On last week’s virtual Community of Practice call, the issue of trust was discussed as several teams within the five schools have selected Component C: Fosters a Culture of Trust for their goal for this spring.  Dr. Erin Anderson asked a question of the group, “What can we4 do during team meetings to encourage trust?”  I have to share that this issue of trust has even caused me to stay up at night.  Trust is an elusive concept that we know is critical to team success.  Even building out the collaborative inquiry toolkit, it was difficult to find resources about trust.
 
Given this question, I did go back and look at various resources listed under Component C of the Collaborative Inquiry Toolkit website.  To help answer Erin’s question, I want to point us back to those resources and ask if you have any other great resources to share to send them my way.   Here’s the link to Component C of the Collaborative Inquiry Toolkit: http://www.mnpscollaboration.org/component-c-culture-of-trust.html.
 
Some resources I want to spotlight are:

• Blanchard, K. (2010). Building trust.  
• Center for Courage and Renewal Circle of Trust: Touchstones for Safe and Trustworthy Space
• Covey, S. M. R. (2006). The speed of trust: The one thing that changes everything. Resources (videos, pdfs, etc.)
• Creating a High Trust Organization
• Hitch, C. (2012). How to build trust in an organization. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.
• How to Build a Corporate Culture of Trust
• Lewicki, R. & Tomlinson, E. (2003). Trust and trust building.
• Mayfield, P. (n.d.) Six steps to building trust in the workplace. Monster website.
• MNPS SEL Organization on Blackboard

 
How about you and your team?  How do you build trust?  Do you have other great resources to add to the toolkit?
 
If so, please email them to Margie Johnson at [email protected].

“A collaborative culture does not simply emerge in a school or district: leaders cultivate collaborative cultures when they develop the capacity of their staffs to work as members of high-performing teams” (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010, p. 153).
 
Last week, I got an email that talked about Google's quest for building the perfect team culture.  It was great to know that we are not alone in the quest for improving how teams work together...

"In 2012, the company embarked on an initiative — code-named Project Aristotle — to study hundreds of Google’s teams and figure out why some stumbled while others soared" (Duhigg, 2016, February 25). 

Of course, Google LOVES data and used lots of it throughout the study.  Interestingly enough, the major finding from Project Aristotle, is the importance of a team having "psychological safety."  Two characteristics of psychological safety that emerged from the study were:

1. Seeking equity in participation and
2. Social sensitivity, or being sensitive to others' feelings (Duhigg, 2010).
   

 
Hum, I think we have heard that word, psychological safety, before from Laura Lipton and Bruce Wellman.  If you attended their workshop sessions on Got data? Now what? or Leading Groups, they talk about psychological safety. 
 
Here’s some tips from their books for fostering psychological safety in your teams:

• Listen without judgment (Got Data? p. 80);
• Pause to create space for thinking (Got Data? p. 80);
• Paraphrase to support relationships, increase understanding, and mediate thinking (Got Data? p. 80);
• Inquire to focus and open thinking (Got Data? p. 80);
• Create a third point (Leading Groups p. 44); and
• Describe what, why, and how for the meeting (Leading Groups p. 45-46). 
  

Have you used any of these strategies?  If so, I'd love to hear from you.
 
Also, if you have any questions about these tools OR have other tips for developing psychological safety with your team, please feel free to contact Margie Johnson at [email protected].
 
References:
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010).  Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work? (2nd ed). Bloomington, IN: Soution Tree Press.

Duhigg, C. (2016, February 25).  What Google learned from its quest to build the perfect team. The New York Times.  Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html?_r=0
 
Lipton, L. & Wellman, B. (2012).  Got data? Now what?: Creating and leading cultures of inquiry. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Lipton, L. & Wellman, B. (2011).  Leading groups: Effective strategies for building professional community.  Sherman, CT: MiraVia, LLC.

"Trust is the glue of life.  It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication.  It's the foundation principle that holds all relationships together."  ~Stephen Covey

Component C of the MNPS IC Map for Collaborative Inquiry is all about fostering a culture of trust.  When groups have high relational trust, "it is safe to display both high competence and vulnerability" (Lipton & Wellman, 2012, p. 13).  There is a section on the Seven Qualities of High-Performing Groups--Scaled Group Inventory and the Seven Qualities of High-Performing Groups--Self-Assessment Inventory (see below questions).  I encourage you to review the questions about yourself and your teams to gauge the trust levels. 

Using the data from the inventories, what might be some strategies you start using to increase the trust levels?  Here's the link to the Component C Resources, which may help.

If you already have high levels of trusts, do you have resources to share with others?  If so, please email Margie Johnson at [email protected].  I will add them to the MNPS Collaboration website and share with others in the next blog post.

Have a great week.  T-2 days until Spring Break begins.  :)  Have a wonderful break!

Scaled Group Inventory Questions about Trust:

• Do we clarify and communicate high expectations for ourselves as a group?
• Do we make it safe not to know?
• Do our actions reflect our commitments?

Self-Assessment Inventory Questions about Trust

• What makes me feel safe or not in this group?
• How am I making it safe for others?
• Am I following through on my commitments?

Reference:
Lipton, L, & Wellman, B. (2012).  Got data? Now what?: Creating and leading cultures of inquiry.  Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.