As you no doubt know already, Harvard Business Review Press publishes several series of anthologies of articles previous published in HBR. This book is one of the most popular volumes in a series that anthologizes what the editors of the Harvard Business Review consider to be “must reads” in a given business subject area. In this instance, trust. Each of the selections is eminently deserving of inclusion.

If all of the HBR articles were purchased separately as reprints, the total cost would be about $100 and the practical value of any one of them far exceeds that. Amazon US now sells a paperbound edition for only $2.05 and that’s not a bargain. It’s a steal.

The same is true of volumes in other series such as HBR Guide to…, Harvard Business Review on…, and Harvard Business Essentials. I also think there is great benefit derived from the convenience of having a variety of perspectives and insights readily available in a single volume, one that is potable.

According to Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta, “Businesses put an awful lot of effort into meeting the diverse needs of their stakeholders — customers, investors, employees, and society at large. But they’re not paying enough attention to one ingredient that’s crucial to productive relationships with those stakeholders: trust.” (Page 87)

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Those who read HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Trust  can develop the cutting-edge thinking needed to achieve a decisive competitive advantage.

More specifically, they will learn the dos and don’ts with regard to HOW TO

o Develop mutual trust through competence, legitimacy, and impact
o Understand the neuroscience of trust
o Follow through on all commitments to stakeholders
o Negotiate better with an untrustworthy counterpart
o See your organization through the eyes of your customers or constituents
o Rebuild relationships after a breakdown of trust

Also, I again agree with Sucher and Gupta: “Building trust depends not on on good PR but rather on clear purpose, smart strategy, and definitive action. It takes courage and common sense. It requires recognizing all the people and groups your company affects and focusing on serving their interests, not just your firm’s. It means being competent, playing fair, and most of all, acknowledging and, if necessary, remediating all the impact your company has, whether intended or not.” (Page 102)

Finally, whatever their size and nature may be, all organizations need innovative thinking at ALL levels and in ALL areas of the given enterprise. That is, people who are solution-driven when focusing on a problem’s root causes rather than its symptoms. Peter Drucker nailed it: “There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all.”