A Hack For Team Health

First...I really don't like the word "hack."  Let's call it a "shortcut" for team health...

I was recently giving advice to a new business coach when he asked me a question that made me pause:

"Is there a shortcut to building trust on a team?"

My initial reaction was "No."

Trust, after all, is something that takes time. It’s built through consistency, integrity, and follow-through. You can’t fake it, and you certainly can’t demand it.

But after thinking about it for a moment, I realized something.

There actually is a shortcut.

The Fastest Way to Build Trust: Spending Time Together

If you want to accelerate trust within your team, the best way to do it is spending more time together.

Think about the relationships in your life that have the most trust. Whether it’s family, friends, or colleagues, those bonds weren’t built through emails, Slack messages, or occasional check-ins. They were built through shared experiences.

The same principle applies to teams in business.

The more time people spend together, the faster they get to know each other. They start to see patterns in how others think, how they react under pressure, and how they communicate. When this happens, comfort levels increase, and trust follows.

Why Time Together Builds Trust Faster

1. It Creates Familiarity – People naturally trust what they know. The more they interact with each other, the less they second-guess motives and decisions.

2. It Reduces Misunderstandings – Many trust issues stem from miscommunication. Regular interaction gives people a chance to clarify things in real time, rather than letting doubts or assumptions build up.

3. It Encourages Vulnerability – The more time people spend together, the more they feel comfortable being themselves. When team members feel safe enough to be open, trust grows.

4. It Builds a Shared History – Trust isn’t just about words; it’s about experiences. Teams that work through challenges, celebrate wins, and even laugh together create bonds that are hard to break.

If you think about it, this is why many teams had trust and culture issues during Covid...they weren't able to spend time together.

How to Spend More Time Together (Without Wasting Time)

The key is intentional time. It’s not about adding more meetings to the calendar but creating opportunities for real connection. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Daily Huddles – A quick 10-15 minute check-in can keep everyone aligned and build camaraderie.
• Work Sessions – Instead of working in silos, bring people together to solve problems in real-time.  I've even seen remote teams work one day each week with their webcams on...to get the "in-person" experience.
• Team Lunches or Coffee Breaks – A casual setting allows people to connect beyond work talk.
• Off-Sites or Team Retreats – Getting away from the office and spending time together in a different environment can work wonders.
• Encourage Cross-Team Collaboration – Pair people up on projects who don’t usually work together.

The Bottom Line

Trust isn’t built overnight, but it doesn’t have to take years either. The fastest way to build it is by creating more opportunities for people to spend time together.

So, if you want a shortcut to trust on your team, don’t look for a complicated formula. Just get people in the same room (physically or virtually), more often, in meaningful ways. The results will speak for themselves.

Ryan Giles