Trust and Team Building Techniques: Hold "How's It Going?" Meetings

They announced that John had been hired as a Senior Vice President and that he'd be our new leader.  He had excellent qualifications and he seemed pleasant enough, but we didn't trust him.

The previous leadership team had not done a good job of building trust, and morale was at an all time low. No one spoke openly about it, but everyone was circulating their resume. We were burned out, and skeptical about the company and about John.

In his first week he sat down with each of us. My meeting with John was 16 years ago, and I still remember our conversation.

He asked questions about me.  He sought out my opinions and asked for advice.  He listened.  I talked. I didn't mean to talk or tell him much of anything, but the more he listened the more honest and open I was.

He changed the entire dynamic of the team, that first week and beyond, by simply asking questions and listening to our answers. It seemed a little like a miracle.  None of us left the team that year and business thrived.

He demonstrated the power of listening.

"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was
when one asked what I thought, and attended to my answer."  Thoreau

Most leaders do not do enough listening.

Whether you are a new leader with a new team, or you've been leading your current team for years, one way you can build trust, increase commitment and create more loyalty is to hold "How's It Going?" one-to-one meetings with each team member. 

These meetings, if held regularly can take as little as 15 minutes.  

Team Building Techniques: "How's Going?" Meeting - Sample Questions You Can Ask

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