"One way to make your team feel more trust is to let your weight down."
"What does that mean?"
"You know, just opening up, being authentic, not putting on airs."
Rhonda offered that last week in my team-building workshop at the Texas Hospital Home Health Agency conference. We were discussing ways trust contributes to team success. Rhonda was answering my question about how a manager/leader can generate top-of-mind awareness of trust among team members.
Rhonda suggested the manager always be authentic. Hers was a new metaphor for me. (I do know let your hair down.)
Certainly got me thinking.
Pretty impossible to be part of a successful team and not be engaged in contributing to the team. Pretty impossible for a team to be successful unless its members trust one another.
So, Rhonda’s statement is on the money. To be trustworthy you have to be authentic. To be authentic, you may have to let your weight down.
Here are 5 suggestions:
- Share thoughts and ideas. Encourage team members to share what they think and how they think. That helps them know one another. Much easier to trust someone you know. Sharing your own thoughts and ideas demonstrates your belief in the process.
- Share mistakes. Let the team know you own your mistakes. It’s a sure illustration of your genuineness to let others in on your mistakes. Also a great opportunity to learn and share learning.
- Request assistance. Ask for help and you admit you cannot do it all yourself. Such an admission is up front authentic. [I don't mean asking a team member to take on extra work. I mean asking for personal assistance with something they may do better than you.]
- Offer assistance. Without micromanaging or taking control from the individual, offer to lend a hand. This demonstrates your commitment to team and team members’ successes.
- Expand the talk. When appropriate, allow conversation to move beyond business. Personal experiences, shared memories, lessons learned…all let your weight down.
I love it when I get to facilitate a workshop and learn something. What a blessing.
Tags: engagement, Leadership, Management, team, team building, team mates, Trust
Tim, good morning! I appreciate your thoughts. Can I offer one more aspect to this concept? When I let my hair down, I am comfortable around you…but when I let my weight down, I am trusting you to support me. I am vulnerable to the trust I have in you. My grandmother was the first one I remember saying this to me and she was encouraging me to open up about a deep secret I was afraid to share with my parents…I think I put mud in my brother’s ear while he was sleeping. She held my confidence, never ratted me out, but also held me accountable to her wisdom & advice. Truly a great woman at whose feet I learned so much. Have a great week & happy holidays. Rhon
Comment by Rhon — December 10, 2007 @ 9:34 am