Why There Is an "I" in "TEAM"!

If you lead a team, it’s critical that your people trust themselves first, to build team trust and high performance.

If I were to ask you, “what characterises a high performing team?”, I have a fair idea you may reply with words such as: ambition, passion, integrity, respect, excellence.

And if I were to ask you, “how do teams live those characteristics?”, you might say they are motivated and are willing to openly address conflict. Team members trust each other.

But if I were to ask you, “what enables trust?”, what would you say?

This is where the discussion could get a bit ‘chicken and egg’. Does anything precede team trust and does that precedent require trust itself?

I think the answer is yes to both.

Trust in teams is preceded by trust in self. And that’s why there is an “I” in “TEAM”. Because unless individuals genuinely trust themselves they will be incapable of behaving amongst and with others in a trustworthy way.

 There are 3 critical elements for personal self-trust that leaders should consider with their people.

 Self-awareness: How well do I know myself?

 Curiosity: Am I interested in understanding more about myself?

 Courage: Am I willing to act without fear of failure?

 If you’re a team leader, I encourage you to integrate these elements in your behaviour and help your people build their own self-trust for greater team trust.

I’m Craig Stephens and I’m a Performance Coach. If you’re an Executive, Team Leader or Business Owner I’d love to have a chat about your performance and how a small shift in your behaviours will make a big shift in your outcomes.