Integrating trust-building practices from high-performing teams
Harvard Business Review recently published an article titled ‘How High-Performing Teams Build Trust’ (January 2024). The article highlights the critical role of trust in achieving high performance within teams. That reinforces what we’ve always believed at Beanmachine: building trust within a team is a cornerstone of success.
That is one of the reasons why, every quarter, we organize our BOB-day (‘Best of Beans’): not only to celebrate the unique values that define our corporate culture, but also to cement the foundation of trust that fuels us to perform.
Community spirit and psychological safety
Our BOB-days often begin with a ritual that sets the tone for openness and connection: this time, we used the ‘Four Batteries’ method. This practice, akin to Friedman’s emphasis on transparency and communication, fosters a sense of psychological safety among participants. By sharing our emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual energy levels, we create an environment where vulnerability is not just accepted but valued. This mirrors the high-performing teams’ tendency to keep colleagues in the loop, ensuring everyone feels included and valued.
Proactive collaboration through 'deep dives'
The deep dive sessions into our intervention formats, resonate with the proactive approach to collaboration identified as a hallmark of high-performing teams. By scrutinizing and refining our methods collectively, we not only enhance our effectiveness but also embody the principle of not leaving collaboration to chance.
Continuous learning and innovation
The insatiable hunger for learning and inspiring each other, a core aspect of our BOB-days, aligns with the growth mindset characteristic of high-performing teams. The brainstorming sessions on themes like Inclusion, Feedback, and Empowerment & Ownership are testament to our commitment to continuous improvement and relevance in our interventions. This dedication to innovation and effectiveness is a direct application of the principle that high-performing teams proactively address tension and seek to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
Sharing success and empowerment
The ‘free podium’ segment of the last BOB-Day, where Beans shared new ideas and practices, embodies the high-performing teams’ behavior of sharing credit. By recognizing and celebrating each other’s contributions, we not only acknowledge individual efforts but also reinforce the collective success of our team. This practice promotes a culture of reciprocity and appreciation, key components in building trust among team members
Embodying trust: the Embodiment workshop with Bean Stien
A unique and vital part of our recent BOB-day was the embodiment workshop facilitated by Bean Stien. This session dove deep into the connection between physical presence and psychological safety. Stien’s workshop guided us through poses and techniques that not only helped us ‘center’ ourselves but also reinforced our ability to assertively say ‘YES’ and ‘NO’. This physical engagement is crucial in creating an environment where trust is not just an intellectual concept but an experienced reality.
In these embodiment exercises, we explored how our physicality can influence and reflect our mental and emotional states, providing a powerful tool for personal and team development. It’s a perfect illustration of the ‘ART’ method — Action, Reflection, Theory — that we at Beanmachine consider integral to our interventions. By including our bodies in the learning process, we opened up new avenues for trust to flourish, grounded in the shared experience and vulnerability of our physical expressions.
Embracing diversity and flexibility
The inclusion of diverse activities, from embodiment sessions to improvisation exercises, underlines the importance of flexibility and adaptability, qualities essential for high-performing teams. By engaging in a variety of experiences, we learn to navigate disagreements constructively and embrace different perspectives, thereby enhancing our collective decision-making and problem-solving capabilities.
In conclusion, BOB-Days at Beanmachine are not just a celebration of our unique culture but a practical manifestation of the principles that underpin high-performing teams. Through community building, proactive collaboration, continuous learning, sharing successes, and embracing diversity, BOB-Days contribute significantly to fostering an environment of trust and excellence. As we look forward to future BOB-Days, we remain committed to embodying these principles, ensuring that Beanmachine continues to thrive as a place where innovation, connection, and progress flourish.
Curious what our BOB-days look like? You can read all about one of them in our Beanzine!
