What Your Team’s Real Problem Is and How to Fix It

When you see your people no longer…

? Participating in meetings

? Volunteering for projects

? Showing up regularly for work

When you start labeling this behavior with excuses like…

?? “It’s because they’re so lazy.”

?? “It’s because they’re [insert label] generation.”?

?? “It’s because no one is talking to each other.”

?? “It’s because they’re just not motivated enough.”

?? STOP ??

The problem is not what you think. And there is a fix, I promise!?

The Real Problem

You don’t have a communication problem.

You don’t have a motivation problem.

And it definitely has nothing to do with whatever generation label they fit.?

Your team has a trust issue.

I see this happen so often. Trust has been somehow broken on a team. Maybe it was between the leader and the team. Or, there was a trust break down between team members and the leader hasn’t done anything to fix it.?

This trust breakdown will ALWAYS result in people no longer talking in meetings or volunteering for projects. It will absolutely always affect their attendance, too.

You know you have a trust problem when you start hearing lots of complaints and the people reporting these complaints say “Don’t tell anyone I told you…”?

This type of confidentiality is not good for your team. It is fear based. It is a symptom of a trust issue.

You absolutely want to foster a culture where people can speak openly with you as their leader and?you want that to come from their knowledge that you as their supervisor will help them. Open discussion with confidence that your intentions are on resolution, building a team and moving communication breakdowns out of the way.?

How To Fix It

In order to begin repairing a trust issue, you must address these two questions:

Where was the trust first broken?

This question is not for the faint of heart. This is tough work. You really have to look internally. Did you disclose something you shouldn’t have? Did you throw a team member "under the bus" when you should have stood up for that person? Did you miss an opportunity to protect your entire team?? If the trust issue didn’t originate from you, what have you noticed happening within your team? Is there a noticeable tension between team members? Are there specific people acting markedly different now than six months ago? Identifying the root cause is the crucial first step to designing the best solution. ?

What do you need to do to repair it?

The next step is equally tough but cannot be skipped. You must say to your team, “We have a trust problem.” Then, own up to your part. Tell them that moving forward the team will be operating differently to repair the trust that has been broken. From there, practice rigorous honesty. You have to lead by example. Even when it might be hard to do, crucial conversations need to happen immediately because it will actually help in the long run.? Moving forward, your team’s new rules to repair trust are:

1. Only share information that is yours to share.
2. We all own our part.
3. Honesty always.

Trust issues are always hard to face. There may be many sides to the story, and each person involved will have feelings about the circumstances. However, as a leader, you cannot hide behind excuses or only focus on trying to solve the symptoms individually (because those feel easier).?

To lead a high performing team, you must face the trust issues head on. You can do it. And all the hard work will be worth it!

Lead??, Listen??? to & Love ? Your People,?

Anne

P.S. If you’re struggling with a trust issue on your team and need support addressing it, please message me. I’m here to help.