When we consider trust, what do we actually mean?  Is it the idea that somebody will get the job done in that “I completely trust that you will lead this project to success”. Or is it more about the underlying motivation or agenda that one carries? For example “I’m not sure why my colleagues have called this meeting….I don’t have complete trust in their motivations”.  The other aspect of trust could be more applicable in a team situation where such comments as “We all need to trust each other more….that way we can be more effective as a team” or “Let’s start by getting to know one another on a deeper level”. Sound familiar?When we consider the abovementioned examples, what we are really talking about is understanding. “ I understand what you are capable of and know you will lead the project to success”. “I understand the motivations behind calling a meeting and it makes sense” Or “I understand the values and needs of everyone in my team which makes me feel close to them”.Without understanding, we default to assumptions which start to erode any trust that exists or fail to build trust if it was never present. As I mentioned in my post about honesty where I dissected the difficulties people face with being honest…..trust is also plagued with similar challenges.  In order to build trust in other people and in teams, vulnerability must be acknowledged and embraced.  So really, without honesty, trust can’t grow, without trust, people don’t share information and we end up communicating in an inefficient 'cloak and dagger' world that encourages us to engage in behaviour that benefits us at the expense of others.I’ve facilitated countless sessions where trust has been flagged as a key issue within the team. Those that have the courage to raise the issue are usually frowned upon or tainted with creating the problem by verbalising it. So, next time you are in that team offsite, it’s at the end of the day and no real actions have come from it and you see your manager pushing for someone to address the elephant in the room. Before you blurt out trust as the issue, consider your understanding of the team dynamics, the individual differences and your understanding of what is holding the team back.If, after consideration, you are still going to raise trust as an issue, I challenge you to experiment by substituting the word "trust" for a profanity to see how the responses differ. You will likely find that, like the word trust, you will get lots of attention, but it will usually be overlooked or ignored as a lapse in judgement or loss of control. If you aren't feeling trusted in or trusting of your team, the likelihood is high that others are feeling the same way. To change this try the following:

• Frame the issue around gaining a deeper understanding of the team's purpose and put forward your intent as constructive and long term.
• Rather than state the obvious, take some individual responsibility to create a team that you want to be part of. Verbalise the traits of a team you would be proud to be a part of.
• Put forward suggestions to improve team collaboration that YOU would like to take the lead on.
• If there are some obvious personality clashes in the room, rather than tip-toe around it, tackle it head on. Like ripping off a bandaid, it might hurt in the moment, but it will allow the team to move forward.

If your team needs a little True Perspective, let me help you.