What is Trust and Psychological Safety?
Within an environment of genuine care for each other, team members feel free to be vulnerable, share their opinions, and do not fear making and admitting mistakes.
Make no mistake, there are no shortcuts to cultivating a team environment with trust and psychological safety. Establishing deep trust and a meaningful sense of safety takes time and even teams that achieve these must work hard to maintain them. Thankfully, there are a few steps that will help you lay a solid foundation for building this trust and safety on your team:
Create an open and inclusive environment where team members feel comfortable expressing themselves and their ideas without fear of judgment or retribution. This can include actively listening to team members, valuing their opinions, and providing them with regular feedback.
Tip: Use Teaming's built-in Work Style assessments to gain a deeper understanding of the makeup of your team. It's probable that some team members will be open with their ideas and opinions while others may be more hesitant. Make sure every member has the opportunity to share in team meetings and discussions, even if it requires you to prompt individuals directly.
Encourage open and honest communication within the team, and model this behavior yourself. This means being transparent and genuine in your interactions with team members, and actively soliciting their input and feedback.
Foster a culture of accountability and trust by holding yourself and other team members to high standards of performance and behavior. This means being consistent in your expectations and holding everyone accountable for their actions and decisions.
Tip: Teaming's team and individual goals are powerful tools for establishing and communicating expectations.
Support your team members in taking risks and trying new things, even if they might fail. This can include providing them with the resources and support they need to succeed, as well as offering them opportunities to learn from their mistakes and grow as professionals.
Tip: Establish a team ritual for celebrating the lessons gained from failures just as you do for celebrating successes.
Build strong relationships with your team members by getting to know them on a personal level and showing a genuine interest in their well-being. This can include regularly checking in with them, offering support and guidance, and being available to help when needed.
Tip: Use Teaming's 1:1 meeting tools and guidance to cultivate the conversations that will deepen your relationships with your team members.