TEAM COMMUNICATION THAT BUILDS TRUST

Help your team bring out the best in each other—by building confidence, supporting growth, and telling the truth with care.

Build Trust Through Communication | Team Training Program

For HR/L&D Leaders: A research-backed communication system with measurable outcomes—and validated by Google, Harvard, and McKinsey research.

For Line Leaders: Your team will leave knowing exactly what to say when someone loses confidence, when honest feedback is needed, or when uncertainty is eroding morale.

For Everyone Navigating Change: When 70% of transformations fail due to communication breakdowns, this program gives teams a shared operating system for the conversations that determine whether change succeeds or stalls.

THE CHALLENGE

Great teams don't just work well together—they bring out the best in each other. They know how to restore a colleague's confidence after a setback, help someone see a challenge differently, and tell each other hard truths without damaging the relationship.

But most workplace relationships stay transactional or pleasantly supportive. We help each other meet deadlines and offer encouragement when things get hard—yet when a colleague loses confidence, needs honest feedback, or is stuck in uncertainty, we don't know what to actually say. And as hybrid work, AI, and constant change intensify, the cost of getting these moments wrong keeps rising.

THE SOLUTION

There's a deeper kind of workplace connection—one where both people are genuinely invested in helping each other grow, stay confident, and remain true to their values. These capacity-building relationships don't happen by accident. They require intention.

This program helps teams deepen their existing connections through three commitments and the specific language to honor them. Developed through research at the University of Pennsylvania and the Center for Positive Leadership, the framework translates the science of trust and human motivation into communication practices teams can use immediately.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The program teaches teams to support each other through the moments that matter most—building confidence, encouraging growth, and speaking truth. Through facilitated practice, participants learn three commitments and the specific language that brings each one to life:

Build each other's confidence. When someone doubts themselves after a setback or loses sight of their capabilities, reflect their strengths back. Participants practice phrases like: "Before you dismiss what you did, let me tell you what I observed..." or "You handled the Wilson account brilliantly—that same capability applies here."

Support each other's growth. When the team faces setbacks, uncertainty, or unfamiliar challenges, reframe difficulty as development. Participants practice phrases like: "What if this challenge is showing us something we needed to see?" or "Let's treat this as an experiment rather than a test we can fail."

Tell each other the truth. When honest feedback is needed, when something important is going unsaid, or when the team is avoiding a hard conversation, say it with care. Participants practice phrases like: "I care about you, so I need to tell you what I'm seeing" or "You asked for honest feedback—here's what I noticed, and I'm telling you because I want you to succeed."

By the program's end, teams have established shared language and explicit agreements about how they'll show up for each other—transforming support from something that happens accidentally into something teams do intentionally.

THREE-PART PROCESS

Part 1: Learn the Commitments Teams explore the three commitments and learn to recognize which moments call for which response—a colleague expressing self-doubt, a team stuck in uncertainty, an unspoken tension building beneath the surface.

Part 2: Practice the Language Through scenario-based exercises, teams rehearse specific phrases until they become natural. This isn't abstract discussion—it's practicing actual words for real situations, with special attention to remote and hybrid contexts.

Part 3: Establish Shared Agreements Teams create explicit commitments to support each other's confidence, growth, and honesty. They develop shared vocabulary for requesting support and norms for how they'll honor these agreements over time.

WHAT TEAMS GAIN

STRONGER TEAM COMMITMENT

When people feel genuinely supported—not just managed—they commit more fully to their team and organization. Better listening and clear communication build the trust that keeps people engaged and invested.

BETTER TEAM PERFORMANCE

Research shows that leaders who express genuine care for team members' success and wellbeing get better quality and quantity of work. These skills turn everyday interactions into performance drivers.

SUSTAINED TRUST DURING UNCERTAINTY

Change and ambiguity erode trust quickly. Teams gain practical skills for honest, open communication when it matters most—keeping relationships strong even when everything around them is shifting.

PROGRAM DELIVERY

This program can be delivered as:

Half-day workshop (3-4 hours) — Introduction to the three commitments with guided practice on specific phrases and scenarios.
Full-day intensive (6-7 hours) — Deep practice with real-world scenarios, peer feedback, and establishing team agreements.
Multi-session series (3-4 sessions over weeks) — Extended learning with real-world application between sessions, allowing teams to practice and refine their shared language over time.

All formats include scenario-based practice exercises, sample language guides, and concrete action planning for sustaining the commitments beyond the program.

Ready to Enhance Your Team’s Trust?