Today I want to show you The Trust Builder Formula I use to build trust in my remote team.

Master this formula and unlock human emotions that will help your teamwork.
No need to see what others are doing, like in a physical office.

The first step to know is the Trust Equation created by David Maister.
According to this equation, 3 things build trust:

  • Credibility: 
    It’s about the words we speak, the skills we bring, and how people experience our expertise.
    “I can trust what he says: he’s very credible on the subject”
  • Reliability:
    It’s about the actions we take, our predictability, and how people find us dependable
    “If he says he’ll deliver tomorrow, I trust him because he’s dependable”
  • Intimacy:
    It’s about how much safety and security people feel when entrusting us with something
    “I can trust him because he never violated my confidentiality before, and he would never embarrass me”

And one thing destroys trust:

  • Self Orientation:
    It’s about the person’s focus. How much do others feel we focus on ourselves rather than on them?
    “I don’t trust him. I think he’s mostly focused on what he gets out of it”

 

Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) / (Self Orientation)

 

 

 

This equation helps us understand that success in a remote team is all about process and people.
Highly trusting culture is the key to your remote work strategy.

If you want to build absolute trust among teammates, you should develop and promote a company culture where:

  • All teammates are treated with respect
  • All teammates are encouraged to make decisions and are trusted to deliver
  • There are regular feedback rounds

You can start the following week by implementing point 3.

It’s easy:
Schedule 1o1 monthly meeting with your teammates to give feedback:

  • How can we work better together?
  • How can we improve things?

By receiving feedback from your teammates, you will:

  • grow as a person
  • grow as a professional
  • go further with your work.

You’ll learn a lot about your teammates and yourself.
Be sure you’ll be able to grow faster by following the Trust Builder Formula.