Beyond Shared Calendars: Florence Divet ☀️ on Building High-Trust Teams

In a recent LinkedIn post, Florence Divet ☀️ offers a sharp critique of common workplace dynamics, distinguishing between merely working together and forming a genuine team. Florence Divet ☀️ argues that many organizations mistakenly equate shared tasks and schedules with true team cohesion, overlooking the foundational elements of trust, respect, and care.

As Florence Divet ☀️ highlights, the focus often remains on visible structures rather than the intangible qualities that foster psychological safety and effective collaboration:

“Most workplaces get this backwards. They optimise the visible stuff: Organisation charts. KPIs. Rituals. RACI docs.”

This overemphasis on superficial metrics, Florence Divet ☀️ explains, can lead to environments where collaboration feels arduous, politically charged, or simply draining. The author points to several tell-tale signs of low-trust environments:

The Hallmarks of Low-Trust Teams

Florence Divet ☀️ outlines a series of behaviors that indicate a deficit in trust within a team. These are not necessarily indicators of poor performance, but rather symptoms of underlying trust issues. According to Florence Divet ☀️, these include:

• Silence when obvious problems exist.
• Excessive caution, such as double-checking emails before sending.
• Apparent agreement in meetings followed by private complaints.
• Indirect feedback delivery.
• A pervasive “I’ll handle it myself” attitude.

“That’s not a performance issue. It’s a trust issue,” Florence Divet ☀️ states unequivocally, emphasizing that addressing the root cause requires a focus on building trust.

Cultivating High-Trust Environments

Conversely, Florence Divet ☀️ describes how high-trust teams operate differently, even when performing mundane tasks. These teams foster an environment where individuals feel secure enough to be vulnerable and constructive.

Characteristics of High-Trust Dynamics

Florence Divet ☀️ lists key practices observed in high-trust settings:

“They assume positive intent until proved wrong. They challenge ideas without attacking or humiliating people. They admit “I don’t know” without losing status. They surface mistakes early, not perfectly. They care enough to have the awkward chat.”

These actions, Florence Divet ☀️ suggests, are not about working harder but about creating a sense of safety that enables better performance and well-being. The author stresses that trust is not built through one-off interventions like workshops.

Actionable Steps for Leaders

To encourage the development of trust, Florence Divet ☀️ proposes concrete, small actions leaders can take weekly. These are designed to foster openness and psychological safety:

1. Ask a question where the leader genuinely doesn’t know the answer.
2. Share a mistake made and how it was handled, without making excuses.
3. Publicly acknowledge someone who offered a dissenting opinion and explain how their feedback led to a change.

“Trust isn’t built in workshops. It’s built in tiny, everyday moments,” Florence Divet ☀️ concludes. The post serves as a reminder that no amount of superficial teamwork can substitute for a foundation of genuine trust. Florence Divet ☀️ encourages leaders to reflect on these insights, particularly when a team may appear aligned but feels subtly tense.