Building Trust In Your Team

This seems really relevant right now as I've had at least four conversations recently with people that are struggling to build trust within their organization and between team members. And trust is one of the foundational elements of every successful construction business. When your team trusts you as the business owner and each other, you see fewer mistakes, stronger collaboration, and a higher level of accountability and productivity. However, when trust is lacking, you face delays, miscommunication, high turnover, and a disengaged workforce, ultimately costing you money.

And building trust isn't easy, especially as the business owner or CEO. Certainly not as easy as I expected it to be when I started learning what it looked like to become a better leader. I saw how I could do things differently, empowering my team, delegating responsibility, providing accountability, yet it was hard to have them take advantage of the opportunities I thought I was giving them. And when trust was lacking between my team members, every job suffered and I heard all about it with complaining and finger pointing - drove me bonkers!

It took a lot of effort to identify the issues and even more effort to address them. And the truth is, as the leader it took me more time and energy to figure things out than it otherwise would have if both sides of the equation weren't so emotionally invested in the outcome. This is where bringing in an outside resource can be really helpful to build a culture of trust that results in better performance and higher profitability.

The Cost of a Lack of Trust

A lack of trust in your team can show up in several ways, all of which can cost your business time and money:

1. Poor communication: Teams that don’t trust each other (or the leaders) often withhold information leading to misunderstandings, mistakes, and rework. It always amazes me how much rework is needed and the fact that many contractors account for it in their budgets. Why not invest that into measures that will reduce the need for the rework?

2. Low morale & high turnover: If employees don’t feel valued or safe in their roles, they disengage. A toxic environment leads to high turnover, which in turn increases hiring and training costs. It only takes one bad apple to ruin everything you've built, be intentional about who is on your team.

3. Micromanagement & inefficiency: Having your hands in every decision and every communication is too much and is unsustainable. Without trust, managers tend to micromanage, slowing down work and frustrating skilled employees who want autonomy.

4. Inconsistent quality & safety risks: Without trust people may start to cut corners, ignore safety protocols, or fail to report issues, leading to costly defects or creating dangerous conditions on the job.

5. Resistance to change: It was when I started implementing SOP's that I saw the biggest challenges. I just thought it was because I was introducing something new and the team needed time to adapt. However, when you try to implement new systems or policies without a foundation of trust, employees push back, fearing the changes will make their jobs harder or put their positions at risk.

These challenges are incredibly frustrating and barriers to scaling your business. If you want to take your company from chaos to controlled growth, trust must become a non-negotiable part of your culture.

The Unique Advantage of Outsourcing to Build Trust

An outside perspective on your operations and leadership is always an eye-opening experience. I love it when I can shine a light in the shadows of people's business. You can't see the frame from inside the picture. In the case of building trust, bringing in a fractional COO is both a cost-effective leadership solution and they bring unique problem-solving benefits because they operate in an objective capacity. Here’s how that makes a difference when it comes to building trust:

1. An Outside Perspective

As an outsider, a fractional COO is not caught up in company politics, past conflicts, or ingrained habits. This allows them to:

• Identify trust issues more objectively without biases or personal attachments.

• Recognize cultural problems that internal leadership might be too close to see.

• Bring fresh ideas from other businesses to build trust in innovative ways.

2. Objective, Unbiased Leadership

When internal leaders attempt to rebuild trust, their efforts may be met with skepticism or resistance, especially if past decisions excluded key team members or eroded confidence. A fractional leader:

• Is not perceived as having a personal agenda or favouritism.

• Can deliver hard truths without the fear of job security being tied to company politics.

• Acts as a neutral mediator in conflicts, helping resolve issues fairly.

3. Focused, High-Impact Engagement

Because a fractional COO is not embedded in daily operations full-time, they focus on high-leverage activities. This means:

• No wasted time on busywork or company drama. Every hour they spend is toward improvement.

• They can quickly diagnose trust gaps and implement targeted solutions rather than slowly adjusting over time.

• Their involvement creates urgency for change without overwhelming the existing team.

4. Bridging Leadership and Field Teams

One of the biggest challenges I have seen in our industry is the disconnect between office leadership and field teams. A fractional COO:

• Engages with both office and field staff without being seen as ‘one of them’, providing the opportunity for creating balanced solutions.

• Builds trust from the ground up by addressing concerns on both sides without taking sides.

• Ensures executive-level decisions align with field realities, reducing the disconnect that often causes friction.

5. Speed and Adaptability

Unlike full-time executives who may take months to navigate internal dynamics, a fractional leader:

• Moves quickly to implement changes, as they are not burdened by long-term bureaucratic delays.

• Can adapt strategies on the fly, experimenting with trust-building strategies and adjusting based on real-time feedback.

• Leaves behind systems and frameworks that sustain trust long after their engagement ends.

The Long-Term Benefits of a Trust-Based Team

Building trust is an ongoing commitment. However, when trust becomes a pillar of your how you do business, the results are undeniable:

• Increased employee retention: people want to work in environments where they feel respected and supported.

• Higher productivity & efficiency: trust leads to better collaboration, fewer errors, and improved job performance.

• Better client relationships: a connected, trust-based team delivers higher-quality work and communicates better with clients, leading to stronger referrals and repeat business.

• Faster growth & scalability: when your team trusts the systems, leadership, and each other, your business can scale without constant firefighting or drama management.

Ready to Build a High-Trust, High-Performance Team?

If your construction business is struggling with team dynamics, inefficiencies, or turnover, bringing in a fractional COO could be the strategic move you need. Instead of trying to fix everything yourself, let an expert guide your team, implement the right systems, and foster the trust needed to take your business to the next level. It is more difficult to fix a problem when you may be perceived as part of the problem...

Are you ready to lead a team that operates with confidence, accountability, and trust? If so, let’s talk about how I can help you get there.