What do you do if your team doesn't trust you as a product manager?

"Leading a team that doesn't trust you is like captaining a ship where the crew won't sail." Here's how to navigate the storm: 1. Communicate Openly: Be transparent about decisions and reasoning. 2. Listen Actively: Show genuine interest in their ideas and concerns. 3. Deliver on Promises: Consistently follow through on commitments. 4. Share Success: Credit the team for victories, big and small. 5. Admit Mistakes: Own up to errors; it humanizes you and builds credibility. 6. Seek Feedback: Regularly ask how you can improve. 7. Involve Them: Include the team in decision-making processes. Rebuilding trust is a voyage, not a sprint; commit to these practices to turn the tide.

I proactively engaged in one-on-one conversations to better understand the new team's concerns in response to their expressed doubt. By recognizing previous errors and articulating my vision, we collaboratively created a plan, integrating their perspectives. This method not only resolved any confusion but also promoted a cooperative environment. Lesson: Establishing trust begins with authentic, active listening and empathy. By recognizing and addressing the concerns of your team and actively including them in the process of making decisions, you establish a basis for mutual respect and cooperation, which is crucial for effectively overcoming obstacles as a team.

Rebuilding trust takes time, effort, and consistency. Be patient and persistent in your efforts to demonstrate your commitment to your team and your willingness to grow and improve as a leader. By focusing on open communication, empathy, reliability, and collaboration, you can gradually restore trust and create a positive and productive working relationship with your team. Below are some steps to try: - Reflect on the reasons for the lack of trust - Communicate openly and transparently - Listen actively and empathetically - Follow through on your commitments (lead by example) - Involve the team in decision-making - Provide support and resources - Celebrate successes and learn from failures - Seek guidance and support

In my experience, if my team doesn't trust me as a PM, I would first seek to understand the underlying reasons for it. Say, perhaps there have been instances where my communication wasn't as transparent as it should have been, leading to doubts about my intentions. By engaging in open dialogue & actively listening to their concerns, I can uncover these issues & work towards addressing them. Transparency, consistency, & a genuine desire to build trust are paramount. I would strive to show my commitment by delivering on promises, acknowledging mistakes, & involving team in decision-making processes. Through empathy & a willingness to adapt, I believe we can foster a culture of trust & collaboration where everyone feels valued & supported.

Something that can make a big difference here is the team's previous experience with Product Managers. Every PM is different, just as every PM role is different, and not every org or team even has PMS - which means some engineers have either no experience with PMs, or have preconceived ideas of PMs which may not mesh well with the current situation.

Implementing a no-surprises policy and holding biweekly open meetings improved the atmosphere. Initially, some team members were hesitant, but as they saw their feedback influence decisions, trust steadily grew. Sharing achievements and setbacks openly made a difference. Insight: Genuine transparency can help address trust barriers. Regular, open forums for feedback and decision-making reflections demonstrate to your team that their opinions matter, fostering a culture of mutual respect and shared responsibility.

Once you've pinpointed the root problems, open up the lines of communication with your team. Lay out your plans, admit any slip-ups, and show them you're dedicated to making things better. Keep them in the loop with regular updates, proving you value their insights and are actively working on solutions. Encourage everyone to speak up, ensuring their voices are heard. This transparency builds trust and strengthens collaboration within the team.

Ugh, that's a drag. Listen, trust is key with your team. If they're giving you the side-eye, let's fix it. First, gotta figure out why. Did you miss a deadline? Change plans too much? Be honest, open and clear about what's going on. Show them you hear their concerns and want to work together. Then, back it up with actions. Be reliable, keep your word, and explain the "why" behind decisions. Empower them too! Let them share ideas and feel valued. This won't happen overnight, but show them you're on the same team, and that trust will build.

- Once you have identified the underlying issues, you can prioritize transparent communication with your team to address the lack of trust. - For instance, you can explain your intentions behind certain decisions, acknowledge any mistakes made, and commit to improving the situation. - Setting up regular check-ins and providing updates on progress shows your team that you value their input and are actively working to regain their trust.

The implementation of "one-on-one walks" had a transformative impact. Every week, I would engage in a leisurely stroll with a new member of the team, engaging in conversations that were unrelated to work. These excursions provided valuable insights into their personal interests, familial relationships, and aspirations. This transition from a managerial role to a personal role facilitated a stronger connection, leading to an increased willingness to openly communicate authentic concerns and ideas in the workplace. Insight? Demonstrating a sincere curiosity about the personal lives of team members establishes a basis of understanding and confidence, which is crucial for surmounting obstacles and cultivating a nurturing work atmosphere.

