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Chiefs Coach Andy Reid Uses 1 Simple Tactic to Build Trust With His Players—and Anyone Can Do It

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Andy Reid's run of success with the Kansas City Chiefs stems, at least partially, from a single decision he made a decade ago.

Since becoming the team's head coach in 2013, Reid has led Kansas City to the NFL playoffs nine times in ten seasons. The team won the Super Bowl in 2019, made it back to the championship game in 2020, and is set to compete in the big game again on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

But when Reid first started in Kansas City, the team was weathering a rough patch, and he needed to quickly build trust with his players. So he established regular meetings of a "player's leadership committee," where one player from each position room was invited to share any of his group's concerns.

"Whenever we started that meeting, the first thing he would say is, 'All right, what gripes do you have?'" former Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson told ESPN in 2020.

At the meetings, players could complain about anything: the length or intensity of practices, the food in the cafeteria or whatever else was on their minds. It was an open forum for team members to air their concerns.

That openness was crucial: When employees feel empowered to raise concerns and share new ideas, they become up to 50% more productive, research shows.

Similarly, employees feeling uncomfortable voicing honest opinions and concerns is often a sign of dysfunction, behavior expert Nir Eyal told CNBC Make It last month.

Reid's meetings did more than just allow players to vent. They gave him a chance to act swiftly to address their concerns, too. When players said they were wearing pads too long and running too many plays at practices, Reid immediately changed his practice formats, Johnson said.

"It was that quick," Johnson said. "Most of the things we brought to him, he trusted just like that."  

Employees want that kind of response: Two of every three American workers in a survey of more than 1,500 people said their manager could do a better job giving immediate feedback.

Plus, by working to swiftly eliminate small concerns and distractions, Reid freed up his players to focus on what really mattered during practice weeks — which is crucial for a thriving workplace, too.

Distractions carry a heavy workplace toll, and the best bosses know how to get out of their employees' way so everyone can focus on their most important work.

"He doesn't want us to have any excuses for not getting it right on Sunday," Johnson said of Reid.

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