Stop picture-perfect management!
If management is not exposing problems, trust is often the problem.
It’s understandable why people tend to avoid confronting the fundamental flaws woven into the fabric of organizations. However, to propel your organization towards the desired business outcomes, confronting and addressing problems head-on is imperative. Achieving business agility goes beyond merely implementing methodologies like Scrum or SAFe; it necessitates a willingness to uncover and tackle the root causes of challenges. Cultivating an agile culture is beneficial, but its effectiveness hinges on whether it addresses the specific problems at hand. While aiming for an ideal agile culture or a flawless SAFe implementation may seem appealing, organizations seldom reach a perfect, fixed state. Instead, it’s an ongoing balancing act to navigate challenges and maintain operational momentum. Waiting for an elusive, theoretically perfect state to miraculously solve all problems is a luxury most businesses can’t afford in terms of time and resources. Business agility is forged through continuous iteration and a proactive stance towards problem-solving.
To achieve this goal, cultivating a culture marked by transparency, openness, and the courage to confront problems is paramount. Trust is essential even to be able to start this endeavour and to surface your problems successfully.
Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions!
Trust is the problem.
In fostering a culture of trust within an organization, it’s crucial to acknowledge that building trust is a gradual and deliberate process. Start by openly recognizing existing trust issues and addressing them directly. Encourage transparent communication, where team members feel safe expressing their opinions and concerns without fear of reprisal. Establishing trust requires consistency in actions, so leaders must follow through on commitments and demonstrate reliability. Embrace vulnerability and lead by example, showcasing a willingness to admit mistakes and learn from them. Empower teams to make decisions, fostering a sense of autonomy and accountability. Regular and honest feedback mechanisms can further strengthen trust, providing a platform for continuous improvement. Building a trusting culture is not an endpoint but an ongoing journey requiring a commitment to openness, reliability, and mutual respect within the organization.
How do you start trust building?
To initiate the process of building trust, leaders must foster an environment that encourages vulnerability and openness. Team members should feel safe sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of judgment. This can be achieved through team-building exercises, open communication forums, and activities that promote personal connections. Leaders should lead by example, demonstrating authenticity and transparency. Regular check-ins, feedback mechanisms, and ongoing efforts to reinforce positive behaviours contribute to the continual growth and sustenance of trust within the team.
Peeling the onion
The Lencioni Pyramid, known from the book Five Dysfunctions of a Team, is a conceptual framework developed by author and management consultant Patrick Lencioni. The pyramid identifies five key dysfunctions that can impede the effectiveness of a team, arranged in a hierarchical structure. At the base of the pyramid is the absence of trust, which Lencioni identifies as the foundational dysfunction. Building on trust, the subsequent layers include fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and, at the pinnacle, inattention to results. According to Lencioni, addressing these dysfunctions in a systematic manner can lead to the development of a cohesive and high-performing team. The model serves as a valuable tool for leaders and organizations seeking to enhance teamwork and overcome common obstacles that hinder collaboration and success. Even if people are aware of the Lencioni framework starting at the bottom of the pyramid by trying to install trust is often impossible as such. Oftentimes, reflection on the actual facts of what is happening throughout every layer creates the experience we can use to be able to have an open conversation about trust.
Start at the top.
Descending the Lencioni Pyramid through retrospective inspection involves a systematic approach to identifying and addressing each layer’s challenges. The process begins by examining the top of the pyramid — the lack of results. Teams should retrospectively analyze their performance and outcomes, questioning whether they have collectively achieved their goals. If results are lacking, the focus shifts downward to accountability, investigating if we know who was accountable for specific results or the lack thereof. Almost always, a picture emerges that the accountability wasn't quite clear. Even when elaborate RASCIs exist, the complexity of reality often makes it hard to pinpoint accountability for business results which almost always take collaboration across the team. Once we have established that real accountability was not present, we drop to the next level. By investigating who gave an explicit commitment and probing whether team members were fully dedicated to shared goals. Moving down the pyramid, the examination proceeds to conflict, exploring whether healthy debates and diverse perspectives are encouraged. Finally, the retrospective analysis delves into the foundational layer — trust. Teams assess the level of trust among members, evaluating factors such as openness, vulnerability, and honesty. Through this reflective process, teams can identify specific challenges at each level and implement targeted strategies to enhance trust, foster commitment, encourage healthy conflict, ensure accountability, and ultimately achieve better results. Regular retrospectives become a valuable tool for continuous improvement and team development.
The 5 Dysfunctions Retrospective
A retrospective to establish the need for Trust and lay the foundations to be able to even talk about lack of trust. Explain that this is a Retrospective where transparency, openness and trust are critical. An often heard response: This team or organisation has no problem with transparency, openness and trust. We know that if this were truly the case, we would not be having this retro but would be dealing with our actual problems. We will see.
Retro Format
- Set the scene with an icebreaker to make people connect and present.
- Individually write down results that we did or did not achieve in a previous period. Share and reflect with the group to create a common understanding of what is on the Post-its.
- Dot vote to order for importance. People's negativity bias often makes the bad results collect the most votes, which is just fine for this exercise.
- Split the group into trios, and have each trio select a result to analyse, starting with the most important ones.
- Ask the trios to discuss who was accountable for the result. When single individuals are pointed out, challenge whether they were or could really be accountable on their own.
