What makes for the best foundation?

What makes for the best foundation?

If you came across this message looking for advice on construction, buildings and actual foundations, I have bad news for you: I know nothing about any of these things. The most impressive structures I’ve ever built were made from Legos or beach sand. None of which required me to dig and build a foundation. But physical buildings are not the only things that require strong foundations. The best marriages, friendships, families, teams and organisations (all interpersonal relationships) stand on foundations of the same material: Trust.

Trust is the essential ingredient of anything good that has ever happened between people. Where trust abounds individuals thrive, teams outperform and nations flourish and become rich. Where trust is absent, things become suspicious, sour and die. Like a building without a solid foundation, it will inevitably topple over and become unlivable.

Over the past number of weeks, we’ve been sharing our insights into what the double World Cup-winning Springboks seem to be getting right when it comes to creating an environment where the individuals and the team can flourish. A series we call The Bok Way, in which we aim to highlight the practical aspects of organisational health that you can replicate where you are. This week we look at part four: Building trust.

Because of the nature of the topic, trust is often regarded as some ethereal, intangible, almost mythical element that is very difficult to identify, pinpoint or create. Many people would say, “You either have it or you don’t.” We take a much more practical approach to the topic, looking at the way we need to behave to be trustworthy people in an environment that permeates trust. So what are some of the things that the Springboks seem to be doing (from the outside looking in) to build trust?

1. They ruthlessly tell the truth: Very often we come across environments with low levels of trust, but high levels of niceness. It’s very hard to be honest when your main concern is avoiding conflict, being nice, popular and liked. We’ve somehow concluded that these superficial cultures bring out the best in people, but they just do not. They breed mediocrity, resentment and inauthenticity, which unfortunately in many cases has become the norm. What the Springboks seem to get right (in a dramatic departure from this norm) is to be brutally honest with each other when players, staff and coaches do not live up to expectations. When people are not pulling their weight, they are informed about it. Quickly, directly and honestly. Now, THIS DOES NOT mean that your environment needs to or will become disrespectful or malevolent. But it will become very uncomfortable when it needs to be. And that is a good thing. We cannot trust each other if we can’t tell each other the truth.
2. Out in the open: Team selections and decisions are made in public. When it comes to the team, no discussions are had behind closed doors – there are no secret meetings, hallway discussions or “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but…” conversations (as far as we can tell). Every player and contributor knows exactly where he or she stands, whether they are praised or called out for their performance. In the Chasing the Sun 2 series, there are some very clear examples of the coaches calling out senior players for not pulling their weight. It is uncomfortable to witness, but refreshing to see how they take the feedback as adults and take responsibility for their behaviour. How often are you having honest and respectful conversations with your leadership team?
3. They explain the thinking behind decisions: Given the pressurised nature of the environment, it often happens that risky and unpopular decisions need to be made. Whether it be in an elite sporting environment or business, it is impossible to keep everybody happy all the time (refer back to point 1 for the pitfalls of this). But it goes a very long way towards building and maintaining trust when you take the time to explain the thinking behind your decision-making. Growing up, you would not have been satisfied with an explanation of “Because I said so!”, and neither does it work for most adults. But explaining to your team the process behind why one option was selected above another helps people gain insight into your thinking and more importantly, your intent behind making the decision. When people know how you got to a decision and that it was made with much consideration, there is a better chance of them accepting your position. Team selections are a great example: There are a limited number of spots in every team and all players want to be in the matchday 23. But the coaches have the responsibility of picking the best possible combination to defeat the specific opposition. The result is that you will always have a group of disappointed players who are not involved in the matchday team. What these coaches seem to do particularly well is explain to the players why a specific team was selected – which clarifies their intentions of wanting the best for the team and not making selections out of personal vendettas or other considerations.
4. Do the actual work: Have you ever worked with someone who talks a good game but delivers very little? We sure have. It is an exhausting experience! This type of person is great at looking immensely busy, without doing much actual, valuable work. One of the simplest ways to determine if you can trust somebody is to look at their track record, their competence and the effort they put into preparing for what needs to happen. The Springbok management team seem to be excellent at engendering trust within their team because of the work they put into preparing for their matches. By spending time on what matters most, they can be more innovative and often find themselves a step ahead of their opposition. In your team, take care of and reward the people who make the biggest contribution, those people who put in the real work that moves the team forward.
5. Trust others: This is probably one of the most difficult aspects to get right. Whereas the previous points focus on becoming more trustworthy yourself, the last one is aimed the other way: trusting others to do what needs to be done. Coaches aren’t allowed on the rugby field after players turn 10 (approximately). Not in the professional game (although Rassie often tries to find a way around this)! After all the preparation and work has been done, the coaches need to trust that the players will be able to deliver the goods, to adjust and solve problems as they arise. Think of a manager you might have worked with before (or are currently working with) who feels the need to manage you, even though you know what you are doing. Not a great feeling at all! Remember that trust is something that exists between people. You can be completely trustworthy yourself, but if you do not trust others to do what needs to be done, then no trust will exist in your environment.

If you would like to build a better foundation, get in touch. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.

At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.