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The Trust Barometer

Purpose

1. To collect the perceptions of team members about the level of trust on the team.
2. to facilitate a discussion among team members about the factors that influence the level of trust on a team.
3. To create a set of norms that address trust on the team.

Group Size

Works best with an intact team of less than 10 members. See photo below of team members standing under various numbers while discussing the reasons for their postion.

Time

45 minutes.

Materials

1. A copy of the handout, "Trust is . . ."
2. 10 sheets of standard size paper each printed with a number from one (1) to ten (10).
3. One sheet of standard size paper that is printed with the words, "Closed and Cautious," and one sheet of standard size paper printed with the words, "Open and Candid."

Process

Prior to the session, post the "Closed and Cautious" sign at the right side of one wall of the room at the height of about eight feet. Post the other sign at the other end of the wall about 15 to 20 feet from the other sign. In between the two signs, post the signs with numbers starting with the number "10" near the "Open and Candid" sign and then the remainder of the numbers to the right ending with the number "1" near the "Closed and Cautious" sign.

1. Review the handout. The purpose of the review is to ensure everyone begins the exercise with a common understanding of trust and its implications for team effectiveness.
2. Ask members of the team to stand under the number that represents their perception of the level of trust and openness on the team. Several members may stand under the same number. Alternatively, you may start by asking them to do the same thing but as if it were six months ago.
3. Ask some members to explain why they selected the number. Other follow-up questins may include:

--- What is it about the climate on our team that led your to take this position?

--- How do you react to thenumbers selected by the other team members?

--- Are you surprised by any of the positions taken by other members?

4. Using either sub-groups or the full team, develop a list of norms designed to create a climate of openness and candor on the team.

5. Conclude the exercise by asking team members to stand under the number that

reflects their projection of what the level of trust will be on the team six

months from now. In other words, what is your level of confidence that the

climate will be more open and candid in the future?

Variation

If the team's success is heavily dependent on the support of stakeholders (e.g., suppliers, support groups, department managers, senior management), you can ask the team to indicate the degree to which their stakeholders trust them using the same scale.

Handout

TRUST IS . . .

Trust is . . .

Trust is te "belief tha those on whom we depend will meet our expectations of them. In other words, "we trust those who meet our postive expectations."

--- R. Shaw, Trust in the Balance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997.

Trust and Teamwork

"The extent to which we believe that our expectations are accurate determines the amount of time and attentin we devote to oversight, follow-up and contingency plans." In other words, when we believe that our teammates will meet our positive expectations of them, we trust that the job will be done efficiently and effectively."

Trust and Predictability

Predictability impacts team effectiveness because it determines the extent to which our teammates are likely to carry out a task in an anticipated manner. We refer to the person's behavior as "reliable." When there is a high level of predictability among teammates, there is little misunderstanding and "second-guessing."

---G. Parker and R. Kropp, Team Workout: 50 Interactive Activities,, Amherst, MA: HRD Press, 2000.

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Reprinted from G. Parker, Team Depot: A Warehouse of Over 585 Tools to Reassess, Rejuvenate & Rehabilitate Your Team. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2002.