Following are some focused questions and statements you can use to initiate trust conversations with your team:
• What consensus do we have in terms of the skills needed to address this issue? (Ability)
• I’d like each of us to confirm which aspects of our project responsibilities we might need help with to stay on schedule. (Ability)
• Is anyone unclear about his or her tasks or responsibilities before our next meeting? (Ability)
• Looking at our team processes, does each of us feel we’re contributing to the team’s work? (Integrity)
• On a scale of 0 to 5, how open are we being with each other as a team? (Integrity)
• On a scale of 0 to 5, how well does each of us believe we are performing individually in meeting our commitments on this project? (Integrity)
• We’re missing our internal deadlines, so I’d like everyone to confirm his or her work priorities outside the team to help us get back on target. (Loyalty)
• I’ve sensed a drop in enthusiasm on this project. I’d like to check in with everyone to see where this work falls on his or her priorities. (Loyalty)
Here are some other questions you can ask to help build your leadership communication skills and your managerial courage regarding discussions of trust:
• What is the issue (context)?
• Who is involved (person or team)?
• What dimension(s) of trust are involved?
• What’s my approach?
• Who can be my thought partner on this?
Focused trust conversations achieve a number of things:
• They go beyond feedback conversations in helping leaders create the setting for lasting performance, by addressing behaviors and performance challenges that detract from building value.
• They target what’s not working well and allow the parties to discover workable solutions.
• They are developmental; they uphold and affirm what is working well.
Leaders who initiate trust conversations help coworkers and teams learn to discuss deep performance issues. This helps enhance individual, team, and organizational effectiveness. Spending time learning how to gain clarity around root problems related to trust gives leaders practice in developing their influencing skills and can make the difference between success and failure.