"They say" that trust is essential to any project team working effectively. To not trust is to layer on ineffective and non-value add efforts at surveillance, double checking, micro-management, etc and so on.
Yet, if there was universally trust everywhere you do business, you would not need nearly all the structure that goes along with people working in groups. But the fact is that projects of any significant scope are organized with hierarchical structure (minimum trust required):
- Some one is in charge
- Others "report to ..."
- Rules are a tool; they can substitute for face-to-face encounters
- Trust is not really required because 'rules' enforce acceptable behaviors
- Break the rules, and there are consequences. But, the consequences are usually time-limited. You get out of the dog house after you've served your time
Not so fast!
Hierarchies may be the on-paper way of organizing, but 'getting things done' requires networks; and networks are definitely not hierarchical.
But networks run on trust, not rules. No trust ... no network, or least no network membership.
- Oh, yes, there are consequences, but, no, there are no time limits.
- You may be in the dog house a very long time.
And so here we are:
- On paper: hierarchies and no trust required. Rules are all that is needed; and consequences if the rules are broken
- In fact: networks are how people work; rules aren't need. But, if trust is broken, there are consequences. And those consequences are very long term.
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