Trust is at the Root of Innovation

I work part-time as a school teacher at a local Montessori school here in Maryland.  My students are ages 3 to 14 years-old and one of the best parts of teaching them is the creativity and ingenuity they possess, seemingly without even trying.  They share their questions, ideas and dreams with me, and we all benefit from the experience.  The reason they tell me their ideas, no matter how outrageous they might be, is the bond of trust we share.  The kids know they can share their ideas with me without worrying about me judging or mocking them.  Trust lets us communicate freely, and the free flow of communication is where a creative idea has a chance to grow into an innovation.

Every one of us has the potential to think creatively.  Unfortunately, so many of us don’t have trust in ourselves and the people around us, so whatever germ of a creative idea we have, we rarely share with anyone.  Building trust is at the root of creating a space for sharing creative ideas and making room for innovation.  Teams that trust one another are more likely to take the risks necessary to float a new idea.  The expression “that idea is so crazy, it just might work!” isn’t mentioned in a group that does not trust its members.  A team that in search of innovation needs to first find trust.

For some great ways to build trust between the members of your group, check out our team building options…