Trusted Partners: How Companies Build Mutual Trust and Win Together (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Two giant rivals in the shipping business-Maersk and SeaLand-launched a great undertaking, one of worlwide creative collaboration..." (more)
Key Phrases: joint business plan, plant alliance, trust conditions, Tasty Wares, United States, Global One (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jordan D. Lewis contends that creative collaboration between independent entities is the route to success in our increasingly complex global marketplace. However, he says these collaborations can be initiated properly only when both sides truly trust one another. After helping corporations worldwide implement such alliances for more than three decades, he explicitly shows in Trusted Partners how leading companies go about it. Simultaneously, he offers a road map for readers who also hope to negotiate this potentially rewarding but always slippery slope. Lewis looks first at the nature of trust, then describes ways to build it between internal factions, allies, and even competitors. He insists clear identification of "a single purpose" is key--for instance, as Mobil and British Petroleum did before forging a successful European joint venture using only BP's brand name (both firms accepted this, he notes, because they knew it would stem market-share erosion at each company). Conversely, he reveals how IBM and Sears failed to adequately align their organizations and purposes before uniting to form the ill-fated Prodigy online service. A final section offers rules for moving negotiations from preliminary discussions to agreement; guidelines for sharing benefits, costs, and risks; and other process-aiding tools. --Howard Rothman

From Booklist

Synergy is the overused and often misused term that describes the benefits that are supposed to result when two organisms or elements work together more effectively than they would working alone. One of the goals of corporate mergers, alliances, and partnerships is to create synergy. But synergy does not just happen. Trust is one of the overlooked factors that contribute to successful partnerships. Lewis, the author of The Connected Corporation (1995) and Partnership for Profit (1990), is a leading advocate of organizational partnerships. Here he describes what trust between organizations means and lays out the eight conditions that enable greater trust. He also identifies tools for building trust and advises how to "repair" broken trust. Jordan then considers trust between customer and seller, between rivals, between internal groups, and between participants in a merger or acquisition. David Rouse

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (March 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684836513
• ISBN-13: 978-0684836515
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,097,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Profitable Wisdom, May 4, 2000

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The basic premise is obvious: There can be no solid"partnerships" without trust. As the subtitle indicates, Lewisexplains "how companies build mutual trust and win together." It is imperative that individuals be worthy of trust. They must earn it and then sustain it with behavior based on core values. We all know that values derive from character (or the lack thereof), that values determine attitudes (both negative and positive), and that such attitudes are revealed by behavior.

My guess is that those in greatest need of this book will encounter the greatest difficulty when attempting to follow Lewis' suggestions. "Trust is at the heart of the knowledge economy....Rather than being a matter of blind faith, trust must be cone step at a time. Further, building trust between organizations is all-encompassing. It involves their people, politics, priorities, cultures, and structures." Organizations become untrustworthy when those within those organizations are untrustworthy. Over the years, all of us have been victimized by fraudulent claims, intentional misrepresentations, corrupt "politics", "a hidden agenda", broken promises, etc. If trust is to be built between organizations, there must be interpersonal as well as intrapersonal relationships based on trustworthiness.

Lewis's book is divided into three parts: Trust Leads to High Performance, Alliances with Key Partner, and Tools for Trust: A Guide for Practitioners. He follows a step-by-step process within each part, providing an abundance of observations, suggestions, and caveats. Who will derive the greatest value from this book? Here are my nominees:

1. Decision-makers who have the authority (not simply the responsibility) for their organization's cultural transformation.

2. Owners/CEOs of start-ups who are committed to building trust as well as sales and profits.

3. Those involved in M&A initiatives whose due diligence includes evaluation of cultural capital as well as material assets.

One of the book's most valuable sections (Chapter VII in the Third Part) summarizes "actions that establish trust-building habits." Note the use of the word "habit." Lewis is quite correct when insisting that time and effort are required to build and then sustain trust. Conversely, trust can be quickly compromised by a single act betrayal.

In this final section, the "trust-building habits" are classified as follows: Trust Conditions; Recruiting, Training, and Rewards; Management Behavior; and Other Activities. Once you have read the book, selected what is most appropriate to your own organization, and then begun the difficult task of implementation, it would be a good idea to re-read Chapter VII in the Third Part. The counsel Lewis provide will help you formulate your own tasks and objectives within the framework of the eight trust conditions and related practices.

If those within your organization are unwilling and/or unable to make a sincere and steadfast commitment to building and then sustaining trust, find another organization. And consider this fact: The companies which dominate their respective industries are the same companies which are rated the best companies to work for. Coincidence? I don't think so...and neither does Lewis.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Territory, May 15, 2000

By	Alexandra R. Lajoux (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lewis has ventured into governance territory where few have trod--for example, asking how to structure boards of various types of alliances. To my knowledge, no other book has this type of material, which makes this book an excellent choice for corporate directors. (I am familiar with this audience, because I am the Editor-in-Chief of Director's Monthly, the official newsletter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, Washington, DC).

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trusted Partners....a book to share with others, May 2, 2000

By	Don Black (USA) - See all my reviews

If trust is the glue that holds organizations together then you can trust that Jordan Lewis' new book Trusted Partners is an essential element of that glue. I have enjoyed Jordan's other books but find this one the most practical in its ability to translate wonderful stories about the business world into practical day to day applications. In addition, the final seven chapters of the book provide a guide for practitioners which we have incorporated into our evaluation of all our business partnerships.

While reading the book I needed to pause on frequent occasion and fit many of our current business relationships into his case examples. One of its greatest value may be to learn from others' mistakes and successes, and improve on this essential element for every organization.