Is there something in human nature that makes it so much easier for us to identify weaknesses than to celebrate strengths?
Building towers is a hallowed past time for kids. Using blocks, LEGOs, a marble tower, or a sandcastle can capture a kid’s attentiveness for a long session of play.
One step, one scoop, one block at a time, they perfect their craft and work to create their own masterpiece.
And in an instant, one kick or the ocean’s waves can knock the whole thing down. All that work poured into the effort, brought back down by a single action.
This parallels how relationships work on teams and in organizations. We can build and foster a relationship to develop trust and breed accountability.
And in an instant, it can all come crashing down by one action.
Ponder this question for a minute:
How has one of your team members built trust with you recently?
Giving a word of affirmation or appreciating the effort you have contributed. Following through on completing part of a team project.
These actions cultivate a strong relationship and allow us to lean into the teammate to become a better version of our team, one building block at a time.
Now, consider how someone has broken trust.
Talking behind your back. Lack of commitment to team directives. Failing to complete their piece of a project on time.
The small choice someone can make, often in a moment of indiscretion, can tear apart the bond between a team in an instant.
It is often easier to recall how someone has broken trust because of the pain, hurt, or disappointment it brought.
Trust and Accountability are the pillars of a collaborative team environment. The best leaders foster these two skills amongst team members in order to become the best versions of themselves.
This is why we use these two markers of relational strength as the foundation of our team development work utilizing the The Collaborative Way.
How can you build a strong foundation of trust and accountability on your team?
Watch the Pitfalls
Watch out for excuses, from yourself and your team members:
- I am waiting for approval
- I told him/I told them
- She team dropped the ball
- I am traveling
- I didn’t get the email
Commit to identifying and calling each other up out of the default mode of offering excuses.
Excuses are a trademark indicator of a lack of accountability. If we rise above the excuses, we can breakthrough to our true potential!
Cultivate Ownership
Hold an honest conversation with your team. Use a common language and help team members understand how to build trust and accountability, and how to overcome the pitfalls.
A personal choice to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results—To See It, Own it, Solve It, and Do it. – The Oz Principle
We can be really good and “seeing it” and “solving it.” But if we do not complete the hard work of owning it — how our nature, our nurture, and our choice influence how we carry ourselves — and doing it — implementing the very things we say should solve our challenge.
Ready to see this come to life in your team? Let’s talk about it! We want to see you and your team reach your true potential, and we would love to help you get there.
