Built on Trust : Gaining Competitive Advantage in Any Organization

Long before "values" and "character" became the dominant themes in presidential politics, a handful of business leaders discovered that ultimate success or failure was largely determined by the way they treated their stakeholders. In Built on Trust, Silicon Valley consultants Arthur Ciancutti and Thomas Steding contend that conscious creation of a true values-based enterprise--stemming directly from an open and honest environment of mutual trust--will produce the kind of effective and enduring competitive advantage that popular "management programs du jour" never could. With the help of two fictional companies that employ different operational philosophies, the authors show exactly how such an approach might work and how it can be put into place appropriately in various corporate settings. The centerpiece of their plan is the flexible Trust Model, which addresses both individual and organizational needs. Ciancutti and Steding detail its implementation from creation to buy-in and maintenance. They also include specific objectives and helpful tools, including a self-assessment questionnaire along with step-by-step directions. This easily absorbed book fully describes the formulation of a program that can realistically reflect the beliefs and needs of an organization. It also shows that the organization can continue to meet the program's individualized guidelines over the long haul. --Howard Rothman