Case Study: Trusting Someone You Can't See (Robbins, 2019)

One of the greatest determinants of a successful team is trust. In order for a team to be successful, employees must trust that their team members are reliable and capable. They have to have faith that their teammates will work towards the goals of the team, rather than their own goals. Trust can be built in teams by creating an environment where team members are not scared to admit that they have made a mistake and feel comfortable providing their input rather than agreeing with the team leader or assertive team members. Building trust among teammates is important, but what if you never see your teammates?

Trust is especially important but also more difficult to build in virtual teams. In a recent review of 52 independent studies, researchers found that the link between trust and team performance is stronger for virtual teams than face-to-face teams! According to the same review, managers can counteract some of the negative effects of low trust in virtual teams by carefully documenting team interactions. This practice shows that team members will be held accountable for the work they do in virtual teams, as well as make sure that team members will be recognized for their contributions.

Compensating for a lack of trust may only be a band-aid for a larger problem, as trust is one of the most important factors in determining team effectiveness. Another review for 112 separate studies found that trust was one of the strongest predictors of team performance, regardless of the team members past performance, or trust in the team's manager. The same researchers found that trust may be especially important in teams with varied skill sets or interdependent roles. Trust is also just as important for short-term teams, as team members do not have the same adjustment period to learn more about their teammates before having faith that they will contribute to team goals.

a) Recall a time when you felt like you could not trust members on your team. Why did you feel that way? How did that affect the team's performance?

b) Can you think of other strategies that can help build trust among virtual team members?

c) Imagine you are a manager at a national corporation. You have been asked to select employees for a virtual problem-solving team. What types of employees would you include and why?