2.+The+Absence+of+Trust



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**What is the absence of trust?**  Patrick Lencioni defines it at this:

"In the context of building a team, trust is the confidence among team members that their peers' intentions are good, and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group. In essence, teammates must be comfortable being vulnerable with one another." (Lencioni, 2002)


 * Members of teams with an absence of trust.... **
 * Conceal their weaknesses and mistakes from one another
 * Hesitate to ask for help or provide constructive feedback
 * Jump to conclusions about the intentions and aptitudes of others without attempting to clarify them
 * Fail to recognize and tap into one another's skills and experiences
 * Waste time and energy managing their behaviors for effect
 * Hold grudges
 * Dread meetings and find reasons to avoid spending time together

**Members of trusting teams....**
 * Admit weaknesses and mistakes
 * Ask for help
 * Accept questions and input about their areas of responsibility
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Give one another the benefit of the doubt before arriving at a negative conclusion
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Take risks in offering feedback and assistance
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Appreciate and tap into one another's skills and experiences
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Focus time and energy on important issues, not politics
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Offer and accept apologies without hesitation
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Look forward to meetings and other opportunities to work as a group

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Building vulnerability-based trust takes time. It requires shared experiences that allow the team to get to know one another on a personal level, understand the unique attributes of their team members, and to have the chance to show follow-through and credibility. The following are suggestions Lencioni gives for building this kind of trust:
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Suggestions for overcoming Dysfunction #1 **
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//**Personal Histories Exercise**// **-** This exercise is nothing more than going around the room and having members of the team answer questions about themselves. By sharing simple experiences, other members of the team have the opportunity to relate to one another on a more personal level.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//**Team Effectiveness Exercise**// - In this exercise team members will identify a single important contribution that they believe each of their teammates brings to the team. They also must admit one area in which each of their teammates needs improvement upon.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//**Personality and Behavior Preference Profiles**// - These tools give practical and scientifically valid descriptions of an individual's behaviors and help explain why people think, act and speak the way they do.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//**360-Degree Feedback**// - Similar to a Team Effectiveness Exercise, 360 Degree Feedback provides employees performance feedback from their supervisors as well as their peers.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//**Experiential Team Exercises**// - These are rigorous and creative outdoor activities, such as ropes courses, which require support and cooperation in order to build trust.


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The Role of the Leader **<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">



The first and most important thing a leader must do to encourage building trust within their team is to demonstrate vulnerability. They must be willing to lose face in front of the team so that others will be willing to take risks themselves.

Second, leaders must create an environment that allows for vulnerability and not punish it. The subtle jabs others can take when someone admits weakness or failure must not be permitted.

Finally, all acts of vulnerability must be sincere. A leader who falsely acts out vulnerability in order to manipulate the emotions of their team will backfire resulting in a loss of trust. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> How does all of this relate to Dysfunction #2, the Fear of Conflict?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Connection to Dysfunction #2 **

When a team has built trust, conflict is possible. Without the fear of punishment for saying something that be construed as destructive or critical, people are able to open up and be honest. The trust that a team develops allows for them to engage in passionate and emotional debate.