Reading Time: 2 minutes

Team Trust Canvas — How to Create Trust in Your Team

Main Takeaways
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Team Trust Canvas is a variant of the Business Model Canvas. Alexey Pikulev created it as a tool to reflect about trust in teams and team culture. Trust is quantifiable and brings dramatic results to businesses and leaders. The canvas builds upon team values and goals: Clarity, Connection, Compassion, Value, Competency, Commitment, Contribution, Consistency. Alexey Pikulev developed the canvas in line with David Horsager's 8 Pillars of Trust.

Description of Team Trust Canvas

Team Trust Canvas — How to Create Trust in Your Team by my colleague Alexey Pikulev is a facilitation format I use frequently to reflect about trust in teams and team culture. The Team Trust Canvas — How to Create Trust in Your Team is a variant of the Business Model Canvas.

Trust is the cornerstone of every successful relationship. But for many of us, gaining the trust of colleagues, clients, or employees doesn’t come easy. Trust is quantifiable and brings dramatic results to businesses and leaders.

Alexey developed the canvas in line with David Horsager's 8 Pillars of Trust (David Horsager, Trust The Trust Edge). 

 


 

The quadrants of the canvas are filled after some brainstorming on team values and goals:

  • Clarity: People trust the clear and mistrust the ambiguous. — A Team experiences trust when they see transparency and mistrust when things are ambiguous. How shall we build and support the clarity, openness, and transparency? How can we avoid the uncertainty and vagueness?
  • Connection: People want to follow, buy from, and be around friends.  — It is natural for people to follow others and build relationships. How can we connect and engage with each other? How can we improve our relationships and reduce conflicts?
  • Compassion: People put faith in those who care beyond themselves.  — Team members need to care about each other. Are we ready to show concerns? Are we ready to be compassionate?
  • Value: People want to trust those who support their values. — How can we align them?
  • Competency: People have confidence in those who stay fresh, relevant, and capable.  — We have confidence in those who stay fresh, innovative and competent. How do we grow our competency?
  • Commitment: People believe in those who stand through adversity.  — We trust only those who demonstrate a commitment to action. How do we take responsibility and fulfill it?
  • Contribution: People immediately respond to results.  — People are motivated and engaged when they deliver results. People trust results. Is anything getting done? How do our rules and policies promote getting things done? How do our organisation’s culture reward results?
  • Consistency: People love to see the little things done consistently.  — We like to see the things done consistently. Is our trust and confidence rising or falling each Sprint?
  • What else is important for us? — The most important part.

 

Possible brainstorming formats to create the canvas are Lego Serious Play and Prime Directive. Team Chartering with Lego Serious Play.

 

Rules of Team Trust Canvas

Participants

  • The group has less than 15 people.
  • The group listens actively and attentively.
  • Everyone has space to be deeply heard.
  • The group draws each mind map element with consensus after thorough discussions.

When to use Team Trust Canvas

  • Starting a new team.
  • Onboarding new team member.
  • Advanced team alignment.

Facilitator Role

  • Supports the creative process of each person in the group (listening deeply and appreciatively to each contribution).
  • Listens deeply, and creates a space where each participant can be deeply heard.
  • Provides empathy, respect, and support for each participant’s contribution.
  • Values each participant's contribution.

Further Reading


: Alexey Pikulev "In Team We Trust", via flickr.com, .