Cultivating deep trust in teams – can you afford not to?

One of the key factors that we promote and seek to develop in high performing teams here at azzur is the ability for senior execs to work in the collective space, in which they move beyond their functional specialism and into being a ‘board’ where every member is truly functioning across all disciplines.

This isn’t an easy passage for most exec teams to navigate because invariably it requires some risk taking against a backdrop where the hitherto defined ‘day job’ of running their function is demanding enough. Or at least that’s often how it is experienced. In fact, one of the key questions that arises is about the talent that is sitting at the first line within the functional teams and whether these senior leaders are being supported in their own growth to step up and support the exec team.

Within all of this, there’s the question of the value derived by confronting these and other obstacles towards becoming a high performing team. There’s plenty of academic research that demonstrates that high performing teams are those that can move beyond the silo/functional definition of their roles. When this is overcome, it builds in creative thought, resilience, constructive challenge (done well) and an ability to move in a more agile way amongst other things.

Picture then a CEO who has the courage to structurally address this opportunity by cross pollinating roles across the Exec Team – dividing each function between two or more execs or rotating multiple ‘specialists’ into a different function all at the same time, as has recently been done by C2C trains. This ‘forced’ interdependence creates the context within which the only way forward is supporting each other, being open and transparent and getting really skilled at high quality communication. All vital skills in a high performing team.

Yes there’s risk, yes it’s a very direct way to create the next level performance you believe the team to be capable of. But that’s the point. Having faith in the competence of the people in the team beyond their specialist function. Having faith in them as business people, as people with strong values and proven relationship skills and as professionals who want to succeed together. This is a whole next level of trust. And a whole new level of consciousness.??

Getting to that point requires foundations to be laid. It’s clearly not as simple as just changing people’s job titles and functions. There are many levers that need to be activated to get to the stage where it is possible to demonstrate that deep level of confidence in the team – not just the execs but the next line of leadership and beyond. Once you get there doors open to creating solutions and harnessing capability in a way that makes work and the mission a joy – even in the hard times, because the true team spirit and mutual respect is like money in the bank. It creates options.

It doesn’t need to be done with structural change but creating high performing teams is undoubtedly one of the primary functions of any CEO or team leader. Sadly, in the melee of firefighting it can often be forgotten or put to one side with the belief that there isn’t enough time. We would argue there’s never a reason not to invest in building high performing teams. It’s where the strength, quality and joy of the mission comes to life and where performance follows. It’s where a new level of awareness and consciousness across and within teams brings long term sustainability and performance.

Is this high on your list?