Trust Is a Team Sport. Here's How to Win.
What Extraordinary Teams Are Actually Built On
Leadership teams that reach their full potential share one thing: the willingness to keep doing the work.
"It was the first time I'd ever heard a team member express how frustrating it was to carry the weight of their work when no one had noticed." — Sherilyn Fahlstrom, Chief Operating Officer, Sunflower Health Plan
Session One: Starting With the Individual
In that first Two Day Team Alignment Session, we began where all meaningful work begins: with the individual. Before a team can truly see each other, each person has to develop a deeper understanding of themselves.
I introduced PrinciplesYou as the foundation for that self-awareness, which helped each leader understand how they think, operate, and what they uniquely bring to the table.
With that self-awareness came something equally powerful: the foundation to begin creating psychological safety.
Session Two: Understanding Each Other as a Team
In our second Two Day Team Alignment session, we took that foundation and expanded it — moving from understanding each other as individuals to understanding each other as a team. This is where PrinciplesUs was extremely valuable.
"PrinciplesUs helped us understand and appreciate how diverse the talents are among our team and how to leverage them to get better results." — Michael Stephens, Chief Executive Officer
Session Three: Going Deeper - Meaning, Mattering, and Real Conversation
By the time I walked into the room for the third Two Day Team Alignment Session, the foundation was solid. Alongside the strategic planning and challenging work of leading a high-performing team, we went even deeper on how to support the team and their employees through meaning and mattering.
We deepened psychological safety in the room so people could share authentically how they feel.
"With Sarah's facilitation, we've grown in our ability to have real conversations, even the tricky ones, and do it in a way that's productive. She helped us be more vulnerable and show up as our authentic selves." — Terry Weathers, Chief Financial Officer
That's what creating — and practicing — psychological safety actually looks like. And that happens best when people feel seen, heard, and understood.
Why Mattering Is a Business Imperative
Research highlighted in The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance shows that 65% of workers feel underappreciated, and those who feel insignificant are more likely to experience chronic stress.
At the same time, 95% of people say feeling valued at work is essential.
Over the years, I've found that the leaders who create extraordinary teams are consistently helping their people feel Noticed, Affirmed, and Needed - creating the conditions for people to truly see and understand each other. This is called the NAN Model, created by Zach Mercurio, author of The Power of Mattering.
The Results
"We've learned to appreciate each other, our talents, our strengths, and our weaknesses, and accept them better. Sarah allowed our team to come up several levels in our functioning as a group. We've seen the result. We get more done now." — Sherilyn Fahlstrom
"Sarah has been willing to tailor the in-person Alignment Sessions to meet the unique needs of our specific team. Each time Sarah genuinely listens and builds the time together in such a way that we maximize what we need to be effective as a team." — Michael Stephens
Where the Horizon Meets You
This is where things shift. Not in what you know — but in what you practice, by acknowledging your people specifically and intentionally. Use these as a starting point:
Noticing
"The last time we talked, you mentioned ____. How did that turn out?"
"What's been on your mind most this week?"
Affirming
"The difference you uniquely make is…"
"What you bring that no one else does is…"
Needing
"I need you in this conversation."
"This will not work without your perspective."
If you're ready to create a team where people don't only perform but fully show up feeling like they matter, I invite you to schedule a complimentary Anti-Gravity Call.
We'll uncover where your team is misaligned, where trust is lacking, and how to build an environment where people know they matter.