Empathy is key to rebuilding trust with your team. When you genuinely understand and empathize with their feelings and experiences, it deepens your connection beyond work. Invest time in learning about their personal goals, struggles, and what drives them. This shows you're more than just a boss—you're someone who truly cares about their happiness and growth.

Empathy starts with mindset. Even though your trying to get the team to trust you, by focusing on yourself it won't happen. It's imperative to focus on your team members as individual people - not you. Your messages, your actions, your aim must be about adding value to them and connecting, personally.

Introducing crucial functionality within strict time constraints was a pivotal moment. Despite initial doubt, we made a firm commitment to open and honest planning, as well as setting practical deadlines. I demonstrated my commitment with regular check-ins and active assistance during demanding periods. After the introduction, the success of the feature not only benefited the product but also demonstrated the combined effort of everyone involved and my dedication to our common objectives. Key takeaway: Credibility is acquired by demonstrating consistent and trustworthy behavior. Exhibiting dedication and achieving outcomes boosts confidence and unifies the team towards shared goals.

Building credibility with the team is a key step to building trust. PMs usually have no formal power, which means making sure the team wants what you want and believes what you believe is key to achieving success. Usually showing your expertise in the field and how that can help them build a better product is the crucial part!

I'll offer some axioms to live by here. Listen First. People what to know they have been heard and their views have been considered. Internalize that there is a nugget in everyone's feedback. Find that nugget, write it down, & thank each person for their input. Say What you Are Going to Do, Do What you Say. Reliability is critical in business. If you agree to tackle something in given time frame, do it. If you find yourself slipping, you may be agreeing to too much. Give Credit. PMs are generally at the center of their product. It would be easy to take credit for a great result. Why you might have researched the idea, you likely could not have delivered it yourself. Show that you really appreciate others vital contributions & name them.

The developers should not see you as someone who is only throwing ideas here and there, making work difficult for your development team. They would definitely appreciate you coming to them for help in accessing the technical feasibility of these ideas, but they want you to also be well versed with the team and its capabilities as well as capacity to effectively plan stories going ahead.

Focus on Communication, Relevance and Claims How we communicate, what we choose to emphasize and the claims we make matter - a lot. Communication skills are how we communicate, all up: our clarity, confidence, accuracy, body language, tone, professionalism, attentiveness, etc. To be relevant depends on our skills of discernment, perception, empathy and preparedness. The claims we make reveal our experiences in life and that makes us relatable and believable. Your credibility is equivalent to a personal brand - how others see you and how strongly they believe you. A great way to up your 'credibility game' is to first understand the game because credibility is a predicate for trust.

This is also one of the major questions asked to any aspiring product managers. It is very important for the team to be felt heard and their ideas respected. You should give them the ownership of the tasks and expect them to deliver it without having to follow up with them every hour. That is what makes a good product manager.

When starting as a Product Manager, remember trust isn't automatic. Here's how I earned it: 1. Collaborative Decision-making: Involve developers to understand technical constraints and insights, fostering inclusion. 2. Flexibility: Define goals clearly but be open to developer input, showing commitment to teamwork. 3. Start with Why: Clearly communicate product decisions, aligning the team and boosting engagement. These practices built trust and collaboration, laying a foundation for successful product development.

Empowering your team is like laying down trust's foundation. Let them take the reins in their tasks, loop them into decision-making, and acknowledge their efforts. When team members feel respected and heard, trust blossoms in your leadership. Also, ensure they have the tools and backing to excel, reinforcing your dedication to their growth and the project's triumph.

I've seen some situations where product managers behave like they are the manager of the team. Wrong. Product managers are.... (guess what)...managers of the Product. Which means they play an important role in conjunction with team members across other disciplines across engineering and design. Book recommendation: speed of trust by Stephen Covey. Invest time in building up your team members and positioning the team for success. Foster trust above all and watch how others help you deliver on your responsibilities.

You're either building trust or burning it. Trust is *the* commodity in life. It's the basis for all transactions. It's the basis for confidence in you. Trust is predicated credibility. Credibility is predicated on competency and character. All of this is dependent on how you communicate.