Episode 32
Building trust for engaged teams with Jason Treu
March 5, 2020
While companies are chasing employee engagement, they’re missing a fundamental building block, evidenced by the growth in perks while retention figures drop. Jason Treu talks with Diana about simple and effective ways to build trust, resolve conflict, and create engaged teams that get results.
You can connect with Jason on LinkedIn, via his website or by email.
Building Trust in the Workplace: Key takeaways from episode 32
Employee engagement strives to get the most out of every individual employee, ensuring they’re the most productive and delivering the behaviors needed to support your business. There are many ways to measure engagement, but Jason stresses the importance of a top-down philosophy that creates an environment that brings out the best in everyone.
Engaging employees is about figuring out what people really want. Cool office space and perks may be nice things to have, but it all comes down to two key factors:
People want to do great work that makes an impact.
People want to feel like they matter to the people around them.
Measure engagement frequently, and talk to people continually. Doing so will give you vital perspective on how things are going.
The basis of every relationship is trust, and it’s a critical foundation when you’re trying to build engagement. Trust enables psychological safety, in which people feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes. Intentionally building trust takes vulnerability and a willingness to share personal experiences.
A “how to work with me” manual can be a powerful tool for teams. Using a series of questions, the manual contains everything from communication preferences to pet peeves. Many of these factors wouldn’t normally come up in regular interactions but can be powerful when it comes to building trust and resolving conflict.
Jason’s question-based game Cards Against Mundanity is a tool you can use to build deep connections between team members.
Debriefing after a milestone or significant event is another tool to help build teamwork and trust. Jason shared five questions used by the Navy Seals:
What were our intended results?
What were our actual results?
What did we do well?
What didn’t we do well?
What lessons can we learn moving forward?
Another idea that’s easy to implement is to encourage peer feedback. It can be as simple as asking everyone to thank somebody in the company who has helped them.
When dealing with conflict, get to the root of the distrust. There may be a lack of self-awareness or a lack of foundational distrust that’s been feeding a conflict over time. Encourage openness between team members to help resolve the issues and move forward.
Cards Against Mundanity: Bonus content download
Talent Champions listeners can access the complete Cards Against Mundanity game now! Complete the form to get your download and start building stronger teams.
