This week we are going to be looking at some of the key lessons from Stephen M. R. Covey’s wonderful book The Speed of Trust.
Our theme this year at PCI is all about building trust. During our 2020 Kickoff event, we did an exercise where we spent time reflecting on the high trust and low trust relationships in our lives. When trust is high, we communicate easily and quickly. We can practically finish each other’s sentences. We understand the other person’s meaning and intent – even when the words are off.
When trust is low, communication is exhausting and difficult. Things move slowly, or not at all. Even when we are precise with our language, the other person may misinterpret what we are saying.
The same applies with our teams at work. When we are on a team where trust is low, we are reluctant to take risks and ask for help. There is conflict, politics and defensiveness. The workplace environment suffers and unwanted turnover is high. In fact, research shows that the question, “Do you trust your boss?” is the single biggest predictor of team and organizational performance.
In servant leadership organizations like PCI where we are all expected to be leaders every day, this means that each of us is responsible for creating a high trust environment.
Reflection: Who do we admire for their trustworthiness? Why? How might we improve a low trust relationship in our lives?
Action: Is there an action we could take today to close the gap between how we are showing up in the present moment to rise to our highest potential?
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