The Speed of Trust

In a recent blog post, I talked about “The Decision to Trust” which is based on a Harvard Business Review article by Robert F. Hurley. Expanding on this topic is the latest book from Stephen M.R. Covey entitled The Speed of Trust. While Hurley lays out 10 factors in establishing trust, Covey talks in depth about the “4 Cores of Credibility:”

- Integrity: While integrity includes honesty, it’s much more, says Covey. It’s walking your talk. It’s being congruent, inside and out. It’s having the courage to act in accordance with your values and beliefs.

- Intent: This has to do with our motives, our agendas, and our resulting behavior.

- Capabilities: These are the abilities we have that inspire confidence – our talents, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and style.

- Results: This refers to our track record, our performance, our getting the right things done.

Notice that integrity and intent come from our character, while capabilities and results are a product of our competence. Without competence, even the most honest person will not be trusted. In his book, Covey uses the metaphor of a tree. Integrity is the root system below the surface. Intent, which is somewhat more visible, is trunk. Capabilities are the branches which enable the tree to produce. Finally, results are the fruits – the visible, tangible, measurable outcomes that are most easily seen and evaluated by others.

The combination of Covey’s book and Hurley’s article provide an excellent framework for understanding the issue of trust, and how trust, or the lack thereof, has a huge and lasting impact on the productivity and effectiveness of an organization.

Randy Bancino
Managing Partner
Profitable Growth Partners, LLC.