Evelien Roos Building trust with online teambuilding

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Building Trust with Online Team Building: A Guide

Welcome to our interactive blog post, packed with tips and practical steps on how to build trust with your online teams. As an L coach at C VA and a professional Scrum trainer at scrum.org, I've compiled vast knowledge on this critical aspect of team interaction. But remember, this isn't an edict - it's a guideline to shape your thought process about trust. Let's dive in.

Understanding Trust

Trust: a simple term with a far-reaching impact. In the context of team building, it refers to relying on others to do the right things in the right way. Building trust is essential when working within any team or organization.

The five dysfunctions of a team, according to author Pat Lencioni, show trust as the foundational element for optimal team function. Interestingly, trust isn't a switch to be flicked on and off - it's a concept built upon.

Identifying Lack of Trust

A lack of trust in a team can manifest in different ways: lack of job design freedom, feeling uncomfortable depending on your team, and even discovery of hidden interests or agendas. So how do you counteract these challenges?

Build Trust through Four Elements

In their book, The Trusted Advisor, authors Maister, Green, and Galford share four critical elements that build trust:

  • Credibility: Honesty and speaking only when sure can boost your credibility.
  • Reliability: Being dependable and following through on agreements enhances reliability.
  • Intimacy: Held together by sharing missteps and maintaining information confidentiality.
  • Self-orientation: Focus on other people rather than solely on self-interest for a balanced self-orientation.

Collectively, these factors equate to trustworthiness.

Practical Steps to Building Trust

Building trust in online teams involves deliberate efforts to increase credibility, reliability, and intimacy while decreasing self-orientation.

Best Practices for Building Trust

To increase credibility:

  1. Be transparent about your progress
  2. Share success and failure
  3. Ask for help and offer help

To increase reliability:

  1. Make working agreements with your team.
  2. Return phone calls or missed calls in an online environment.

To increase intimacy:

  1. Have a team lunch or get to know each other.
  2. Do a pop quiz with the team.

To decrease self-orientation:

  1. Show empathy.
  2. Choose an activating sprint retrospective format.

Remember, these are just a starting point. The specifics depend on your team’s dynamics and needs. Be proactive and consistent in trust-building efforts, and you'll soon see renewed team spirit and productivity.

Conclusion

Building trust in an online team may seem daunting initially, but with understanding and the right tools, it's absolutely achievable. Implement the outlined steps consistently, be patient, and watch your team thrive in a trust-filled work environment. As always, happy team building!


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