I recently started reading “The Advantage” by Patrick Lencioni. Lencioni discusses the necessary foundation, and building blocks to achieving a healthy organization. He talks about four major components to making organizational health part of the reader’s corporate environment:
- Build a Cohesive Leadership Team
- Create Clarity
- Over communicate Clarity
- Reinforce Clarity
If we just focus on step one, building a cohesive leadership team, Lencioni talks about 5 behaviors needed and tasks to focus on which are:
- Building Trust
- Mastering Conflict
- Achieving Commitment
- Embracing Accountability
- Focusing on Results
Trust is defined as firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. Most organizations say, or think they have trust in one another, but really dig deep. Lencioni talks about vulnerability-based trust, which happens when team members are so transparent, so raw and say things such as “I made a mistake,” or “I need help.” When people feel so comfortable with another to completely let their guard down and speak freely that is when trust is built.
In order for people to be completely open with one another they must get to know each other on a different level. An exercise is recommended by Lencioni to achieve vulnerability-based trust. He instructs that each individual tells the group about themselves. Here are a few questions he recommends:
- Where are you born?
- How many siblings do you have? Where do you fall in the order of children?
- What was the most interesting or difficult challenge for you as a child?
This is where the magic happens. Each person will find out something new about the other and a new found respect will arise. This time also allows for each member to be truly vulnerable and experience comfort while being vulnerable.
