Most teams secretly don’t trust each other.

Mine didn’t either until I started doing this:

Teams have all kinds of trust issues.

– Egos get in the way
– Issues fester under the surface
– Teams become dysfunctional

Mine was the same – until I found this simple trust-building exercise:

(which I’ve now repeated dozens of times)

Take 15-20 minutes at the start of any longer meeting:

– Leadership off-sites
– Strategy sessions

Warn everyone that you’re going to get a bit personal – but that it’ll be fun.

Then, go around the room and ask each person these four questions:

Where did you grow up?

Help them expand:

– What was it like?
– Did you move as a kid?
– How long were you there?

Nothing helps you empathize with people more than understanding their upbringing.

How many siblings do you have?

Then, ask:

– Older or younger?
– What was it like being the [oldest, middle, youngest, only] child?]

This context really helps humanize your co-workers.

3️⃣ What sport or hobby did you love growing up?

Get them to elaborate:

– Did you play in high school / college?
– How did you get into it?
– Do you still play?

Sports/hobbies are often an easy thing to find in common.

What’s a big challenge you overcame growing up?

This is where things get real.

People really open up – it’s very important for the group to listen attentively and not judge.

Common responses:

– Moved towns
– Death in the family
– Bullied in school

This simple exercise has a massive impact.

You’ll see people…

– Drop their guard
– Find things in common
– Better relate to each other

I’ve seen the trust built through this exercise last for years!

It’s a powerful exercise. Give it a try.

Nothing can stop a team that deeply trusts each other!

Thank you for reading.