Building Trust among the Team for Project Success is Important

BUILDING TRUST AMONG
THE TEAM FOR PROJECT SUCCESS
IS IMPORTANT

Control your Operations, Tasks and Projects with Ease
Building trust among the team members as well as between
the team members and yourself, as the project manager, is crucial
to the success of the project regardless of its nature,
scope and duration.
www.synquis.com | marketing@synquis.com

Keep in mind that trust, both on the professional and
personal level among the team members and manager, is the
foundation upon which everybody can contribute in an effective,
efficient and productive manner to their overall success.

Indeed, it can be said that successful project management starts
and ends with trust that everybody is performing as expected and
delivering on results as agreed.

With trust in your capacity as project manager, team members
are more likely to ask the right questions, contribute to the
achievements of the right results, and taking the right risks, all in
the interests of pushing the team and its project in the right
direction at the right time.

By cultivating the right environment for productivity, team
members are also more likely to be loyal dedicated and
committed to the team and to the project – and these are the
traits that not even the best project management
software can provide for the team.

Defining Trust

In project management, trust can be defined as the belief
that the person who is being trusted can and will do as agreed
upon and as expected based on the project’s parameters. This
applies to both the project manager and the team members since
each person has specific roles and responsibilities, which
complement the others’ roles and responsibilities as
well as contribute to the whole.

Trust is also crucial in project management in terms of social
influence. According to psychologists, it is easier to persuade and
influence others when trust is present between the influencer
and the target audience. This is true regardless of the ways in
which the trust between the parties was established, such as via
prior work as a team or via introductions as an expert in the field.
Even the perception of competence, compassion and honesty can
establish and strengthen feelings of trust among the team
members and the project manager.

Trust Differentiation

It must be emphasised, too, that the three different
types of trust are just as important in project management as in
personal relationships.

Trust implies vulnerability to someone’s decisions and actions.
Project managers and their team members expose themselves in
so many ways, such as their personal reputation and their
professional advancement, when they entrust certain decisions
and actions to others.

This is especially true in high-risk, high-cost projects where
decisions outside of the realm of the project management
software should be made by any of the team members that, in
turn, will affect the entire team’s performance.

Trust implies the ability to inspire positive expectations
and actions from others. Keep in mind that project management
practitioners are required to inspire and motivate their followers
and colleagues – and trust is a crucial part of social influence,
as previously mentioned.

Trust is the propensity or ability to rely on other people.
Such reliance means being able to trust that the other person is
dependable and, thus, will deliver on the expected results.

As with personal relationships, people who are involved
in project management know that there is a clear delineation
between building and destroying trust. When one form of trust is
lost in any manner, then it can be very difficult to regain and then
retain. Indeed, being, looking and acting trustworthy are a must
for maintaining the desired trust level so much so that missing
out on one aspect can jeopardize everything else.

Trust has deeper implications in organisational settings, too.
Social scientists, not to mention your common sense borne of
experience in project management, say that trust has a positive
influence on the perceptions, performances and behaviours of a
person or a group of persons.

For example, a single team member may not have full trust in a
project manager’s capacity to lead the team to success such that
he refuses, subtly or deliberately, to contribute to its overall
success.

Furthermore, trust and integrity in the organisation
has a circular relationship.

When you believe that the team has fair policies and
practices, you are more likely to trust in the team including its
members and leaders. When you have trust, you will likely
promote integrity in your team.
Think about it:

Project managers must build, maintain and strengthen trust
among his team members for their overall success. When there
are issues with trust, these should be identified and addressed
before these undermine the team’s success in the future and, as
a consequence, the personal and professional lives of the team
members including the leader.
The bottom line:

Benefits of Building Trust for
Project Success

Here are the specific benefits that project management leaders
can reap with their ability to build, maintain and strengthen trust
within the team, even with people outside of the team like the
client, vendors and stakeholders in the project.

Team members who trust their peers and leaders are more likely
to focus on their jobs without the distractions of petty arguments
and the like, thus, resulting in higher productivity. Such trust also
allows them to work well on their jobs while comfortable in the
knowledge that their teammates will deliver on their jobs, too.
Higher productivity

Even when emergencies arise and the expected deliverables are
not delivered, the team members pitch in based on their mutual
trust. With higher productivity come higher chances for project
management success!

Successful project teams communicate well not just with
each other but with their sponsors, vendors and stakeholders.
When trust is present, they are more likely to share information
willingly, to help other immediately, and to address issues
effectively, all of which contribute to their overall success.
Better communication

Even the best project management software with its
advanced communication technology will be insufficient for
successful communication when trust is absent.

Trust also enables the team members to innovate, even to take
risks and exploit opportunities, which contribute to the team’s
overall success. We all know the importance of innovation in our
fast-changing world.
Greater innovation

Other benefits of trust in project management include better
accountability, transparency and personal relationships. Start
building trust now!

Synquis - Project Management Software
Address: Level 12, 530 Little Collins Street,
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Website: www.synquis.com
Email: marketing@synquis.com
(03) 9005 4286
Thank You!

Building Trust among the Team for Project Success is Important

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Building Trust among the Team for Project Success is Important