Trust is an important part of teamwork. Most of the time in projects people don't really know each other. What do you do to create trust between teammates? Saving Changes...
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Rebecca BraglioCommunity Engagement Specialist II| Project Management InstituteNewtown Square, Pa, United States
I love this thread - and I'd be especially interested in how others build trust when they find themselves in uncharted territories.
For example, coming into the project management community with very little project management experience has been a challenge for me. As a community manager, you want to have as much knowledge of a community topic as you can. While it's not vital to management, it's pretty darn important -- especially when it comes to establishing trust with members and credibility.
For me, I find that being transparent is critical to building trust. I'm a newbie when it comes to project management - and I'm upfront about it. I try to offset that with my experience in community management, though, to help reassure members that I know the best practices to help build a community. By being transparent, everyone knows where they stand.
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Mohamed SobairPrincipal Solution Architecture| FreelanceRiyadh, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Its part of team building and development , and its needed to be in place & important for the success of the project as well!
Although Some times it MAY take time to build trust between team members, I see some of the best approaches is to have:
- Collaborative team engagements.
- Collaborative & Personal meetings/discussion between team at personal or work level.
These things has significant impact on Tightened relationship between the team members , and would therefore, build the trust between them. Saving Changes...
Be part of your team you are working with or leading them and you will see extraordinary results. Everything boils down to basic human principles;
1. Keep personal contact and follow ice berg theory to understand the behavioral changes.
2. Open communication
3. Clear and transparent goals
4. Lead by example
5. Give credit to team members on success and take responsibility on failures
6. Appreciate and congratulate individuals in open forum and provide improvement feedback in one to one close door meeting.
7. Try to resolve team members’ personal issues as well.
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Bruce SchwickrathPMI AZ Director of Mentorship Program| (retired)Mesa, Az, United States
Trust is cited by over 50 percent of the clients as the single most important factor in evaluating your company and your ability to perform. Remember if a client or potential client has a need, they will not engage you if they do not trust you. How do you gain the trust of current and prospective clients, as well as colleagues, subordinates, and others with whom you do business?
The Three Elements of Trust (How does the client see you)
Competence: The element of competence is what I call “domain specific” in that it depends on what area of expertise or skill you are assessing someone to be trustworthy in. For instance, you might trust me as a PMP to manage a project, but you wouldn't trust me to give you a root canal (for good reason!). So the question to ask here is, “Does this person have the ability, knowledge, relevant experience and resources to perform this specific task in this domain of expertise?”
Reliability: Reliability is about whether you can count on someone to manage and honor their commitments. Or put another way, to do what they say they’ll do when they say they’ll do it. So you may trust someone to be competent at a particular task and sincere in their intention to do it, but their track record of unreliability, whether it be tardiness or sloppy work, keeps you from trusting them completely. The question to ask, “Can I count on this person to keep their promises and get the task done properly and by the agreed time frame?”
Sincerity: Sincerity relates directly to our assessment of someone’s character; to their fundamental integrity. Of all three elements of trust, sincerity is the hardest to build, and the most pivotal in our decision whether or not to place your trust in someone and it’s what we want, need and expect from those who are in a position of deciding to give you an opportunity to work for them. Sincerity is also the most difficult element to repair when damaged, which explains why infidelity has a far greater impact on a marriage than a spouse who simply forgets their anniversary. So the question to ask here is, “Is this person genuine and someone who means what they say with a strong sense of integrity?”
One of the best ways to build trust is to always deliver on promises and commitments. When you commit to follow up on an issue, take ownership and do just that. A common mistake and “trust-buster” is failing to regularly communicate status and not keeping interested parties informed. You know how frustrating it is when you are waiting for information that is vital to your business; so avoid becoming the cause of frustration for your clients, prospects, or colleagues by using great follow-up skills. Saving Changes...
Considering the attached file perspective, trust at that level comes only after a certain time and engagement of all the involved parties, knowing a few of each other characteristics.
Something that I imagine can accelerate this process is an open, continuous and closer discussion around the ways the team can obtain the goals of the project if everyone stay at the same side, looking to foster the high skills of one another, as well, cover the weaknesses of a team mate, where, when and if necessary.
In other few words, in my humble opinion, to reach quick results on that subject, the clear, direct and team enhancing communication is essential. Saving Changes...
Michael AdamsSolutions Architect| LANLLos Alamos, Nm, United States
I think the team leader really does set the tone. If the team is going to have trust, they must have confidence in the team leader. Even if they trust each other, but not the lead, the result will be a lack of trust.
It is important to remember that a Project Manager's job is largely communication. It is important to do the following:
- Respond to team members' concerns in a timely fashion
- Respond to team members' concerns in a meaningful fashion
- Let your team know that you have their backs
- Keep meetings on task and efficient
- Coordinate necessary discussions for planning, particularly where team members' work results will interface. Let them work out the interface, but be in the conversation to provide clarification if misunderstandings occur and to keep the focus on track for the project purpose
- Create an environment where open communication is encourahged and rewarded. Where 'problems' are discussed with a solution in mind, rather than with the aim of assigning blame. Saving Changes...
