Building trust within teams is often touted as the bedrock of organizational success, yet it remains a nuanced and challenging endeavor. In a thought-provoking discussion on the Supermanagers Podcast hosted by Fellow.app, Liane Davey shared her perspective on trust and its critical role in effective teamwork, especially in cross-functional settings. Her analogy of trust as a “four-layer cake” provides a structured and actionable framework to foster trust within teams, particularly in today’s increasingly virtual work environments.
Aligning Cross-Functional Teams: The Key to Clarity
One of the recurring challenges in cross-functional teams is alignment—how do you ensure everyone is on the same page when individuals hail from diverse departments with varying goals? Davey emphasized that alignment doesn’t necessarily come from reporting to a single decision-maker. Instead, clarity at the decision-making level is paramount. She outlined the following principles:
- Identify a Clear Decision Owner: For any decision, it should be explicitly clear who owns it. While the team contributes through deliberation and diverse expertise, one person should be responsible for the final call.
- Leverage Dynamic Tension: Cross-functional teams thrive when they bring different perspectives to the table. This dynamic tension fosters healthy deliberation, ensuring that all angles are considered.
- Define the Team’s Purpose: Teams must articulate their unique value—why they exist and what they aim to achieve. This clarity prevents inefficiency and misalignment.
Davey warned against the common mistake of treating cross-functional decision-making as a democratic or consensus-driven process. Instead, teams should focus on creating a forum for robust deliberation while maintaining a clear hierarchy for decision-making.
Trust as a Four-Layer Cake
Trust, according to Davey, is not a monolithic concept but a multi-layered construct. Each layer builds on the other, forming a robust foundation for collaboration and productivity. Here’s how she breaks it down:
Layer 1: Predictability
The base layer of trust lies in the predictability of someone’s behavior. Knowing what to expect from a colleague—even if their behavior is less than ideal—lays the groundwork for trust. Davey suggests fostering this layer through shared experiences:
- Break Bread Together: Shared meals, even virtually, can create a sense of camaraderie. A simple pizza party over Zoom can work wonders in strengthening bonds and making colleagues feel more connected.
- Casual Downtime: Incorporating informal moments into work relationships can reduce barriers and humanize team members, making them more approachable and predictable.
Layer 2: Credibility
The second layer of trust is about competence—can the individual deliver on what they promise? Building credibility requires deliberate efforts to showcase and share capabilities. Davey proposed an innovative exercise to build this layer:
- Pair and Share: Randomly pair employees (from different teams, if possible) and have them discuss:
- Something they’ve recently solved or figured out.
- Something they are currently struggling with.
- Reduced Social Friction: Regular interactions help colleagues become more comfortable seeking help or sharing ideas.
- Cross-Pollination of Knowledge: Conversations often spark ideas, leading to unexpected collaborations or solutions.
- Increased Productivity: Research on this method showed lasting productivity gains, as it fostered mutual respect for each other’s expertise.
Layer 3: Connection
Connection is about finding commonality and building rapport on a personal level. This layer moves beyond the transactional to foster genuine relationships. Activities like storytelling, team-building exercises, or even sharing hobbies can deepen this layer.
Layer 4: Commitment
The final layer is about mutual commitment—knowing that your teammates are invested in the same goals and will act in the group’s best interest. Building this layer involves reinforcing shared values and aligning on priorities. Teams can achieve this through:
- Transparency in Goals: Clearly communicating the team’s mission and progress ensures alignment.
- Celebrating Wins Together: Recognizing and celebrating contributions fosters a sense of shared achievement and commitment.
The Power of Trust in Virtual Teams
In today’s remote and hybrid work environments, trust-building requires even more intentionality. Social friction—caused by a lack of casual, organic interactions—can hinder collaboration and innovation. Davey’s “pair and share” exercise is particularly effective in addressing this issue, as it creates structured opportunities for meaningful connection.
Moreover, virtual teams benefit from rituals that reinforce the four layers of trust:
- Scheduled Informal Check-ins: Regularly carve out time for non-work-related conversations.
- Transparent Communication: Use collaborative tools to ensure everyone has visibility into decisions and progress.
- Celebrate Milestones: Host virtual celebrations to acknowledge team achievements.
Final Thoughts
Trust is not a one-time achievement but a dynamic and layered process that requires ongoing effort. By understanding and cultivating the four layers of trust—predictability, credibility, connection, and commitment—leaders can create environments where cross-functional teams thrive. Liane Davey’s insights offer a roadmap for building trust that not only enhances team dynamics but also drives sustainable productivity.
Whether through breaking bread, structured pair exercises, or fostering open deliberations, the techniques shared by Davey on the Supermanagers Podcast provide practical steps for leaders looking to strengthen their teams in any context. Trust truly is a four-layer cake—let’s start baking!
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