RESILIENT TEAMS

The most important thing to create authentic, coherent and resilient teams is trust! Trust in the leader and trust in each other. 

It can take time to build a solid trust level with each other, and it rarely happens entirely by itself. Conversely, teams can lose it – and they may experience going from different degrees of trust to mistrust. If you exceed the line between trust and mistrust, the team is on a route where it can go from being functional to becoming dysfunctional – and thus not take advantage of the team's full potential and the resources of all individuals. Very often this leads to problems with getting ahead and creating solid business results.

Transparency

Building trust can be a complex matter, that includes several factors, the main thing is transparency. This means in practice that we are willing to show others who we are – Our strengths as well as our challenges and weaknesses, in order for everyone in the team to know the team’s foundation, and understand how to help and complement each other.

 

"So how much transparency do you need in a team – how much do you have to share?"

 

It depends entirely on the mission you are on and the goals that you are pursuing. The key question that can give an idea of the needed level of transparency and knowledge of each other is: "What do we need to know about each other in order to be able to build the trust that is necessary to fulfill our mission and achieve our goals?"

If you as a team are on a demanding mission with high goals and where failure to succeed as a team, can have fatal consequences, it will require deep and thorough knowledge about each other and a high level of transparency.

Team Dynamics

Exploring the level of trust in a team can be a long journey into understanding the team's dynamics. Many teams relate only or primarily to the surface of these dynamics i.e. the functional part of the team. That would typically be defined by the individual job descriptions, responsibilities, functional knowledge and experience, etc.

The missing link – and the big muscle of a team that many overlook and therefore do not develop is the part of team dynamics that involves understanding the different personalities in the team and the values that drive them. This means a deeper understanding of who we are in the team – both when we are the best version of ourselves, but also when we are the less good version of ourselves. It's important to know what gives and drains energy in the team.

Developing and actively using that muscle is crucial for the team's effectiveness and resilience. It’s all about creating awareness and understanding of The Bright side, The Dark side and The Inside of the team and how it affects the team’s dynamics and efficiency.

Written by: Senior Consultant Jørn Møller, A&D Resources

A&D Resources Is Now Summit

A&D Resources has changed its name to Summit - same company (plus more) but under a new name and brand.

You will be redirected to our new website shortly.