This is the third of a three-part blog post series based on a presentation Amanda Conway, Senior Project Manager, Commerce, at Perficient, gave at an Agile Camp in Milwaukee. (In case you missed them, here are Part 1 and Part 2.)
The topic for today’s post may be one of the most challenging for Project Managers, clients and others to truly be vulnerable enough to accept. It is all about TRUST the team. Whether we are working with teams in the same office or halfway across the globe, it is imperative that there is trust built up within the team. I’ll be discussing why trust is so helpful and also provide some tips on building a team around trust.
Why is Trust Necessary?
Our Magento and InsiteCommerce development teams are stationed in Nagpur as I’ve mentioned in previous posts. While this has its benefits, it also creates challenges and one of those challenges is around communication. With communication being tricky as it is, adding thousands of miles in between the development team, PM, and client only serves to emphasize when communication falls short. A high amount of trust will serve as the backbone of the project and will allow for honest and open communications.
When we have a healthy team (note: when I say “team,” I’m talking about the development team, Project Manager, client contacts, and anyone else actively working on the project), we often see that anyone can openly express a potential issue, request further requirements on a specific feature, or explain that there is a roadblock. The team will then evaluate to determine how to best handle this new information. Everyone is aware and everyone agrees on the best course of action.
In a situation where everyone is looking out for their own interests, you’ll often see this sort of communication break down. Instead of expressing a potential issue, it may be ignored as to not cause any friction. Instead of requesting further requirements, assumptions may be made that aren’t accurate. Instead of explaining a roadblock, it may be redirected and cause problems further down the road.
If those scenarios happen, likely the project is going off the rails and in addition to that, any existing trust erodes and the teams often result in finger-pointing on who is to blame.
This is something nobody wants obviously! So how can we build up trust so we are working as a team:
Tips to Build Trust
1. Always be respectful.
This isn’t so much a tip as it is common sense. Trust starts if you feel someone is trustworthy; if you are respectful and being open when communicating then trust can
2. Give everyone an opportunity to speak their mind.
This may not be in a daily stand-up meeting or in a large stakeholder setting, but it is important that everyone feels they have a voice. Have 1-on-1 conversations with the Client and ask them candidly how they feel things are going, are there things we could do better? Have 1-on-1 conversations with the developers and find out where their struggles are.
3. Follow through on commitments.
When you are talking to clients or team members about struggles, challenges, issues, etc. follow through on what is being done for next steps. It is important that the client, developer, PM, etc. knows they have been heard. If they feel they are being heard, they can trust that they are a valuable part of the team.
4. Accept responsibility.
This is a hard one for people. Who wants to tell someone they made a mistake? I certainly don’t. However, if it happens, own it but just as importantly – determine how to resolve it. It is easy to forgive a mistake if there are plans in place to fix it (but also remember #3 – Follow through on commitments)!
Establishing a good trusting relationship with your team can be a game-changer so I hope these tips can provide you with some areas to evaluate on current and future projects!
What other tips can build trust within teams?
