The US Navy SEALs have value trust over anything in the world. They would prefer an operator who is of mid-level capability but highly trusted, than an operator of high capability but mid to low trusted.
Simon Sinek breaks this very clearly in the video below.
When serving as a consultant for an organization, evaluating the team’s ability to trust each other is the very first thing I look for and theres a very distinct reason why: trust is the glue. Not just to a group of individuals but to everything we do.
Let’s start with a team. First and foremost, not everyone is going to like each other all of the time — different personality types will clash, frustrations will boil over and personal agendas will creep in and out of the picture. This is the reality of human nature and professional sports.
What makes great teams great is their ability to trust the next guy is going to hold the proverbial rope for everyone else. Do your job so I can do mine, if you will.
The bigger question is how do we build trust, though? How do we get others to on the same page as and build trust from the top to the bottom?
There are three areas of focus I bring attention to or the three C’s:
Connection
Consistency
Communication
Connection
Individuals who feel connected are more likely to trust each other and sacrifice for each other. Building connection can take time and with professional teams, can be tricky. With a broad range of ages and stages of life, it’s not as easy as everyone heading out to a team dinner and having a night out.
One exercise that I have found to be really powerful is the Triple H method. Elite sporting organizations around the world also use this so this is by no means my own developed program and something I hope to see used more often.
The Triple H method sees each individual share a Hero of theirs, a Highlight in their life and a Hardship they’ve overcome. The hero gives others insight into what extrinsically motivates them and often an understanding of their background, the highlight gives insight to things their most proud of and the hardship is what brings emotional connection to the group. This is incredibly important because it is the glue that binds support and understanding, ultimately leading to patience within the group.
Consistency
It has been estimated that at least 80% of people directly relate a body of work to trust, meaning the results garnered over time are how we identify trust.
As an example, great defensive teams in basketball are built on trust. One individual has a job to do, let’s say in this case force an offensive star player to their left hand. Sometimes, this must be done extremely aggressively to ensure slowing the offensive star down. The only way this can effectively be done without the primary defender being exposed, is to ensure the other four players are in the right positions, surrounding the ball.
Similarly, another example is shot blockers in basketball are an incredibly important asset to every team. When a perimeter player is beat, the shot blocker comes across to contest at the rim. The elite shot blockers in the world, have the trust of their perimeter players because every time there is a drive to the basket, the rim protector is there to contest. As time goes on, those perimeter players can become more aggressive because they trust the defensive rotation is there.
Consistency is a direct correlation to trust. Teammates trust good shooters because they make shots more often. Players trust coaches because they make good decisions more often.
Communication
Communication is not directly connected to an individuals ability to communicate but rather holding communication altogether. If there is a problem, address it.
This comes back to different personalities and for some, it will be easier to have accountable conversations than others. This is where connection becomes really important. Understanding that what is being addressed is solely for the benefit of the group makes those conversations easier.
If we can consistently have accountable conversations with people we feel connected to, problems come to pass quickly. Learning to communicate properly to get your message across is the next step in communication but that is a conversation for another time.
Trust is what keeps a group together — it’s what we rely on when things get hard. Trusting the next person is just as committed, resilient and motivated as you are to achieve the greater goal is what allows us to weather the storm.
Understanding trust allows you to build the right team and environment around yourself. Trust doesn’t look the same to all of us, so make sure you
If trust is the glue in a team setting, we can apply these same principles in our every day life, as well.
When things get hard, our options look bleak and we feel to world is crumbling around us, fall back on your trust. Trust that you have the right tools, that your process is correct and you have the ability to reach the goals you have set out for yourself. When things get hard, trust the work you are putting in and put in a little more.
If you lack trust in yourself, trust your process and the work you put in. You’ll surprise yourself where you can end up.
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