Build Trust to Unlock High-Performance Teamwork– 3 Ways to Infuse Unbreakable Trust in Your Healthcare Team (Now!) Before It’s Too Late

Introduction – Why Trust?

According to a recent HBR article on high-performing teams building trust among team members is critical. Researchers surveyed 1,000 office workers to learn about the most effective team-building practices. They found five distinct patterns of behavior among high-performing teams: First, they don’t leave teamwork up to chance. Second, they keep coworkers informed. Third, they divide up the credit. Fourth, they know that arguments can only help them grow as individuals. Fifth, they take the initiative to resolve conflicts.

The question becomes where do I start? How do I sustain high performance? Aspiring Strategic Health Leaders (SHELDR), leading a small healthcare team demands fostering an unshakeable foundation – TRUST.

How To Build and Sustain Trust

In high-stakes environments, where lives depend on seamless collaboration, trust binds diverse expertise to empower exceptional care.  Here’s how first-time managers can build and sustain it:

1. Walk the Talk: Integrity, the cornerstone of trust, starts with you. Be authentic, transparent, and consistent in your actions and communication. Own mistakes, learn openly and celebrate successes together. Remember, your team mirrors your behaviors. Example: During a shift change handover, acknowledge the team’s previous effort and openly discuss areas for improvement. Share your own learnings from a recent case, demonstrating vulnerability and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
2. Embrace Vulnerability: Encourage open communication, where team members feel safe to share concerns, ask questions, and even disagree respectfully. Create spaces for informal conversations, fostering genuine connections beyond clinical tasks. Example: Organize team lunches or coffee breaks to facilitate informal interactions. Encourage peer-to-peer mentoring, where senior staff share experiences and junior members contribute fresh perspectives.
3. Celebrate Interdependence: Recognize that individual brilliance pales compared to the collective wisdom of a trusting team. Highlight how each member’s unique skills contribute to patient care, fostering a sense of shared purpose and ownership. Example: Implement a “recognition board” where team members acknowledge each other’s contributions. During team meetings, celebrate successful interventions, emphasizing how teamwork led to the positive outcome.

Deep Dive Discussion Questions for Leaders

1. Self-Reflection: Can you pinpoint a past leadership incident where your actions eroded trust? How did you course-correct, and what did you learn?
2. Vulnerability Assessment: In what areas do you struggle with vulnerability within your team? How can you create a safe space for yourself and others to be genuinely open?
3. Interdependence Audit: Do you truly celebrate individual contributions as stepping stones to collective success? How can you better recognize and empower diverse skillsets within your team?
4. Conflict Culture Check: How do you navigate disagreements within your team? Do you see them as opportunities for growth, or roadblocks to overcome?
5. Sustainability Strategy: How can you integrate trust-building activities into your routine workflow and team dynamics to ensure long-term impact?

Questions to Sustain the Dialogue

1. What individual or team actions strengthen/weaken trust in our environment?
2. How can we better communicate challenges and concerns without fear of judgment?
3. What opportunities do we have to celebrate each other’s strengths and contributions?
4. How can we encourage open and respectful disagreement while maintaining a collaborative spirit?
5. What specific steps can we take to build trust with new team members?

Learning Activities to Build and Sustain Trust:

1. “Walk the Talk” Challenge: Choose a specific area of improvement for yourself, like delegation or open communication. Track your progress for a week, sharing your journey with your team and celebrating small wins together.
2. Vulnerability Experiment: Initiate an “open mic” session where each team member shares a personal or professional challenge they’re facing. Practice active listening and offer non-judgmental support, demonstrating emotional intelligence.
3. Interdependence Exercise: Assign a complex task to your team and break it down into individual components. Encourage collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas, highlighting how each piece contributes to the bigger picture.
4. “Thank You” Wall: Launch a dedicated space for team members to anonymously express gratitude towards each other. Regularly acknowledge these anonymous messages during team meetings, celebrating acts of support and collaboration.
5. Conflict Simulation: Role-play common workplace disagreements based on real-life scenarios. Practice active listening, respectful communication, and collaborative problem-solving, showcasing the power of constructive conflict resolution.
6. Role-playing scenarios: Simulate challenging situations where trust could be tested and practice navigating them constructively.
7. “Strengths Exchange”: Pair up team members and have them share their unique strengths and areas for development, fostering appreciation and understanding.
8. “Team Vision Board”: Collaboratively create a vision board depicting the ideal team environment, fostering shared goals and a sense of community.

