You know that moment when you realize the tension in your team isn’t just between two people anymore? It’s the sideways glances in meetings. The polite “we’re fine” answers. The sense that everyone’s walking on eggshells. That’s not just tension—that’s workplace drama. And here’s the truth: drama is just a sign that trust has been lost. The good news? It’s fixable.
Over the last few years of working with teams, I’ve seen it all—two coworkers who can’t stand each other, a high performer who drags everyone else down, leaders who mean well but avoid the hard conversations. Every team is different, but the path to rebuilding trust is the same.
So here are the five steps I use when I go into a team that’s lost its way—and the same ones you can use too.
Step 1: Get everything out on the table
Most teams are struggling not because of what’s been said, but because of what hasn’t. The tough stuff lives in silence.
I’ve walked into rooms where people hadn’t spoken in months—and by the end, they’re laughing together again. The reason? We gave them a place to say what needed to be said.
You don’t need a fancy process. Just create space. Ask questions like:
- What are three things we do really well as a team?
- What are three things we could do better?
- What’s one question that hasn’t been asked yet, but needs to be?
That’s it. Start there.
If you want to make it easier, gamify it. I use something called The Leadership Game—it turns a hard conversation into something structured, safe, and even a little fun. Within minutes, people open up because it feels like a conversation, not a confrontation.
And when you ask those questions, start with the positive. It sets the tone. It reminds people that the goal isn’t to call out the bad—it’s to make the good even better.
Because you can’t fix what no one will name.
Step 2: Start with awareness
Most workplace drama isn’t caused by bad people. It’s caused by misunderstanding. We assume someone’s being difficult when really, they’re just wired differently.
This is why I love using tools like DISC or Working Genius. They give language to what we already know about ourselves and each other—what gives us energy, what drains us, and how we show up when things get stressful.
Ask your people simple questions:
- What part of your job gives you energy?
- What drains you?
- What’s one thing that makes Mondays hard to come back to?
These conversations don’t have to be deep and heavy—they just build understanding. Because once your team understands each other better, the tension starts to dissolve. Different isn’t bad. Different is how you get things done.
Step 3: Find a common language
Once your team starts becoming more self-aware, you need a shared framework to make sense of it all. My go-to is The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. It gives everyone a roadmap: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results.
It’s simple, but it changes everything. When your team can say things like, “We’re stuck in conflict right now,” or “We’re avoiding commitment,” they’re no longer making it personal—they’re making it productive.
That’s the beauty of a shared language. It turns emotion into action. It takes something vague like “communication issues” and gives you words to fix it.
And you don’t need to be a facilitator to do it. You can read the book, grab the field guide, and walk your team through it. Trust me—you can do this on your own.
Step 4: Rebuild with vulnerability
This one’s hard. Most leaders avoid vulnerability because it feels risky. But the only way to rebuild trust is to let people see your humanity.
Vulnerability doesn’t mean you have to share your life story. It can be as simple as saying,
“I didn’t handle that meeting the way I wanted.”
“I made that call too quickly.”
“I’m learning to listen before I jump in.”
When your team sees that you’re human, they trust your authority more. They stop seeing you as someone they have to perform for and start seeing you as someone they can be honest with.
And honesty builds trust faster than any motivational speech ever will.
The further we individualize ourselves—the more we show up as real humans—the more we connect. People don’t stay for paychecks. They stay because they feel seen, valued, and part of something that matters.
That’s what vulnerability does.
Step 5: Keep the conversation going
This isn’t a one-and-done project. It’s a practice. Trust has to be built, protected, and rebuilt again every time the team changes—when someone leaves, when someone new joins, when priorities shift.
So don’t stop. Keep checking in. Ask your team:
- What’s still working?
- Where are we drifting from what we said we’d do?
- What do we need to talk about before it turns into tension?
Ask those questions at least once a month. They’ll keep your team aligned and the issues small enough to manage.
Because your job as a leader isn’t to avoid conflict—it’s to protect your team’s energy.
And when you do that consistently, drama doesn’t stand a chance.
If you take anything from this, let it be this: your team wants to talk. They just need permission. Give it to them.
You’ve got this.
And if you want to go even deeper, make sure you catch next week’s episode. We’re talking about the one mindset shift that stops team drama before it starts.
