Trust is essential for successful collaboration, especially in complex and uncertain situations. But how do you build trust with collaborators who have different perspectives, backgrounds, and goals? In this article, we will explore some critical thinking skills and strategies that can help you foster trust and mutual respect with your collaborators.
The first step to building trust is to understand who your collaborators are, what they value, and what they expect from you. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and acknowledging their contributions. You can also use critical thinking tools such as the ladder of inference, the empathy map, and the stakeholder analysis to identify and challenge your assumptions, empathize with their emotions and needs, and recognize their interests and influences.
Believe it or not, understanding the history of your collaborators also is extremely important. Doing this can help you understand not only what their potential strengths and challenges could be, but will also allow you to help them build their capabilities in a way that avoids embarrassment on their part, either intentionally or non. It also can help you understand their pain points. Often times, if someone reacts in a confrontational way, there is some history behind it. Being able to converse with them and understand that history can be key to forging understanding, and by extension, trust.
It is also important to self-reflect on any internal biases you may have when working with collaborators; oftentimes, we may bring preconceived notions to a project or relationship that influence our ability to connect and build trust with others.
Building trust requires authenticity and expressing a deeper level of care. Understanding a collaboration may be a mutual benefit but having a passion to actually want to make an impact makes all the difference. Being an expert in your field continuously learning and positioning yourself to grow also builds trust because your word can then be meaningful without doubts.
The second step to building trust is to communicate clearly and respectfully with your collaborators. You can do this by using clear and concise language, avoiding jargon and ambiguity, and providing feedback and rationale for your decisions. You can also use critical thinking skills such as the 5 whys, the Socratic method, and the STAR model to clarify your problem statement, ask probing questions, and explain your actions and results. Moreover, you should respect your collaborators' opinions and perspectives, even if they differ from yours, and avoid personal attacks, sarcasm, and blame.
In my experience, we build trust by showing up consistently and acting with integrity. Acting in a consistent manner helps others know what they can expect when working with you, which fosters that trusting relationship and creates space for true, honest collaboration.
- Jargon and ambiguity should be avoided to ensure accurate and efficient communication - Providing feedback and rationale for decisions enhances transparency and understanding - Critical thinking skills such as the 5 whys, Socratic method, and STAR model can clarify problem statements and explain actions - Effective communication in military medicine enhances understanding, cooperation, and efficiency within the team - It creates an inclusive environment where all collaborators feel heard and valued - Trust is strengthened by valuing others' opinions and perspectives - Military healthcare providers can enhance the quality of care through effective communication
It goes without mentioning, but communication also involves active listening. Those who fail to listen to those around them risk missing critical information, concepts, histories, etc. Listening is critical to understanding, and likewise critical to building trust. Listen, analyze, understand.
The third step to building trust is to share your goals and expectations with your collaborators. You can do this by defining your purpose, scope, and deliverables, and aligning them with your collaborators' goals and expectations. You can also use critical thinking tools such as the SMART framework, the RACI matrix, and the SWOT analysis to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals, assign roles and responsibilities, and assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
The fourth step to building trust is to collaborate actively and creatively with your collaborators. You can do this by engaging in brainstorming, ideation, and prototyping sessions, and encouraging divergent and convergent thinking. You can also use critical thinking skills such as the six thinking hats, the SCAMPER technique, and the design thinking process to explore different perspectives, generate and improve ideas, and test and refine solutions. Furthermore, you should be open to feedback, learning, and change, and celebrate your successes and failures.
Using project management tools to track your collaboration can ensure your efforts lead to measurable impact. When teams are able to see the fruits of their labor, this motivates them to continue collaborating in the future.
The fifth step to building trust is to demonstrate reliability and accountability with your collaborators. You can do this by delivering on your promises, meeting deadlines, and following up on your tasks. You can also use critical thinking skills such as the PDCA cycle, the after-action review, and the personal SWOT analysis to plan, do, check, and act on your work, review your performance and outcomes, and identify your areas of improvement and development.
As cliché as it sounds, to build trust you need to lead by example. If you expect your colleagues to take ownership of their objectives and execute to the best of their ability, you should do the same. You build respect and comraderie by holding yourself to the same standard as your colleagues. Taking responsibility for your outcomes both positive and non is also key to showing your colleagues that you are about team success, not individual success.
The sixth step to building trust is to express appreciation and recognition with your collaborators. You can do this by saying thank you, giving compliments, and acknowledging their efforts and achievements. You can also use critical thinking skills such as the feedback sandwich, the growth mindset, and the gratitude journal to give constructive and positive feedback, foster a learning culture , and reflect on your gratitude and appreciation.
Work can become overwhelming, especially in today’s fast-paced environment. Showing regular appreciation helps build not only a foundation of trust, but also one of being a member of a greater unit. A great example of a way to do this is by holding regular team meetings. One idea is to hold regular team meetings where the goal is to learn about a new skill, but also have a snack and chat as a team. This can be a couple hours where the team learns some new Excel skills while enjoying ice cream.
One of the most powerful motivators is recognition. It is important to take the time to point out which team member contributed valuable items to achieving an objective. Recognizing your team encourages them to continue contributing. Appreciating their efforts shows that they aren't simply a "cog in the machine", they are an individual who is contributing their unique skill set to the success of your organization and they will be commended for it upon success and supported throughout their career journey.