Transforming Teams

Chapter 17

Unpacking Baggage and Restoring Trust

Eliza watched as her sales and customer service groups evolved quickly into a close, well-functioning team. She delighted in observing employees clarifying their conditions of satisfaction, presenting their concerns in order to avoid fake consensus, and holding each other accountable. The team was working well. But Eliza also knew that holding onto these new tools would still be difficult once a little time passed and the stress of the busy season kicked in. She waited to see how things would evolve in that pressure cooker. She didn’t have to wait long.

About three weeks after the workshop on trust and collaboration, Dave was in Eliza’s office, angry and frustrated.

“I just came from Kirby’s ...