Creative Confidence Podcast What Gets In the Way of Trust on Teams: Q&A with Ben Swire
Mar 20, 2026
Ben Swire, co-founder of Make Believe Works and author of Safe Danger, helps teams build trust through designed experiences. He discusses why vulnerability can backfire, repairing harm, inclusive retreat design, micro rituals for online meetings, and ways leaders and teams can rebuild connection after breakdowns.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Structure Vulnerability With Premortems
- Do add structure to vulnerability so risk isn't all on one person, e.g., run a premortem to invite concerns without assigning blame.
- When someone speaks up, pause, thank them by name, get curious, and act on their input so safety is demonstrated.
Design Multiple Pathways For Diverse Learners
- Do design multiple pathways into meetings so different nervous systems can contribute, e.g., silent brainstorming, small-group discussion, then whole-group share.
- Send a pre-retreat survey asking how people learn and what helps them contribute so you can accommodate neurodivergent needs.
Repair Builds Trust Not Ends It
- Insight: Harm is inevitable when you ask teams to take risks, so the question is whether you can repair well.
- Normalize repair with curiosity, quick acknowledgments, and routine reflection rituals like sprint check-ins or monthly retrospectives.
