Back in 2006, a book called The
Speed of Trust became a New
York Times bestseller. Written
by Stephen M.R. Covey (son of
the Stephen R. Covey who wrote 1989’s
landmark business book The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People), it explored the often
misunderstood nature of trust in the
workplace, and made a case for trust as an
underrated tool for productivity.
The Speed of Trust points out that a
low-trust workplace is a toxic and dysfunctional
environment that keeps people
from sharing knowledge and makes them
afraid to take the kinds of risks that
lead to innovation. When trust is at its
highest, however, Covey holds that communication
becomes effortless and work
is “characterized by purpose, creativity and
excitement.”
Covey writes that trust doesn’t just happen;
it must be built. The good news is that
trust can be created or restored, no matter
how much it has been compromised. He
discusses the idea of “choosing abundance,”
in the sense that it’s important to believe
that assets like winning ideas, solutions to
challenges and potential markets exist in
infinite supply.
Over the past decade, the conversation
about trust in the workplace has continued,
and international research is showing
that investing in a high-trust workplace
culture yields clear business benefits.
“Thirty years ago, our founder Robert
Levering was asked to write about good
workplaces; as he was conducting focus
groups, he noticed people would describe
good workplaces in very similar ways,” said
Yuriy Seleznev/Shutterstock.com
TRUST IS THE
NEW ENGAGEMENT
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST IN THE WORKPLACE
By Sarah B. Hood
26 ❚ SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL