Trust: The invisible engine of cooperation

Trust. A word that often comes up when we talk about collaboration. But what is trust really, and how does it work within teams? In the latest version of the Scale of Collaboration, trust no longer has its own specific place. That may seem like a striking choice, because surely trust is indispensable for good collaboration? Exactly! And that is precisely why trust is not limited to one position or action card. Trust is woven throughout the scale; it forms the invisible engine of cooperation.

No cooperation without trust

What we see in teams is that a certain amount of trust is always needed to move towards true collaboration. Exactly how much trust is needed varies from person to person, from team to team, and from context to context. For some, trust quickly feels natural, while others only dare to trust after months. And even when trust is present, certain behaviour can quickly diminish it or, on the contrary, increase distrust.

Building trust takes time and energy. But it is not static; it is dynamic and in motion. Trust grows through experience, through openness, and sometimes precisely by facing difficult situations together. And yes, it can also crumble again-through (perceived) opposite goals, misunderstandings, (unspoken) expectations, disappointments, saying yes, doing no, or simply through lack of attention.

The layers of trust

Trust comes in layers. It is not black and white, not 'on' or 'off'. You can trust your colleague as a person, but doubt his expertise. Or you trust someone completely on their expertise, but wonder if they are stress-resistant enough under pressure. And even if you trust a team member in all areas, you may still feel distrust towards the wider context in which you work, the organisational culture, leadership, or external factors such as economic conditions.

This shows that trust takes place at different levels:

Task level: Do I trust you to do your job properly?
Relational level: Do I trust you as a person?
Team level: Do I trust that as a team we support each other, that I can be vulnerable here?
Organisational level: Do I trust the culture, the structure, the direction in which we work? Do I trust the management to make choices that are also going to help me/us?
Context level: Do I trust the wider environment, the market, society, the conditions in which we operate?
Sentence level: market forces versus climate targets.

How does trust arise?

Trust grows by making visible what concerns you. At the "talk to" position within the Scale of Collaboration, this process begins. This is where you share your thoughts, feelings, concerns, and desires. It is still non-committal-you explore and investigate. But this very openness creates a foundation of trust. This is also where you (consider showing) vulnerability. Many people do so only when some trust is already present, but paradoxically, vulnerability often actually produces more trust.

It takes courage to express what is on your mind, to share your concerns and to express your trust in the other person. By doing so, you take things out of the undercurrent and bring clarity. The trust that you can share important things and that there are common goals increases. This may not remove all distrust, but it makes visible where there is work to be done. Step by step, distrust decreases and trust grows in its place.

Distrust: the creeping counterpart

But what happens if we move to the left on the Scale? To "on your own" or further towards "talking about" and "complaining"? This is where mistrust starts to rise. Talking about others, gossiping or complaining can sometimes have a social function-you test your opinion with others, you seek validation. But unconsciously, this behaviour also feeds distrust. Because if I talk to you about Henk, what will you say to Henk about me?

Distrust starts because of several factors, just as trust has layers. Do we have the same goal? Am I being seen? Last time, you also said yes but didn't do it... A choice has to be made and it's no longer 'and' but 'or'... Jealousy, envy, irritation, anger and powerlessness can also strengthen distrust. Nobody is proud of it and yet the door to cooperation is slowly closing....

The further you move to the left on the scale, the more distrust grows. Distrust becomes a prison door, behind which you imprison each other and yourself. Increasing distrust (in your mind) acts as an increasingly difficult door to open. The door to freedom, desire, creativity, to a situation of mutual trust. Distrust increases irritation and traps and locks you in.

The choice between distrust and trust

At the position "on yourself" we often make the choice, sometimes in a split second: do I react from trust or from distrust? Even if there is not enough trust yet, you can choose to act as if there is. This is an active choice:

Do you mainly see the difficulties? Then you are more likely to react from distrust and move further to the left on the scale.
Do you see the possibilities? Then you are more likely to choose behaviour based on trust, and move towards cooperation.

This choice is essential. Confidence is not just something you have, it is something you do.

The key from distrust to trust

Much of our work as team coaches takes place in teams where distrust calls for more attention to a process of being able and willing to trust each other again. And we don't need to tell anyone that trust is more rewarding. The question is, can you reawaken the desire for it. Therein lies the key. The desire to get the job done together. That desire can, because of the damaging behaviour colleagues show towards each other, get lost. Mediators, mediators or a team coach can engage in a process of recovery with those involved and at least explore whether the desire is still there somewhere. An important step then becomes for the conflicting parties to express to each other what the unwanted distrust and resulting actions have done to them.

Trust gives more than it costs

Collaboration requires trust, but it also delivers an awful lot. In fact, this is the most important reason for many people to choose collaboration: it creates a safe, pleasant atmosphere in which you can work, learn, and achieve goals together.

Yes, working together takes effort. You have to invest in relationships, in communication, and sometimes in difficult conversations. But the return on that trust: a strong team, joint successes, a sense of belonging, that is well worth all the effort.

What is the state of confidence in your team?
Where in your collaboration does trust grow?
Where might there be lurking mistrust after all?
And what can you do today to boost confidence in your team?

Because ultimately, trust is the invisible driver of any successful collaboration.