It’s caused me to pause and consider what makes a relationship work? Not just in marriage but in any relationship. What is the key to creating strong bonds of teamwork? How can leaders support their teams best? What does a team require to be successful?

Wise words from my customer

One customer of mine shared that he and his wife were celebrating 36 years of marriage this year. “Wow! That’s amazing. Congratulations! If I were to ask you for the secrets to a long and happy marriage, what would you give me?”

He thought for a moment and replied, “You need two things and the first is the most critical. Trust. You need to trust each other. Without trust, everything else will start to erode.” It wasn’t just simple advice… it was truth. I not only knew it, but I felt it.

Trust…

Without trust you couldn’t have love in that marriage. Not a real love that lasts as long as his has.

My wife and I just got an invitation today from another couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I have no doubt they’d agree with my customer. It all starts with a foundation of trust.

Leaders, pay attention here!

Leaders… pay attention because this isn’t a blog post about marriage. All strong relationships are built on a foundation of trust.

Build trust between the members of the team, between you and your team, and between your team and the greater organization (Sr. Management). As Stephen M. R. Covey says in his book, The Speed of Trust – The one thing that changes everything, “When trust goes up, speed goes up, and costs go down.”

Back to my customer conversation…

I thanked him for the advice and then I asked, “But what about the 2nd element you need?”

He smiled back at me and with a bit of a Jolly-Ol’-Saint-Nick type of wink he added, “Play more!”

Leaders… did you hear that one too?

Celebrate with your team. Give the team time to play. Don’t forget to join in the fun too. These aren’t rocket-science ideas here. These are simple truths to help you build a solid foundation with your team. Trust and having some fun can create highly productive and long-lasting teams built to perform!

What are you going to do this week to build trust and have fun with your team?

See you next week,

Russ

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iSpeak teaches workshops to help leaders put a voice to their vision. It’s about connecting with an audience and giving them what they came for.

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. His leadership blog assists leaders in giving voice to their vision. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.