Recent research on team performance from leading management schools and management consulting groups has confirmed that trust and psychological safety plays a vital role in high team performance. High-trust teams are highly engaged with each other, committed to each other’s success, willing to take risks, and demonstrate high accountability to the team and to each other. Most importantly, they enjoy being on the team. Low-trust team, on the other hand, avoids responsibility, misses deadlines, avoids conflicts and is reluctant to take risks.

However, few teams and organization leaders pay attention to building trust among the team. Being intentional about creating a high-trust working environment not only uplifts the performance of your team but also creates a fulfilling experience for each team member being on the team.

Building trust starts with having a shared language to talk about trust and create mutual understanding and commitment to practice behaviors that support it. Having conversations specifically intended to build trust is as important for creating a culture of trust on a team as it is for strong trust between two individuals.