.g. doing what you’ve been hired to do) is a given. It’s vulnerability-based trust (e.g. sharing the kind truth when a coworker’s poor attitude is becoming the norm rather than the exception) that’s a game-changer.
Respect. Some days vulnerability-based trust comes easily. Other days it seems impossible. Respect the ups and downs that are bound to happen as well as the differences your team members bring with them. When they feel your respect and understanding, they’ll feel safe to be more vulnerable, open, and honest with each other. Trust grows in safe spaces.
Remember. As you continue to promote and celebrate the trust that’s being built among your team members, remember to have fun. Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group team shared on one podcast episode the rapper names they’ve given each other. Names like Lil Harsh, Lil Disappointed, and Lil Tense were shared. The names come from feedback they’ve offered each other– feedback that’s vulnerable, open, and honest. As I listened to their rapper names, I laughed out loud, and because I was listening while on a walk, I did get a few strange looks from people I passed. That’s all part of the fun of trust building, though, right?
