The Real Way to Build Trust in a Team (Hint: It’s Not What You Think)
If you’ve ever worked in a team that just clicked, you know the feeling—open communication, smooth collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose. When you ask what makes that kind of team work, one answer consistently rises to the top:
Trust.
Over 30 years of running workshops, I’ve asked hundreds of teams what makes them great. The most common answer, by far, is trust. But here’s the kicker:
Most people go about building trust the wrong way.
The Trust-Building Trap
We’ve all seen it. The infamous “trust-building” meeting. The one that’s supposed to bring the team closer together… but ends with people even more guarded than before.
Why does that happen?
Because when you try to build trust just to build trust, it often backfires. People feel exposed. Old wounds get reopened. And if issues can’t be addressed properly, people walk away more suspicious, not less.
So What Actually Builds Trust?
If you want to build trust in your team, don’t start by focusing on trust itself.
Start by fixing the things that erode trust every day.
After decades of helping teams build stronger foundations, I’ve found three consistent trust-killers:
1. Misaligned Objectives
Trust disappears the moment someone suspects a hidden agenda.
If your team isn’t pulling in the same direction—professionally and personally—it creates doubt. People start second-guessing decisions, withholding information, or acting defensively.
Solution: Get crystal clear on shared goals. Make sure every team member understands how their work contributes to a common purpose—and make sure that purpose is agreed on and meaningful to all.
2. Confused Roles
Nothing erodes trust faster than someone stepping on another’s turf.
When roles are unclear, people clash. Decisions get challenged. Accountability fades. And resentment builds.
Solution: Clarify who owns what. Define responsibilities clearly. Create space for collaboration without overlap or micromanagement.
3. Unclear Team Dynamics
This one often gets overlooked—but it’s crucial.
Simple things like communication preferences, decision-making processes, or response expectations can cause tension. If someone expects a call and gets an email, they might feel ignored. If they expect a voice in a decision but don’t get one, they might feel sidelined.
Solution: Agree on how the team works together. Set norms around communication, feedback, meetings, and follow-up. Great teams don’t just do the work—they agree on how to work.
Building Trust Is a Byproduct of Good Team Design
Trust isn’t something you can force. It’s something that grows when the right foundations are in place.
If your team has aligned objectives, clear roles, and shared ways of working, trust will build naturally. And when that happens, you unlock the real potential of a high-performing team: contribution, commitment, and collaboration at the highest level.
Want to see how it works in practice?
Take a look at our Team Development Model. You can also download our PDF It outlines the key steps to build the kind of trust that fuels real team success.
And if you’d like help applying it to your team, we’re here to chat.
📞 Call us on 1300 551 274 or message us directly.
