AbstractCommunication and trust are essential for teams to function well and achieve their end goals. A framework for lines of communication and a combined contract that defines what the team expects to accomplish as a whole and individually needs to be defined in advance. Trust must be built over time. Each team member must respect each other and complete assigned tasks to build trust within the group. If communication and trust breaks down within a team, the team will not progress and will cease to function. The Effects of Communication and Trust on Team Dynamics The American Heritage Dictionary defines dynamics as: Of or relating to energy or objects in motion, of or relating to the study of dynamics, characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress, marked by intensity and vigor; strong. When applying dynamics to a team, the team must be constantly in motion, experiencing constant change and progress. Intensity and vigor apply to the attitude of the team players. Positive attitudes among team players ultimately translate into positive outcomes in team performance. But how does a team maintain an overall positive attitude and work together like a well-oiled machine? They achieve this through effective communication and build trust among team members. Communication Communication is a must. Without it, a team won't work. Teams are brought together for various reasons and have to work under different circumstances each time. The Swift Trust Partnership Experiment recommends that a team first develop a contract that it will abide by. “The Swift Trust exercise offers students the opportunity to structure an organizational contract based on the perception of the future business partner” (Alder, T. 2005, 717). There are two types of contracts: hard contracts and soft contracts. Rigid contracts are derived because team members feel the need to stipulate the details. This usually occurs when not much is known about the members involved and skepticism exists regarding the outcome of the project. It's normal to have a certain distrust at the beginning of any project. Trust is something that must be cultivated over time. It's not something that's inherent in the beginning. It is essential that a team builds a structure in which communication will take place. Team members must be trained on how to use this framework and everyone must be held accountable (Waldman, R.