In our previous article entitled, “The Power of Mutually Shared Respect, Support and Trust,” we noted that in our experience as business leaders, organizations tend to achieve optimal performance when their members possess three key attributes: mutually shared respect, support and trust (MSRST.) We know that an organization can achieve the full power of MSRST when all three attributes are firmly in place.

How to Achieve MSRST

At this point, you may be asking how an organization goes about achieving MSRST. The answer is simpler than you might think. It all starts with successful delivery of organizational tasks. The deliverables do not have to be big; in fact, it is preferable that management starts off with small, impactful task deliverables.

Completing tasks successfully is crucial to building mutually shared respect, support and trust at each level of the MSRST cycle. Even if members of an organization do not know each other well, a natural mutual respect can be built between them as long as each person is repeatedly, successfully and reliably delivering their tasks. As individuals work together to deliver joint projects to an organization, they tend to support each other, as well; it is in their mutual best interest to do so, especially when projects are initially kept to an attainable level that the team can successfully manage and quickly deliver.

As teams within the organization consistently deliver small yet impactful projects, members develop strong trust for one another, and the need for cumbersome checks and balances diminishes. This does not by any means imply that all checks and balances hold negative connotation. On the contrary, they are used to ensure that the organization delivers at the highest possible level rather than micromanaging each individual to be sure they have done their job.

Some may argue that MSRST appears to be a form of “group think” or that MSRST could potentially lead to complacency, allowing members of an organization to blindly agree with each other. By its very nature, however, MSRST allows team members to agree to disagree. At its core, MSRST is not just about agreeing to something. It represents a form of constructive dialog between members of an organization that creates a more positive environment, leading to increased organizational effectiveness. To avoid potential for “group think,” members should regularly monitor how well they are delivering upon the goals of the organization. After all, the true measure of an organization’s success is gauged upon the efficacy it exists to deliver.

Takeaways

We recommend the following actions in order to achieve optimal levels of organizational effectiveness by harnessing the power of MSRST:

• As a leader within your organization, foster an environment in which team members are able to successfully and consistently deliver small tasks or projects.
• When small tasks and projects are successfully and consistently delivered by each individual, team members naturally begin to respect each other and validate the capabilities of their co-workers.
• Form project teams and assign them small projects that can easily be delivered.
• Working with others to jointly deliver projects, team members learn to support each other because it is in their mutual best interest to do so. You might be asking, “What if I only have huge, complicated projects?” The work can still be divided into smaller pieces so that teams can gain confidence with more frequent and successful delivery of smaller chunks. As the old saying goes, “How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
• Lastly, as project teams successfully deliver their smaller projects, ensure that the teams receive adequate recognition both inside and outside of the organization for every success. Not only will they trust each other more, they will also be more apt to trust you as their leader.

By implementing these strategies consistently over time, you and your organization will be able to realize the full power of MSRST and achieve high levels of organizational effectiveness and maturity.