Credo #8 Trust and stronger relationships are important but they’re not the starting point

Connect relationship building to specific tasks that team members care deeply about

The conventional wisdom is that team effectiveness starts with relationships and trust. So, team building focuses on self-disclosure exercises where our “true selves” are revealed– think Myers Briggs, ropes courses and trust falls. These may be fun, scary, even interesting, but they don’t do much to change the ways people work together. Any benefits they do yield fade quickly in the face of the day-to-day pressures of work. Trust and relationships matter a lot, but don’t start there. Things start to shift when you connect relationship building to specific tasks that team members care deeply about. When a specific project we are doing together could be helped - or hindered - by my personality type or strengths, you naturally want to know more about me. When you learn, for example, about my innate attention to detail that could make our project better, you’re more likely to invest in our relationship and rapport. When relationship building reinforces meaningful, shared work, it strengthens results and creates bonds that endure no matter our differences. When an entire team takes this approach, there’s no limit to the energy and excellence that can be generated.