In a recent class on Team Building that I taught to Army supervisors, this is one of the concepts we discussed. People will fill in the blanks with absence if information.

I remember as a military leader when I took over as the manager of a section in the office, one of the first things I said was give me the news as soon as you know it especially if it’s bad news. I didn’t want bad news or problems to fester and become worse with time, which is usually what happens.

Bad news needs to be shared faster than good news so the problem can be resolved or decisions can be made to course correct. Delaying bad news usually occurs out of fear. If you have trust within your team and know there won’t be repercussions, sharing bad news shouldn’t be as difficult.

Having regular meetings with your team helps build trust so they know where you stand and you know what’s going on. Connection builds trust . How connected are you to your team? As a team member do you feel you can speak up anytime without repercussions? As a leader do you feel your team is good the way it is or needs improvement? As a team member or leader are you part of the problem or part of the solution for success?

A high performing team has a high level of trust and commitment to success. Trust is the foundation and connection builds trust. Connect through regular meetings and getting to know each other on a more personal level.

Mistakes happen. Getting rid of the people usually doesn’t fix the problem unless the leader is the problem and the person being replaced is the leader. Team members usually want to help the team succeed but it takes a good leader to steer the team in the right direction, change direction when things haven’t worked and support the team in a way to enable them to get the job done to your expectations.

The Power is in The Work!