Trust Manifesto
The Trust Manifesto is a team-building activity designed to foster trust by collaboratively creating a set of guiding principles. It encourages open communication and accountability within the team.
Use this method at the beginning of a project or team formation to establish clear expectations and shared values around trust, especially when team members are new to working together.
Solves: Lack of clear expectations around team behavior, difficulty addressing trust-related issues, and a lack of accountability within the team.
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Step 1: Introduce the concept of a Trust Manifesto and its importance for teamwork (5 mins).
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Step 2: Explain the three elements of trust: positive relationships, competence, and consistency/integrity, referencing Zenger & Folkman (2019) (5 mins).
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Step 3: Individually, each team member writes two 'we' statements for each element of trust (60 mins).
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Step 4: As a team, discuss all statements and select ten to include in the manifesto, ensuring at least three statements represent each element of trust (60 mins).
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Step 5: All team members sign the Trust Manifesto (10 mins).
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Step 6: Weekly, the team evaluates their adherence to the manifesto and makes necessary adjustments (60 mins).
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Step 7: Team members individually complete the Trust Scale halfway through and at the end of the project to reflect on their progress (30 mins).
- Emphasize the importance of using 'we' statements to promote collective responsibility.
- Provide examples of trust statements to inspire participants, but encourage original thinking.
- Create a safe and inclusive environment for open and honest discussion.
- Use different frameworks for defining trust elements (e.g., Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team).
- Incorporate visual elements into the manifesto (e.g., drawings, symbols).
- Anonymously collect initial statements to reduce self-censorship.