Aesop’s fable of the four oxen hunted by a lion tells of four oxen who stand tail to tail to protect one another, and as a result, the group benefits by being safe and being able to graze. This is because they trusted each another -- and no matter from which angle the lion attacked, he was met with horns. Ultimately, loss of trust led to the foursome splitting up and grazing on their own. Slowly, one by one, the oxen were attacked by the lion and killed. What is the moral of that fable? When united with trust, the group succeeds; and when divided, it fails.
Building Trust
Trust takes time to build, yet only a matter of seconds to destroy. When trust is destroyed, it leads to failure of the small group, just as it did in Aesop’s fable. How do you ensure success in small groups through trust?
Be the leader. No matter your position or role within the company, in relation to the small group, if you prove you are willing to sacrifice a little bit of your time and effort for the benefit of the group, you earn trust. Once that trust is established, members in the small group are more likely to emulate that characteristic and sacrifice some of their time and effort for the group. What is unfortunately more common in most organizations is leaders sacrificing those underneath them for their own, or the company’s, advancement. However, if you are like any of the oxen from the fable and are willing to sacrifice your well-being to protect those behind you, you gain and maintain their trust as long as you continue that trend.
Be yourself. Even if you’ve taken on the role as the small group leader, don’t let that change the way you interact with others. Respect and trust is built around honesty and that starts with being honest with yourself about who you are. If you are clearly trying to be someone you are not, the small group will notice that and not trust you. Trust starts at the top.
Encourage open communication. Open communication is key to everyone in the group trusting each other. Lying is the quickest way to put into question your character and destroy trust within a group. Not only should you never lie, but make sure to let the small group know being truthful is encouraged. If that means there may be negative consequences from telling the truth, make sure they know that you and the group will back them up to make the best out of the situation. Having that safety net from the group will make each member of the small group trust each other more.
Give praise when due. If there is one member of the group that is performing exceptionally well, make sure to point out that hard work and how it positively affects the group. This helps members realize their hard work will be noticed and commended. People enjoy the feeling of accomplishment, feeling appreciated, and being recognized. Those things go a long way in establishing and maintaining trust in a small group
Extra tip: Take the time to get to know each individual in the group on a first name basis rather than just by titles. If you are working in a large company but tasked with a small group project, there may not be much time to learn each person’s name, but showing you care enough to at least try will go a long way in establishing trust and a good working relationship with each of those group members.
At the end of the day, communication is key to building trust within a small group.
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