Team development in management teams

Why is trusting cooperation in management teams fundamental to the success of a company?

Trust is an economic factor, says Stephen M.R. Covey in his book "Speed through Trust". What is the point of his statement?

When people trust each other, they assume that what they say and do is done with integrity, i.e. for the good of the other person or the community.

What does this mean for management teams?

When managers trust each other, they listen to others with the attitude that all suggestions and ideas serve the common goal and corporate benefit. Therefore, the exchange can be constructive and factual in the sense of the best possible solution. Information that helps to find a solution is shared openly. Questions, critical aspects or possible obstacles are addressed openly. Decisions are made more quickly. The quality of the resulting solution is improved.

Team DEVELOPMENT Procedure

How can trust be established in management teams?

Team development consists of three stages.

Why are these three stages important in building trust?

Covey also explains this in his model. The core of trusting behaviour on the various levels of our daily lives is the self-confidence of every person, or more precisely, the basic trust with which they come into this world. If this trust is weak, people find it difficult to trust other people. The urge for control and micro-management is strong.

Let's apply this to a management team.

If there are managers in this team who have a low level of self-confidence, these managers will find it difficult to trust the other members of the team. Distrust of suggestions, ideas, decisions and measures is always a visible or invisible part of the discussion.

What are the business benefits of a management team that works with confidence?

Three levels benefit from the development of a group of managers into a management team that trusts each other and pulls in the same direction:

• every manager
• the employees
• the company

What exactly does this benefit look like?

Benefits for every manager

Increased self-confidence makes it possible to show yourself in all your facets and to contribute authentically to the joint work. This authenticity leads to more credibility and therefore more trust from those around you, i.e. your direct colleagues and employees.

Increased self-confidence also enables managers to hand over responsibility more easily, e.g. through targeted delegation. This transfer of responsibility opens up spaces for employees to develop. It also takes the pressure off the manager.

The higher the level of self-confidence, the more courageous a person will be to make decisions even when there are still uncertainties. It is easier to break new ground and be open to change. This opens up spaces for solutions that were not there before. The speed of realisation and productivity increase. Individual effectiveness increases.

Another benefit lies in the increased ability to deal with conflict. The more self-confidence a person has, the more likely they are to be able to address and resolve unpleasant situations or conflicts with confidence. This in turn has a positive effect on trusting relationships and personal well-being.

Benefits for employees

The changed behaviour of managers leads to a change in the way employees work. This opens up various opportunities:

Employees' self-confidence increases as they feel the trust that managers place in them. This encourages employees to leave their comfort zone more quickly and more often. This enables development, the willingness to change increases and the fear of new things decreases. The willingness to take on responsibility increases.

The increased self-confidence of employees is also reflected in more open and honest communication. Mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn. They are not covered up and can therefore be rectified more quickly. Critical discussions are also more successful. The openness to accept feedback increases.

The team climate improves. The well-being of individuals increases. This in turn implies a higher level of commitment. Absenteeism decreases and employee loyalty increases.

The bottom line is that the performance of employees and teams increases.

Benefit for the company

Cooperation improves as a result of trusting interaction between everyone. Silo thinking decreases. Cross-team dialogue increases. Ideas flow, space for innovation becomes possible.

Processes are considered holistically and can therefore become leaner and more efficient. Quality improves, errors decrease. The performance and competitiveness of the entire company increases.