Brewing Trust: Transformative Conversations in Leadership
Welcome back to The Leader’s Blueprint. A while ago, I shared the story of an empty coffee pot and how it ignited the most significant journey of change in my career. The team discovered that what we lacked most was trust for each other. We needed to build trust so that we could work together to achieve our organization’s growth objectives.
Beyond the Coffee Pot: A Journey of Transformation
For me, that empty coffee pot resonated as a catalyst for the change journey we were about to begin. We urgently needed to develop mutual trust and our accountability to each other. We started having honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations about what wasn’t working—and more importantly, why it wasn’t working.
It was a tough road. We were not used to this; we were changing how we saw and treated each other. We started to face the reality that each of us was part of the problem.
Building Trust, One Conversation at a Time
One of the first things I did was bring the knowledge gained from the personality assessments to the leadership team at our weekly meetings. I thought, “If I’m going to lead this team, I need to understand them better. And they need to understand each other.” I kicked things off by sharing my own profile—strengths, weaknesses, the whole nine yards. I wanted to set the tone for openness and authenticity.
Every week, a different team member would share their profile. We’d talk about what made them tick, what frustrated them, and how we could support them better. Not just the profile itself, but also how it resonated with them and what they learned through the process. At first, it felt a little awkward. We had never done this before. The team shifted our focus from tasks alone, to connection. We started to focus on how we could best work together. That was a huge shift in our attitudes. Things were getting done faster than ever before.
Lessons Learned: Leadership Is About Connection
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Practical Steps: How to Foster Openness and Accountability in Your Team
Conclusion: Make Change Personal
Looking back, I realize that the real transformation wasn’t just about fixing a broken culture or hitting our business goals—it was about changing how we saw each other and ourselves. If you’re struggling to create that kind of shift in your team, remember that it starts with one authentic conversation.
If you’d like to explore how Change OS can help you build trust and a culture of openness and accountability, I’m here to support you. Check out more about our approach here.
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Thanks for being part of The Leader’s Blueprint. I’ll be back soon with more stories and insights to help you navigate the complex world of leadership and change. Until then, don’t shy away from those tough conversations—they might just be the ones that transform your team.
Manager, Brand & Communications @ TEC Canada | Marketing & Strategy | Passionate About Leading Creative Teams
5 个月Your presentation at TEC Canada a few years ago and you sharing your coffee pot story has stayed with me ever since - it further shaped for me how effective and high performing teams work, collaborate and have the courage to challenge each other.