How to Foster Trust in a Fast-Paced Environment

I once worked with a team that was, quite frankly, toxic. The same two team members routinely derailed meeting agendas. Eye-rolling was a primary form of communication. Side conversations overtook the official discussion. Most members had disengaged, emotionally checking out while physically present. Trust was nonexistent. This wasn't just unpleasant—it was preventing meaningful work from happening. The transformation began with a deceptively simple intervention: establishing clear community agreements. Not generic "respect each other" platitudes, but specific behavioral norms with concrete descriptions of what they looked like in practice. The team agreed to norms like "Listen to understand," "Speak your truth without blame or judgment," and "Be unattached to outcome." For each norm, we articulated exactly what it looked like in action, providing language and behaviors everyone could recognize. More importantly, we implemented structures to uphold these agreements. A "process observer" role was established, rotating among team members, with the explicit responsibility to name when norms were being upheld or broken during meetings. Initially, this felt awkward. When the process observer first said, "I notice we're interrupting each other, which doesn't align with our agreement to listen fully," the room went silent. But within weeks, team members began to self-regulate, sometimes even catching themselves mid-sentence. Trust didn't build overnight. It grew through consistent small actions that demonstrated reliability and integrity—keeping commitments, following through on tasks, acknowledging mistakes. Meeting time was protected and focused on meaningful work rather than administrative tasks that could be handled via email. The team began to practice active listening techniques, learning to paraphrase each other's ideas before responding. This simple practice dramatically shifted the quality of conversation. One team member later told me, "For the first time, I felt like people were actually trying to understand my perspective rather than waiting for their turn to speak." Six months later, the transformation was remarkable. The same team that once couldn't agree on a meeting agenda was collaboratively designing innovative approaches to their work. Conflicts still emerged, but they were about ideas rather than personalities, and they led to better solutions rather than deeper divisions. The lesson was clear: trust doesn't simply happen through team-building exercises or shared experiences. It must be intentionally cultivated through concrete practices, consistently upheld, and regularly reflected upon. Share one trust-building practice that's worked well in your team experience. P.S. If you’re a leader, I recommend checking out my free challenge: The Resilient Leader: 28 Days to Thrive in Uncertainty  https://lnkd.in/gxBnKQ8n

People often ask me for quick ways to build trust on a team. I have a dozen solid go-to moves, but one stands out because it’s dead simple and nearly always works. You’ve probably heard of the “connection before content” idea—starting meetings with a personal check-in to warm up the room. But let’s be honest: questions like “What’s your favorite color?” or “What five things would you bring on a deserted island?” don’t build trust. They just waste time. If you want a real trust-builder, here’s the question I use: “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?” That’s it. One question. And here’s why it works: 𝟭. It creates vulnerability without forcing it. You can’t answer this question without being a little real. And when someone’s real with you, it’s hard not to trust them more. You see the human behind the role. 𝟮. It unlocks practical support. Once I hear your challenge, I can picture how to help. I feel drawn to back you up. That’s the foundation of real partnership at work. 𝟯. It increases mutual understanding. Sometimes we feel disconnected from teammates because we don’t know what they actually do all day. When someone shares a challenge, it opens a window into their work and the complexity they’re navigating. If you’re short on time, allergic to fluff, and want something that actually bonds your team—this is your move. Ten minutes, and you’ll feel the shift."

Even the best leadership teams get surprised by resistance. Not because they’re doing something wrong, but because 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲. When leaders don’t have structured ways to surface what’s really happening, change gets slower, harder, and more painful than it needs to be. Allison Wright and I once worked with a leadership team that had no listening posts to hear how a large transformation was shaping their employees' daily lives. When we set them up, here’s what leaders discovered: ⏳ Employees were working late nights, struggling to keep up. 🤷♂️ Decision-making was painfully slow at every level. 🚧 Each day felt exhausting due to a lack of direction. Without realizing it, leaders had created an environment where change was burning people out instead of moving them forward. But once they saw the full picture, they were able to take action. They: ✅ Gave employees their time back by reprioritizing work. ✅ Clarified decision-making to remove roadblocks. ✅ Rebuilt trust by acting on feedback. Want to uncover hidden risks before they slow you down? Start with these three steps: 1️⃣ Create listening posts. Don’t assume silence is agreement. Use pulse surveys, focus groups, skip-level meetings, or informal check-ins to surface real feedback. 2️⃣ Ask the uncomfortable questions. Instead of “Is this working?” try: "What’s frustrating about this change?" and/or "Where are we slowing you down instead of enabling you?" 3️⃣ Act on what you hear. Employees don’t expect perfection, but they do expect leaders to acknowledge pain points and take action. Even small adjustments rebuild trust. The best leaders don’t just drive change, they expand their visibility. What’s helped you uncover blind spots in change? #ChangeLeadership #Change #Leadership #Blindspots #Visibility