How to build trust instead of another briefing template

Things change constantly in the charity sector. This lack of stability often creates a lack of trust. When people feel unsafe, they usually lean heavily on rigid ways of working. An over-reliance on defining strict roles and responsibilities is a clear symptom of this lack of safety.

When faced with uncertainty, leaders often focus on defining new processes or principles. They do this because writing a brief or a rules document feels productive and can be done quickly. In contrast, the human-focused work needed to actually solve these problems takes a lot of time. It requires patience, empathy and continuous effort.

This is a particular challenge for very big organisations. These workplaces often find it harder to create safety between people. There is simply not enough time in the day to do the human work that creates understanding and empathy.

The problem with a transactional culture

Instead of building relationships, many centralised teams try to fix problems by creating shared processes. They often use forms or templates to try and establish a clear service relationship. But this approach rarely works in practice.

If a team relies on a form to communicate, they are avoiding a real conversation. Briefing templates set up a transactional relationship where one side demands and the other side delivers. This stops people from exploring the nuances of a problem together.

It also means that the person writing the brief has usually already decided on the solution. This removes the opportunity for experts to suggest better, more creative ways to achieve the goal. You lose the diverse thinking that leads to the best outcomes for your organisation.

What the pandemic taught us about shared goals

We have already seen what happens when we drop rigid processes. During the early days of the pandemic, many charities got rid of strict structures, roles and responsibilities. They did this because there was absolute clarity about needing to achieve direct results right away, in response to the emergencies that their audiences were facing.

The external crisis set an undeniable priority. This shared focus created a unique kind of safety for teams. People did not need a briefing template to understand what to do or who was in charge.

Instead, they communicated directly and focused entirely on the outcome. While we do not want to recreate the stress of a global crisis, we can learn from this. When the goal is completely clear and shared by everyone, the need for rigid processes disappears.

Finding common ground to build trust

To get back to this way of working, you need to focus on building trust instead of creating more efficient processes. High trust allows more human conversations to take place. This helps you create a safe environment for everyone to contribute.

When teams retreat into silos, they often forget that they are working towards the exact same goals. Finding out what you have in common is a powerful way to break down these internal barriers. It reminds everyone that they are human beings first, not just job titles.

Shared cultural experiences are one of the most effective tools for building this connection. The time and attention invested in a play, painting or book give people a platform to talk about ideas and emotions. This shared ground can bridge divides and build new connections.

Making process work more human

You can build on this shared understanding by rethinking how you spend time together, rather than just focusing on tasks. We need to embrace an understanding of each other. Here are some practical exercises you can try.

Regular diary time

You must put time in your diaries to meet people. This should not just be limited to quarterly team sessions. Regular contact gives you the space to build real empathy and trust away from the pressure of deadlines.

Manual of me

This tool enables everyone to share their preferred ways of working. It also lets people explain what they do not like. Reviewing these together ensures your shared time is respectful and tailored to individual needs.

Stinky fish

This exercise unlocks concerns and pain points. By surfacing these issues upfront when you meet, you turn hidden blockers into manageable risks. It is a great way to clear the air and build psychological safety.

Retrospectives

This is an agile tool for group reflection. It asks what has previously worked well for project initiation, and what needs attention. Spending time reflecting together ensures you constantly improve how your team collaborates.

Co-create a project team charter

Using a community of practice methodology, everyone feeds into a team charter. This outlines the values of the project team and how they want to work with each other. It gives your shared time a clear, agreed purpose.

Roles and responsibilities definition

Instead of assigning tasks from the top down, capture everyone’s ideas on the roles needed for a successful kick-off. Spending time doing this together ensures that responsibilities are based on real conversations rather than assumptions.

Building safety every day

Trust is not built in a single workshop. Safety comes from checking in on your team regularly.

In your regular one-to-one meetings, you should ask people how they are feeling rather than just running through a list of project updates.

This simple question shows that you care about them as a person. It opens the door for them to share concerns before they become major issues. If someone is struggling, a supportive conversation is far more effective than a new process document.

Modelling this behaviour in front of people is also crucial - in open or closed meetings, it’s soon understood whether people can come to leaders for understanding or if they’re going to get their head bitten off for something that hasn’t turned out as expected.

Creating a more effective learning culture

When you replace strict briefing processes with trust, you pave the way for a test and learn culture. This is often identified as a clear way forward for charities. It gives teams the confidence to try new things and see what works.

A test and learn culture is not just about making your organisation a nice place to work. It is fundamentally about achieving better results. When people are not afraid to get things wrong, they innovate faster and find better solutions.

In the early stages of digital maturity, inconsistency is actually a feature, not a bug. It means people are trying new things and learning is happening. Trying to squash that too early in the name of standards can kill momentum.

Instead, create light-touch frameworks that allow variation with purpose. Focus your energy on sharing learning, not enforcing uniformity.