
Trust
Do they trust me?
How you gain or lose trust with others
Nine Foundations of Trust
1
Care: Team members feel you care about them individually and as a group.
2
Affiliation: Team members feel connected to you as a leader and feel like they are on your team.
Autonomy: Team members have the freedom to express opinions, make decisions and work without being micromanaged.
3
4
5
Appreciation: Team members feel their contribution is understood and valued.
Sincerity: Team members believe you are transparent and honest.
1. Care: Team members feel you care about them individually and as a group.
• Digs for others’ underlying interests and concerns. (SLI 2.3)
• Empathizes with others and notices people’s emotions. (SLI 2.5)
• Listens in a way that people feel heard. (SLI 2.6)
• Stays present and avoids cell phone and computer distractions. (SLI 4.2)
• Coaches, challenges and supports people to develop their skills and careers. (SLI 7.5)
• Does not talk negatively behind people’s backs (no triangulation). When they have an issue, they speak directly to the person. (SLI 7.7)
2. Affiliation: Team members feel connected to you as a leader and feel like they are on your team.
• Approachable and open to critical feedback on their ideas, decisions and leadership style. Willing to learn from mistakes. (SLI 2.2)
• Draws the quiet people out. (SLI 4.4)
• Brainstorms with others to generate creative solutions. (SLI 4.5)
• Motivates people to bring their best and strive for excellence. (SLI 7.1)
• When people are failing, offers support and resources (instead of beating them up). (SLI 7.3)
3. Appreciation: Team members feel their contribution is understood and valued.
• Communicates and breaks down the vision so that people see how they fit in. (SLI 1.2)
• When tasks are completed, gives helpful feedback (both positive and negative). (SLI 6.7)
• Offers frequent and genuine appreciation for people’s contributions. (SLI 7.2)
• Debriefs issues. Assumes positive intent and helps others learn from mistakes. (SLI 7.4)
4. Autonomy: Team members have the freedom to express opinions, make decisions and work without being micromanaged.
• Renegotiates priorities with others when things change. Does not pile on new objectives without reprioritizing old olds. (SLI 1.5)
• Embraces creative conflict. Does not shy away from passionate debate. (SLI 4.3)
• Includes the right people in decision-making. (SLI 5.1)
• Proactively informs people who are impacted by decisions. (SLI 5.7)
• Allows people to fulfill their roles and make decisions without micromanaging them. (SLI 6.5)
5. Sincerity: Team members believe you are transparent and honest
• Clearly expresses where they stand on issues. (SLI 3.1)
• Shares their opinions and concerns, even if unpopular or lacking certainty. (SLI 3.2)
• Addresses challenging issues promptly. Names the elephant in the room. (SLI 3.4)
• Gives honest feedback. Shares their perspective when they are dissatisfied with people’s work. (SLI 3.5)
• Cleans up issues with others. Does not harbor resentment. (SLI 3.6)
6. Fairness: Team members feel equitably treated and that you make fair decisions.
• Brings curiosity and willingness to be influenced. (SLI 2.1)
• Listens to ideas fairly, regardless of who is presenting them. (SLI 2.4)
• Owns their opinions as opinions. Does not position their opinions as facts to prove their point. (SLI 3.3)
• Has sufficient understanding of an issue and others’ opinions before advocating for a specific solution. (SLI 4.6)
• Considers others’ opinions and concerns before deciding. Respects people’s roles and expertise. (SLI 5.2)
• Makes good and timely decisions. Takes appropriate risks even if all the information is not available. (SLI 5.4)
7. Reliability (Yours): Team members believe you will honor the commitments you make.
• I am clear when a decision is made and ensures full group alignment. Even if some people would have made a different decision, they “disagree and commit.” (SLI 5.5)
• Ensures commitments are clear, realistic, and agreed upon (who is doing what by when). (SLI 6.1)
• Does what they say they will do. Follows up. (SLI 6.2)
• Renegotiates when commitments are in jeopardy. Avoids surprising others with bad news or last-minute delays. (SLI 6.4)
8. Team Reliability (Through Managing Others): Team members believe your team will fulfill their commitments on time.
• Establishes clear next steps. (SLI 5.6)
• Tracks progress on commitments and ensures completion. (SLI 6.3)
• Holds people accountable. When commitments are missed, discusses what went wrong and gets a new commitment. (SLI 6.6)
• Ensures the right person is in the role, moving or letting people go when it’s the wrong fit. (SLI 6.8)
9. Capability: Team members believe you have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill your role.
• Embodies and shares a compelling vision of the future. (SLI 1.1)
• Establishes clear roadmaps that define the milestones & short-term future. (SLI 1.3)
• Establishes clear priorities so that people know what to work on. (SLI 1.4)
• Establishes key metrics and indicators to stay on track. (SLI 1.6)
• Leads effective meetings. Clarifies the objectives and avoids unnecessary rabbit holes. (SLI 4.1)
• Has a bias for action. Willing to try out ideas and see what is learned, eg. rapid prototyping. (SLI 5.3)
• Leads effective 1-on-1’s. (SLI 7.6)
Trust and the SLI Leadership Micro-practices (45)
9
Capability: Team members believe you have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill your role.
Team Reliability (Through Managing Others): Team members believe your team will fulfill their commitments on time.
7
8
Reliability (Yours): Team members believe you will honor the commitments you make.
6
Fairness: Team members feel equitably treated and that you make fair decisions.
Do they trust me? How I gain or lose team member’s trust
How I
EARN the trust of my team
1 is not important
10 is very important
How I
LOSE the trust of my team
1 is not important
10 is very important
CARE: Team members feel you care about them individually and as a group.
AFFILIATION: Team members feel connected to you as a leader and feel like they are on your team.
APPRECIATION: Team members feel their contribution is understood and valued.
AUTONOMY: Team members have the freedom to express opinions, make decisions and work without being micromanaged.
SINCERITY: Team members believe you are transparent and honest.
FAIRNESS: Team members feel equitably treated and that you make fair decisions.
RELIABILITY (Yours): Team members believe you will honor the commitments you make.
TEAM RELIABILITY (Through Managing Others): Team members believe your team will fulfill their commitments on time.
CAPABILITY: Team members believe you have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill your role.