Team Trust Building With Non-Competitive Activities

When I kick off the facilitation of a team retreat or at the start of a team coaching engagement, I often start the same way: The ‘penny exercise’ helps people share something personal with vulnerability. Every person receives a penny. Then, I ask them to share a significant event or experience that shaped them into who they are today during the year that is imprinted on the penny, either personally or professionally. I am always amazed at how a team of people who have worked together for some time discovers something new and personal about each other and how people become closer after impactful things are shared. When participants share an important event from their childhood (such as losing a sibling or getting kicked out of school) or from their adult life (such as a painful divorce or feeling lost professionally), they display vulnerability. In the spirit of leading by example, I will always ask the most senior person in the room to kick it off for the team. The vulnerability displayed by the leader is then almost always mirrored by the rest of the team. Sharing with vulnerability at the kickoff builds the base for deeper trust and closer connection within the team and makes for a more productive session. This is very important, but often misunderstood: We don’t need to have trust to show up with vulnerability but showing up with vulnerability is one of the quickest ways to develop trust with your team. 👉 Trust does not come before vulnerability; vulnerability comes before trust! Admitting your shortcomings and mistakes, while scary, is refreshing to your team and plants the seed for trust to grow.

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."

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗔 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 To build trust, people have to know who each other is. One of the best ways is to learn something personal about each other, not in a judgmental way but in a revealing, fun way. Here are five fun questions you can ask that will open the doors of communication and trust: 1/ In your next meeting, take ten minutes at the start of a team meeting and ask everybody around the table for their proudest moment of the week. The point is to get people thinking about what they accomplished, not from an external but an internal perspective. When you ask someone what they are most proud of from the week, you are getting at something more profound: So what’s something you encountered, done, and contributed to and are really proud of, and why?" 2/ In another meeting, ask, "What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself this week that was unknown to you before?" 3/ In another meeting, ask your team at the start to describe something they screwed up, made an error, failed at, or anything that didn’t go well or as planned. 4/ Another question to ask when you have more time, and they've gotten used to revealing themselves, is what kind of assumptions they had for one another or others that weren't true. It could be about job titles or roles, or a whole bunch of assumptions that we all tend to have when we walk into a room with about others. 5/ One last question, which is a personal favorite of mine, is, "Tell us two things that shape the leader that you are today. Two things in your life—and they don't have to be at work—that have shaped who you are as a leader today. And how will we see that show up in this team?" Try these questions, and you will be surprised by what you learn about people and how much people will begin to drop their guard. Your partner in success, Joe Murphy ⏰ Leadership Insights video series (5 PM ET Mon-Fri) 📣Cool to repost 🔔Follow me for more success tips #CHROs #LeadersatAllLevels #TheLeadershipAcademy #BuildingTrust @josephbmurphy

As a Technical Program Manager, I believe that having a cohesive and collaborative team is crucial to the success of any program. While process and planning are important, I prioritize teamwork and relationships with my team members. To foster a strong team dynamic, I regularly engage in the following activities: 👥Arrange ice breaker sessions to help us get to know each other better, both personally and professionally. These sessions can be as simple as a round of introductions or as structured as a team-building exercise. The goal is to break down any barriers and create a sense of camaraderie. 🍔🥤Engage in lunch and breaks together - Sharing meals and taking breaks together can help build a sense of community and foster more informal conversations. These casual interactions can lead to valuable insights and ideas that might not have surfaced in a formal meeting. 🎉Celebrate personal milestones as well as professional achievements. Recognizing and celebrating our team members' personal successes can help build trust and strengthen our relationships. This can be as simple as acknowledging a team member's birthday or work anniversary or celebrating a major life milestone. #peoplefirst #tmp #sharingexperiences