The Office
Read Time: 4 minutes 14 seconds
We form teams for one simple reason. We'll accomplish more together than on our own. The rewards for building a collective identity and embarking on a shared mission outweigh the costs to each individual.
So what separates a high-performing team from those that succumb to dysfunction?
The foundation: Trust
Here's best-selling author Patrick Lencioni’s take:
If our success is built upon trust, it stands to reason that we want to establish it as quickly as possible and do nothing to erode it.
But before we can architect our approach to build it, what exactly is trust?
The best explanation I found is that there are two types of trust:
Cognitive Trust
From the head
Driven by credibility
Accomplishments, skills & reliability
Affective Trust
From the heart
Driven by feelings
Closeness, empathy & friendship
And to be effective as a modern manager, we need to build both.
6 Tweaks to Accelerate Authentic Trust
Be Vulnerable
Wait, didn't you say Cognitive trust is based on my skills and accomplishments? Now you want me to lead with my faults & failures?
I bet your workplace trust-building efforts are tilted heavily towards the cognitive by your qualifications. So let’s rebalance your portfolio.
Being imperfect has two other benefits:
Light is the best disinfectant. Own your shortcomings, and you neutralize any power they hold over you.
Your primary role is role model. Show your team how you want them to engage.
People will give what they get. If you want a team with high self-awareness and open-mindedness, you know where to start:
Be Personal
Have you ever built a meaningful relationship from a blast email? Me neither. And in our remote-first world, run-ins are infrequent. So even if it means you must be on 15-minute Zooms all day, do it.
Eye contact is the window to a clear connection.
Tip: Put your camera just above the screen. Then put any notes or materials just below. If you have a second screen, be explicit when you're using it. Otherwise, it appears as if you'd rather be elsewhere.
Tip: Learn everyone's name (in advance if possible). Ask for an org chart. Make sure it has pictures on it. You instantly pull someone a step closer when you address them by name.
Want to supercharge it with someone new? Uncover 1 thing they value. Family? Travel? Sports Team? Start there the next time you see them.
Be Explicit
Trust is a contract. And contracts are best written for the mutual benefit and understanding of both parties.
To make expectations explicit:
Agree on the What & When (SMART or OKRs both work)
Agree on How (process, tech, budget, culture all matter)
Agree on Experiments & Tests (calculated innovation)
Agree on them sending you an email (accountability)
Two more tips for managers:
Co-author. Your people are more likely to stick to the script they wrote. Let them hold the pen.
Consistency. Expectations are imperfect, so they'll need feedback. Agree upfront on how and when this will happen.
Be Decisive
Your culture is what you tolerate. If there's dissonance between the words you put on the walls and the sacrifice you're willing to make to live those ideals, trust will evaporate.
Tip: Want to make it easier on yourself? Hire good humans. They're foundational to your system. And as with any system, Bad Input = Bad Output.
If you make a mistake, you must decide clearly and act swiftly.
One enduring example is the high-trust team Gregg Popovich built over decades with the San Antonio Spurs. He hires for character above all else.
He hunts for players who've "gotten over themselves."
How hard do they practice?
Do they hide when they're losing?
Pound their chests when they're winning?
Make eye contact when being coached?
Engage their teammates in timeouts?
Be Consistent
Work is hard. Being erratic simply makes it harder. So keep your promises.
And eliminate the guesswork around the best way for a teammate to engage with you. Write your Personal User Manager. This is an excellent canvas for being both explicit and vulnerable.
My killer combo is using systems to help me be more human.
Systematic
If you email me directly, I will reply within 24 hours.
If I am hosting a meeting, I will send details the night before. The expectation is that you have read the materials before we start.
Our 1:1s are your meetings. I need you to send me an email the night before, and I will respect you by coming prepared.
Human
I don't multitask well. If you knock on my door, I might ask for a minute to finish my thoughts so that you can have my undivided attention.
I often take a pause before answering. I look away. I assure you, I am thinking. My wife and children have shared some feedback on this. I assure them it is just my resting “think” face.
Be Receptive
If there's one company that knows how to build a factory, it's Toyota. To ensure quality, all of their assembly lines have an "Andon Cord". A quick tug by any worker stops the line so a problem can be addressed.
You want your team to feel comfortable doing the same.
Three things happen:
This simple act of empowerment will accelerate trust.
You crowdsource moments of examination that build a shared understanding.
You're normalizing high standards & accountability, trust amplifiers for those aligned to the mission, and a clear exit sign for those who aren’t.
We Need Your Input
We want the MGMT Playbook to help you win. So help us help you.
What topic should we break down in next week's MGMT Playbook?
Help Us Grow
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Thank you for reading. Appreciate you!
Dave
PS - Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of this MGMT Accelerator. We sold out all 35 seats again (I may have oversold it by a couple, actually). Our last cohort of the year will be in mid-September, and our waitlist gets early access before the general public. Please sign up if you’re interested.
