Trust is a lot like the "Force". You need it for good to triumph over evil, and you can use it for great things (like creating a light-saber). If you've ever been on a team or in a group, you know that trust can be hard to come by. But take it from us: building trust is worth the effort. Here are some ways to get your team trusting each other and working together like they're Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda facing off against Darth Maul.

You get better results when your team trusts and supports each other.

Trust is critical for success, because it's the foundation of a good team. Trust is also the foundation of a good business, culture and life in general. The same can be said for personal relationships as well; trust goes a long way towards keeping those working together happy with each other over the long run.

Start with trust.

Without trust, it's difficult to work well together or build strong relationships. When you find yourself in a situation where there isn't enough trust, you'll notice that things don't go as smoothly as they could. Your team members may be more hesitant to take risks and make decisions because they don't feel completely confident in their colleagues' abilities and judgment (or their own). They may also be more likely to withhold information from one another out of fear that it will be used against them later on. This can lead to missed opportunities for growth within your organization—and possibly even less money coming in through sales or other services provided by your company!

Find a way to build trust.

• Trust is built on honesty, respect, and commitment.

• Trust is built by making good decisions.

• Trust is built by following through on promises.

• Trust is built by asking for help.

• Trust is built by being open and transparent.

Define your "why".

Your "why" can be defined as the reason for your team's existence. It’s what the team is working towards, or where they want to go. It’s why they get up and come to work every day—and it should be something that aligns with your organization's mission statement.

The purpose of defining your “why” is so that when members of a team have questions about their role on the team or how they're contributing, they will be able to answer those questions based on a collective understanding of what the overall goal is by referring back to this one statement.

Make sure that people know what they're accountable for.

You might think that as a manager you know what each of your employees is accountable for. But unless you’ve discussed it with them and confirmed, you are likely not taking full advantage of the team’s potential.

That’s because knowing what someone is accountable for gives them a sense of ownership and pride in their work. It also helps prevent confusion and frustration when they have to make decisions outside their normal duties.

Identify the skills and experiences that you need, and find people who can teach you those things.

The first step to getting the most out of your team is identifying what it is that you want. This can be as simple as “I want my employees to learn how to use our new software,” or as complicated as “I want my employees to gain enough knowledge in customer service so they can handle any complaints we get from customers over the phone.” Once this has been determined, ask yourself: Who on my current team has these qualities? If not, how would I go about finding someone who does?

If there are certain areas where you feel like your current team could use some improvement (or if there are certain areas where they excel), start looking at ways in which existing members of your company might help train others.

We hope that this has given you a brief introduction to the concepts of trust within a professional organization. Trust is a complex and important topic, but we hope that we’ve helped you think about it in fresh ways. The big takeaway from all this should be that trust is not only good for companies and their customers, but it’s also good for employees’ performance and overall health. You don’t have to be an expert on trust right now (that takes time), but if you apply these simple strategies today—and keep building your understanding—you can begin making your company better tomorrow.