Yes, I’ll double down. Your aversion to building systems is eroding the trust you desperately want your team to have in you.

Recently I've had several conversations with managers across industry and organization types and one of the key throughlines across all of those different people was that consistency was the only way they could build true teams that were built on trust and could depend on one another.

Imagine you're a new employee joining a team that has never really had any consistency.

There's a standing meeting once a week, but that conversation has no structure, has no consistent facilitator, no agenda sent beforehand, no clear expectations on how to contribute. Your new manager sends messages every once in a while, mostly to check in or follow up on a deadline, but has no consistent touchbases. You're supposed to have one-on-ones bi-weekly, but they consistently cancel them or come to the meetings unprepared to support your needs. When you talk to team members about ways to meaningfully contribute and move your work forward, you hear the same refrain consistently … “just ask if you need support, everyone's down to help” and this of course only frustrates you more.

Ask yourself, do you really think you would be engaged on this team? Would you trust the team to help move projects forward? Would you believe your manager is in your corner, or even understand your work well enough to advocate for the things you need?

Systems are not always elaborate, deeply technical things. More often, they are consistent rituals helping your team understand what to expect from the manager and every single member of the team.

The systems can include, but are not limited to:

Meeting agendas sent minimum 24 hours prior to stand up calls
Pulse surveys you simply send to your team once a week to check in
One on one agenda templates that focus on priorities, roadblocks, and decisions to be made
Biweekly feedback sessions at the top of each one-on-one meeting
A consistent facilitator or rotation of facilitators for standing meetings

Let's put ourselves back in the scenario, but with systems, ritual, and consistency in mind.

You check your calendar and see there is a standing meeting once a week. In this though, the agenda is sent ahead of time so you're prepared to discuss the various items prior to the call. Also, your manager has already sent a message letting you know how folks contribute during the standing meeting and who will be the facilitator for the call. Additionally, at the start of every week, your manager sends you three simple questions, giving the opportunity to share where the work feels good, where you need support, and what you need to prioritize this week. For your weekly one-on-ones, there is a set agenda which includes an opportunity to share and receive feedback. Additionally, you come prepared to talk about your big rocks for the week, deeper questions you need to dive into with your manager, and clear next steps for the week.

I would bet all the money in my left pocket (surprise it is 3 quarters my son gave me) you would feel so much more trust in this team. You would lean into the consistency, knowing what to expect of your peers and your peers knowing what to expect from you. There's no hidden assumptions, and if something doesn't feel like it's working, there's a clear pathway to share that feedback. Just as important, you also trust the feedback is going to be actionized across the team.

So I'll triple down.

Your lack of systems is killing the trust your team wants to have. The only question is are you willing to put in a little extra effort to create the conditions for trust your team desperately needs?

Qy’Darrius (Q) McEachern

Author

Great employees get promoted to be managers everyday, but most are never taught how to manage people. We help managers feel more confident and be better equipped to manage their teams.

Your Lack of Systems is KILLING Your Team’s Trust