Building Trust in Teams: A Leader’s Role

Revathi Turaga, © 2013 IUP

Building trust in teams is one of the key aspects of learning takeaway that every team building workshop delivers, be it indoor or outdoor, or outbound. The attitude and ability to trust one another in a team is considered one of the most critical elements that help team members bond with each other and work together seamlessly towards their common goals. As leaders of teams, every individual constantly looks for this trait in their teams. However, just a few practice activities like trust fall, obstacle path, etc. in a workshop or the knowledge that trust is essential may not be enough for a team to have and work with that trait. Apart from these intermittent activities, leaders also need to consistently do their bit, day in and day out, to ensure that trust gets built and stays in their teams. This paper introduces the concept of trust in individuals and teams, describes the various steps that leaders need to take, and the techniques that they can apply at different stages of their teams to develop and maintain trust within them.

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