Trust | Establishing Trust In A Team

The following content is part of the Interstates Culture Series, a writing collection explaining how Interstates' core company values were uncovered and what they mean to us. These posts from our leaders spotlight the culture at Interstates and share what it’s like to work within our organization, focusing on our values of Dependability, Integrity, Trust, Quality, and Family.

It’s easy to say that you trust someone. You trust your doctor, your dentist, your car mechanic. They have proven to be reliable, and they help you when you need it. Your team should have that same reliability, but trust with coworkers can be a more complex issue. To truly establish trust within your team, you have to forgo competition and think of the greater good. Are you reliable? Do the members of your team know without a doubt that you will have their backs? Have you shown dedication to your clients that has turned into trust?

The Positive Impact of Trust

Without trust, people struggle to bring their best selves forward. The whole environment is weakened, and every task becomes much more challenging and takes longer. Trust changes everything. Consider a well-executed team. When trust is present, the team excels. They align with a common purpose, take risks, and, most importantly, collaborate as one – not as individuals or pockets of team members. Each team member believes in one another and the end goal. Team members find their rhythm and drive to achieve a common goal. I hope everyone reading this has experienced being on or being part of a “trust team.”

An example of a trusted team is the Chicago Bulls NBA team. Michael Jordan could not have won the titles without trust in his fellow players. Early in Michael’s career, he tried to win on his own by putting ridiculous numbers on the scoreboard. But, until he could trust his teammates, Michael could not seal an NBA title. Once he started giving up the ball and putting trust in his teammates, the magic happened! Winning six championships proves the power of trust.

At Interstates, part of our strength lies in our ability to rely on one another for quality work, time and again. We want each of our team members to feel like they are on a winning, tightly-knit team. That feeling gives them confidence, which improves performance, and it also creates a safety net. When you need help, you can trust your team will catch you. And, when you see someone falling, they can trust that you will be there, too.