Want to Build a High-Performance Team? Start with Trust.
Right from the start, we thought if we could create the category of B2B ecommerce, Ariba could be a rocket ship. But, one quarter, early on, some big deals got delayed, and our team started getting anxious. Instead of working together to come up with solutions, everyone started pulling in different directions. To me, this pressure situation was a clear symptom of a lack of trust, and I knew we needed to do something about it.
Related: You Have to Trust Everyone You Work With — Including the Ones You Don’t Like
Why is trust so important?
Without trust, your “team” isn’t really a team at all. You might have some great performers, but if they’re working at cross purposes, you’ll never win. Customers can see if you’re not pulling together, too. When they don’t see trust and teamwork in your organization, you can bet they’re not going to be your customer very long.
Many companies struggle with this. Ernst & Young recently conducted an international survey on trust and found that globally, less than half of workers say they have “a great deal of trust” in employers, bosses or colleagues.