- Ask the trios: “Who made an explicit commitment to the result? This was almost always not the case for the bad results, and it was often the case for the good results.
- Bring the whole group together and share the findings of the trios.
- Was there any conflict on this topic? What difference of opinion was voiced? Were facts or data brought forward? Were we in agreement on these facts or the data?
- This is the time to demonstrate vulnerability and share that you might not have spoken out and voiced your doubts or questions. You might also invite others to do so.
- How come we did not voice these doubts or questions? Again this is the time to lead with vulnerability and openness. Creating a safe space for others to do so as well.
- Reflect on what could be done to create this safe space more often. Observe healthy debate and conflict or probe for the lack of safety by suggesting more radical safe space ideas that should trigger debate. (See next paragraph for radical safe space ideas)
- Lead by committing to one action point and follow through. Invite others to do the same and support them.
10 Radical safe space ideas
Creating a safe space is crucial for fostering open communication, trust, and inclusivity. Here are ten radical safe space ideas that go beyond the conventional, encouraging a supportive and enriching environment:
1. Anonymous Sharing Platforms: Implementing anonymous channels or suggestion boxes where individuals can share thoughts, concerns, or ideas without fear of judgment can promote transparency and honesty.
2. Mindfulness and Meditation Sessions: Offering regular mindfulness or meditation sessions can provide a space for individuals to decompress, reduce stress, and enhance emotional well-being. Did this with a team of hardcore infra guys, worked brilliantly.
3. Skill and Talent Showcases: Organize events where team members can showcase their talents or share unique skills outside of the professional realm, promoting a sense of individuality and appreciation for diversity.
4. Empathy Training Workshops: Conduct workshops focused on empathy-building exercises to enhance understanding and compassion among team members, fostering a culture of support and connection.
5. Reverse Mentoring Programs: Establish programs where junior team members mentor senior colleagues, creating a collaborative environment and breaking down hierarchical barriers.
6. Storytelling Circles: Encourage team members to share personal stories in small groups, helping to build connections and understanding and humanizing individuals beyond their professional roles.
7. Flexible Workspaces: Design physical workspaces that allow for personalization, flexibility, and comfort, recognizing that a diverse range of environments can contribute to productivity and well-being.
8. Diversity and Inclusion Challenges: Introduce challenges or activities that prompt individuals to explore and celebrate their diverse backgrounds, encouraging a deeper understanding of each other’s experiences.
9. Celebration of Failure Events: Host events where team members openly discuss and learn from their failures, reducing the stigma associated with mistakes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Post topics on a Fail Wall where we celebrate and plot failure on a spectrum of failure.
10. Random Acts of Kindness Initiatives: Implement programs that encourage spontaneous acts of kindness within the team, creating a positive and uplifting atmosphere that extends beyond formal interactions.
These radical safe space ideas aim to break traditional norms, promote personal growth, and create an environment where individuals feel not only accepted but empowered to express their authentic selves.
But, but, but we trust each other.
Lack of trust often leads to people not even being able to acknowledge this lack of trust, leading to a destructive cycle of parallel truths, ambiguity, and uncertainty. Testing trust within a team is essential for understanding the strength of relationships and collaboration. Here are five questions that can help assess the level of trust within a team:
- Can you share a recent example of when you felt comfortable taking a risk or being vulnerable within the team?
— This question explores the team members’ willingness to be open and vulnerable, which is crucial for building trust. A team with a high level of trust should have instances where individuals feel safe sharing their thoughts, concerns, or ideas without fear of negative consequences. - How do you perceive the team’s commitment to achieving common goals?
— Assessing the team’s commitment to shared objectives can provide insights into the level of trust. In a high-trust environment, team members are likely to feel confident in each other’s dedication and reliability to collectively achieve goals. - When was the last time there was an open conflict within the team? How was it resolved?
— Trust is closely linked to the team’s ability to navigate conflicts in a healthy manner. Teams with high trust should be comfortable engaging in open discussions, addressing conflicts directly, and finding resolutions collaboratively. - Do you believe that feedback is constructive and beneficial within the team? What was the last feedback you received? What was the last feedback you gave to someone?
— Trust is reflected in how feedback is given and received. In a trusting team, members should perceive feedback as a valuable tool for improvement rather than a source of criticism. Understanding how individuals view feedback can reveal the level of trust within the team. - What was the last mistake that was admitted in the team? Did that feel comfortable? Why or why not?
— A team’s willingness to admit mistakes is a strong indicator of trust. In a trusting environment, team members should feel secure enough to acknowledge their errors without fear of judgment or reprisal, fostering a culture of accountability.
These questions can be used in team-building activities, one-on-one discussions, or anonymous surveys to gauge the overall trust dynamics within a team. The goal is to promote open communication and create an environment where trust can be nurtured and strengthened over time.
We know it can seem daunting navigating this challenging path of trust-building within Patrick Lencioni’s framework. At the core of this endeavor is the critical principle of vulnerability, especially exhibited by leaders themselves. Leaders embracing vulnerability by sharing personal experiences and admitting mistakes pave the way for a culture where team members feel secure enough to reciprocate. So, if you should take one learning from this article, let it be this: Stop being the all-knowing leader with the perfect live and all the answers, start with being vulnerable, and see what emerges.
Reference Material:
- *Notice how we are changing the language from the result to your result. See also Moving from “Me” to “We”
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
