Strategies for building trust

Groups can build trust through many different avenues. Here we highlight the use of icebreakers and celebrating accomplishments.

Icebreakers

Learning about each other can be one of the most rewarding parts of working with others. For example, beginning to know whether people prefer tea, coffee, water, or wine can begin to establish trust and safety with both being different and sharing differences. An effective way to do this in formal meetings is to start every meeting with an “icebreaker.” These are intended to get people talking but have an even more important benefit of helping community members get to know each other.

Celebrating accomplishments

As groups of people work towards common goals, they often break them down into smaller tasks. To build trust and enthusiasm, these can be acknowledged and celebrated. For example, if a young person suggests they could speak with the school principal about hosting a table at the career fair for disability services, celebrate this accomplishment when the person reports back to the group. You can also create less formal opportunities for celebrating, like going to the local coffee shop after the end of an Independent Living Skills Training.