Building A High-Performing Team: Creating A Culture of Trust and Collaboration

A strong and cohesive team can be the difference between a business that thrives and one that falters. Building that kind of team doesn’t happen by accident—it stems from a deliberate focus on fostering trust, open communication, and a supportive environment. While these strategies are essential for any team to succeed, they’re also a powerful, long-term recruitment strategy. When potential hires see a company culture built on trust and collaboration, they naturally aspire to be part of it.

The Importance of Building Trust

Trust is the foundation of any high-performing team. Without trust, efficiency, creativity, and morale are all compromised. For leaders, fostering trust means going beyond day-to-day operations and creating an environment where employees feel valued, safe, and confident in one another.

How Trust Fuels Team Collaboration

When individuals trust their teammates and leaders, they are more likely to:

• Share ideas and innovate without fear of judgment.
• Collaborate openly and support one another to solve challenges.
• Depend on their peers to fulfill their responsibilities—allowing for less micromanagement and more autonomy.

When we made the decision to remain fully remote, we did so because we had built that trust with the team. We clearly communicated our expectations of the team regarding their work, everything from schedule to output, and this gives them ownership and accountability of their assignments.

Steps To Build and Maintain Trust

1. Lead with transparency: Share the “why” behind decisions, even tough ones. When leaders are open about their thought processes, employees feel included.
2. Deliver on promises: Employees trust leaders who follow through with what they say they’ll do. Communicate what you’re going to do and when they can expect it.
3. Admit mistakes: A team will forgive missteps more easily when a leader owns up to them. It also models accountability across the team.

Fostering Open Communication

A culture of collaboration thrives on open and effective communication. Teams that communicate well don’t just avoid missteps; they also work smarter together by ensuring everyone feels heard. A common rut that companies get stuck in is that the HiPPO (highest paid person’s opinion) gets the final say. This stifles growth, creativity and your team’s sense of self-worth.

As the co-owner of Top Floor, I understand that what I say in a meeting holds a lot of weight. There needs to be a conscious effort from leadership to ensure that you don’t dominate conversations, overrule others, or publicly criticize those that are participating. As leaders you set the tone for how comfortable the entire team is with voicing their opinions. Here are some other tips for encouraging open communication:

1. Assign roles in meetings: In addition to having an agenda, assign roles to attendees. Standard tasks like recordkeeper and facilitator, but also mix-in something like objector – someone who’s job it is to take the “Devil’s Advocate” role to bring up the opposite side of a suggestion. This will foster discussion and encourage people to think outside of their comfort zone.
2. Invest in communication tools: Platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams streamline collaboration. I’d recommend having guidelines for where conversations should take place so important updates don’t get lost.
3. Regular feedback: Consider implementing monthly 1-on1s where your team can discuss their progress, roadblocks, and goals. I find that these are most effective when they’re driven by the team member, otherwise it can feel like I’m micromanaging them and trying to get status updates on projects.

Creating a Supportive Environment

Beyond trust and communication, a supportive environment makes employees feel valued and invested in their work. This is also the most subjective of the three elements. To me, a supportive work environment accomplishes the following things:

• Allows someone to learn and grow
• Recognizes good work
• Realizes these are people and have lives outside of work

Supporting Growth and Development

Employees who see opportunities to grow within your organization are more likely to remain engaged and loyal. There’s a number of ways to do this but here are a few that have worked for us:

1. Provide learning opportunities: Offer access to online courses, mentoring programs, or conference tickets relevant to employees’ career goals.
2. On-the-job training: If there is a skill/job/task that is on a team member’s growth plan and you have that work available, give them a chance to learn it on the job.
3. Offer clear career paths: Make it clear how employees can move up within the organization. Transparency about promotions and criteria drives motivation.

Recognition and Celebration

Celebrating wins—no matter how small—goes a long way in cultivating a supportive workplace. It’s not just about bonuses or gifts, but also thoughtful moments of acknowledgment.

A handwritten note from a manager, a shoutout in a team meeting, or a dedicated Slack channel for employee recognition can communicate appreciation in deeply effective ways. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that not everyone likes to be recognized the same way, so I make it a point to ask in my 1-on-1s if they like a public shoutout or a private message. You don’t want a kind act to backfire and have the opposite effect.

Work-Life Balance

I understand that people are “paid to do a job” but they’re also people, not robots. Taking the time to support your team as more than just workers can go a long way to building a supportive culture. Work-life balance looks different from company to company but here are some options to think about:

• Enforce flexible working hours or offer remote work options if possible
• Lead by example; refrain from sending emails late at night or on weekends
• Make vacation time sacred—encourage employees to fully unplug when they take time off

The Long-Term Recruiting Advantage

Creating a culture of trust and collaboration isn’t an overnight win, but it isn’t just a “nice to have” either. It’s one of the most effective recruitment strategies your business can adopt.

When your team feels empowered, engaged, and supported, they can’t help but talk about it—whether to industry contacts, on social media, or in casual conversations with their network. Word of mouth marketing, combined with visible teamwork and active advocacy, ensures that prospective hires see your organization as somewhere they can thrive.

Additionally, showcasing your culture through company events, social media posts, or even employee testimonials on your website paints a vivid picture of who your company is—and why they should want to be part of it.

Build Trust, Build Your Team

High-performing teams don’t develop accidentally; they’re the result of intentional leadership and clearly defined values. By focusing on trust, fostering open communication, and creating a supportive workplace, you can not only unlock your team’s potential but also lay the groundwork for a truly remarkable recruiting engine.

Make an investment in your culture today, and you’ll reap the rewards of a team that aspire to be there for the long haul.