- 1). Establish an open communication policy. The less gossipy and cloak and dagger it is, the better. Even if mistakes are made, it's better to be forthcoming about it, as opposed to being spiteful, angry or judgmental. Encourage everyone to work together --- even through mistakes --- to make the team better.
- 2). Trust the other person next to you. It might be hard at first, but the attitude of "I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to" must be the letter of the law. Once you do this, it'll be easier for the other to reciprocate and in turn trust you. If you don't easily trust your fellow team member, it fosters an air of suspicion that will make it hard to develop trust in the group as a whole.
- 3). Avoid complete blind faith in each other. This might seem counterintuitive to what you're trying to do as a team --- build trust --- but it's important to make sure that certain parameters are set. For example, everyone must be trained to do their job properly. If not, even the best intentions can prove fruitless. Plus, if someone engages in a questionable decision, you can still offer your constructive criticism and still trust their overall intentions.
- 4). Embrace the common goal. If everyone knows that the other is striving for the same thing and has the right training, then you can rest assured that there are no personal agendas or axes to grind. For example, if you don't quite understand a particular action taken by a team member, you will still know that he meant well.