Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Your organization needs ‘high-trust’ engineering teams. A strong team with high intra-team trust, and good relations between leadership and the team, is a powerful and effective institution. Such high-trust engineering teams are a force to be reckoned with. Here’s how to create such teams, how you’ll benefit from doing so, and some reasons why you might not want to build such teams.

The orchestra conductor’s baton doesn’t dictate each note, it’s a guide for harmonious collaboration of instruments. Similarly, encouraging a high-trust engineering organization isn’t about rigid control. It’s about cultivating an environment where individuals combine into an effective force.

What is a high-trust engineering team? High-trust engineering teams definitely lack distrust. But they are also held held together by mutual respect, great communication, and shared values. They place those values above organizational structure. In such teams, ideas can flow freely, diverse perspectives are shared, and honest feedback is provided. Mutual trust is the fertilizer, so flowers of innovation and efficient performance bloom. In such teams, members must feel psychologically safe to experiment and learn. To ensure everybody’s goals are aligned, and everyone’s contributing their best, transparency and accountability are prioritized the highest. Leaders in such groups act to empower, as guiding hands. They trust their team to perform autonomously and celebrate their achievements.

But building such ensembles is not an easy task. Conflicts can arise, but the music goes on. By valuing trust the most, organizations are able to let loose the full potential of their teams. They can change them into high-performing symphonies of talent and innovation.

Unfortunately, many organizations inadvertently create dissonant environments. They let suspicion, secrecy, and lack of open communication run amok. In such situations, engineers become isolated soloists, hesitant to share their melodies. Such environment produces a muted and uninspired performance. The lack of trust is expensive. Communication breakdowns due to distrust can lead to serious productivity losses. The absence of trust stifles exchange of ideas necessary for innovation. It leads to high employee turnover. Losing teammates is are like losing skilled musicians mid-performance. It disrupts the ensemble’s ability to deliver. That ultimately leads to reduction in customer satisfaction. Everybody loses when internal discord leads to lagging delivery times and response delays.

The solution is building a culture of high trust, where communication flows freely like a well-rehearsed ensemble. Team members must actively listen, respectfully disagree, and readily share information. It’s important to be vulnerable and transparent to build trust. Regular team meetings, clear expectations, and an open-door policy are the ensemble rehearsals. The team backlog becomes the sheet music, every contributor following the tune to the note.

Leaders with a clear vision, delegation, and open communication are like a conductor who inspires and guides. They allow individual performers to shine within the broader composition. Leaders must admit mistakes, heartily celebrate successes, and actively seek feedback. They must show their commitment to creating a trustworthy environment. Such involvements creates a sense of safety, and individuals feel comfortable to take risks and experiment without fear of judgment.

However, building a high-trust organization isn’t a solo performance. It requires a multi-instrumental approach. Leaders must set clear individual expectations while setting shared responsibility for the group. Every contributor needs to understand their role clearly and trust their teammates to deliver their parts. What that means is every team must cater to diverse roles, and flexible integration and collaboration options. Even the most introverted contributors must be supported to contribute meaningfully.

Measuring the impact of trust is a tricky business. Get qualitative data on productivity, and collect quantitative feedback from team members for an all-rounded performance review. There’s going to be considerable mistrust and resistance if you’re moving from ‘regular’ or ‘low-trust’ environments. Leaders need to show the vision of long-term benefits of high trust. Trust-building activities with the teams, aligning them with organizational goals can help speed up the process.

Transitioning to such high-trust culture isn’t easy. Leaders accustomed to micromanagement might fear losing control. Short-term performance pressures can overshadow the long-term benefits. Deep cultural mistrust can create resistance. If the leadership is unaware, or apathetic, to the negative impacts of low-trust, this is all pointless. It’s going to take considerable time and resources to create such tight teams. Resource constraints might hinder the transition.

The Rewards of Trust

The rewards of a high-trust engineering are many. Teams see increased productivity, morale, and innovation. Recruitment and retention improve. Eventually, customer satisfaction goes up, reflecting the improved team morale and productivity.

Building a high-trust engineering organization is a journey, not a destination. But the rewards are worth it. Prioritizing trust is a long-term investment in one’s team. Such investment can pay off through increased productivity. Companies must prioritize a culture of trust, open communication and teamwork.

Here are some initial steps towards building such a high-trust organization.

• Conduct a trust assessment: Evaluate your current team dynamics to identify areas for improvement.
• Prioritize open communication: Encourage regular team meetings, information sharing, and active listening.
• Empower your team: Delegate tasks, provide clear expectations, and celebrate achievements.
• Create psychological safety: Create an environment where individuals feel comfortable taking risks and learning from mistakes.
• Align values and goals: Ensure everyone understands the organization’s vision and how their work contributes to it.