By implementing these tactics and fostering open dialogue, you can effectively build and sustain trust within your healthcare team, leading to a more cohesive, empowered, and ultimately, a more successful unit. Remember, trust is not a destination, but a continuous journey – keep walking the path, one step at a time.

Suggested References with Links

1. HBR article on high-performing teams: https://hbr.org/2024/01/how-high-performing-teams-build-trust
2. “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni: This classic book explores the five key behaviors that undermine teamwork and offers practical advice on how to build trust and psychological safety within teams.
3. “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves: This book delves into the concept of emotional intelligence and its role in effective leadership. It provides strategies for managing emotions, building relationships, and navigating conflict, all of which are crucial for creating a trusting team environment.
4. “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott: This book advocates for a direct and honest communication style that balances caring for people with challenging them to do their best work. It offers practical tools for giving and receiving feedback in a way that strengthens trust and builds effective teams.
5. “Thanks! How the Power of Gratitude Can Make You Happier” by Robert Emmons and Cheryl Killen Miller: Gratitude is a powerful tool for fostering positive relationships and building trust. This book explores the science and practice of gratitude and provides tips for expressing appreciation to others in a meaningful way.
6. “The Trusted Advisor” by David Maister: This book outlines the key principles of trust-based relationships and provides a framework for building trust with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders. It offers practical advice on communication, follow-through, and demonstrating competence.
7. “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter” by Liz Wiseman: This book identifies two types of leaders: “adders” who drain the intelligence and energy of their team members, and “multipliers” who amplify the intelligence and capabilities of those around them. It provides strategies for leading in a way that empowers and encourages team members to contribute their best work.
8. “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown: This book explores the role of vulnerability in leadership and how it can be used to build trust and connection with others. Brown argues that leaders who are willing to be vulnerable are more likely to create a positive and productive work environment.
9. “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Sinek: This book emphasizes the importance of having a clear and compelling purpose as a leader. Sinek argues that leaders who can articulate their “why” are more likely to inspire and motivate others, which can contribute to a more trusting and cohesive team.
10. “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen M. R. Covey: This book emphasizes the importance of trust in a fast-paced world and provides practical tips for building trust with others. Covey outlines the “Four Core Constituents of Trust” – integrity, competence, relationships, and results – and offers strategies for strengthening each of these areas.

These are just a few suggestions, and the best resources for you will depend on your specific needs and interests. I hope this list gives you a good starting point for exploring the topic of building trust in teams.

Summary

By actively building and sustaining trust, you’ll not only cultivate a high-performing team but also create a haven where healthcare professionals can thrive, leading to exceptional patient care. Remember, TRUST is a continuous journey, not a destination. Embrace the dialogue, celebrate vulnerabilities, and watch your team soar! Use the image to begin your journey!

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About the Author: I am passionate about making health a national strategic imperative, transforming and integrating health and human services sectors to be more responsive, and leveraging the social drivers of health (SDOH) to create healthier, wealthier, and resilient individuals, families, and communities. I specialize in coaching managers and leaders on development and continuously improving their Strategic Health Leadership (SHELDR) competencies to aspire, lead, serve, help others, and thrive in an era of solving wicked problems and artificial intelligence (AI). Visit https://SHELDR.COM or contact me for more BLIP-ZIP SHELDR advice, coaching, and consulting. Check out my publication: Health Systems Thinking:  A Primer