Trust is the foundation that makes every other aspect of teamwork possible.

When trust is low, teams stall. People hesitate to ask for help, avoid hard conversations, or second-guess decisions.

But when trust is present? People speak up. Disagree. Pitch in. Move fast.

As a Five Behaviors facilitator, I have learned to start team engagements by building trust. Because you can’t build accountability, commitment, or results without trust as a fundamental first value.

How we build trust varies based on our style.

Here’s what each style is paying attention to when deciding, Can I trust this person?

• D-style (Dominance): Trusts those who are direct, confident, and focused on results.

• i-style (Influence): Builds trust through openness, friendliness, and personal connection.

• S-style (Steadiness): Looks for consistency, reliability, and patience before trusting.

• C-style (Conscientiousness): Trusts people who are logical, detail-oriented, and follow through.

If there’s someone on your team you’re not quite clicking with or if a working relationship just feels harder than it should, one smart move is to start learning how they build trust.

One of the tools I always come back to is Catalyst. The “Get Advice” feature lets you pick a teammate and get real, practical tips for how to work better with them.

Try it out & let me know how it goes!