The Speed of Trust - Why Trust is Your Workplace’s Greatest Asset (or Its Biggest Liability)
The Workplace Problem: Slow Decisions, Low Engagement, and Broken Communication
Trust is the foundation of high-performing teams and organizations—yet many workplaces struggle with slow decision-making, internal skepticism, and hidden agendas.
When trust is low, communication breaks down, collaboration suffers, and innovation stalls. Leaders and employees second-guess each other, creating a culture of caution instead of progress.
HR professionals and managers must repair and build trust constantly, but without clear strategies, trust issues linger, costing time, energy, and money.
What This Book is About
In The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey (son of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People author Stephen Covey) makes the case that trust isn’t just a soft, “nice-to-have” value—it’s an economic driver.
The book argues that when trust is high, everything moves faster—decisions, teamwork, and productivity. When trust is low, processes slow down, costs rise, and engagement plummets.
Covey provides a practical roadmap for leaders to build, repair, and sustain trust at all levels of an organization.
Key Takeaways for HR and Workplace Leaders
Trust = Speed + Cost Savings – High-trust organizations make faster decisions with lower costs because employees don’t waste time second-guessing or covering themselves.
There Are 5 Waves of Trust:
Self-Trust – Leaders must be credible and accountable.
Relationship Trust – How trust functions between individuals.
Organizational Trust – A culture of transparency and integrity.
Market Trust – How external stakeholders trust a company.
Societal Trust – A business’s role in ethical leadership.
Trust is Built in Small Moments – Consistently keeping promises, showing competence, and acting with integrity strengthens trust over time.
Restoring Trust Takes Intentional Action – If trust is broken, leaders must acknowledge it, take responsibility, and rebuild through consistent behavior.
The Trust Tax vs. The Trust Dividend – Low-trust workplaces operate at a "trust tax"—everything takes longer and costs more. High-trust workplaces experience a “trust dividend,” where efficiency and morale improve.
Workplace Tools and Models from the Book
The 13 Behaviors of High-Trust Leaders – Actions that create and maintain credibility.
The "Trust Account" Concept – Every interaction either makes a deposit or withdrawal in workplace relationships.
The Smart Trust Matrix – A tool for balancing trust and risk when making leadership decisions.
Why This Matters for HR and Workplace Leaders
HR professionals and managers are responsible for shaping workplace culture. The Speed of Trust provides tools to:
✔ Improve team collaboration by increasing transparency
✔ Coach leaders on how to rebuild broken trust
✔ Reduce micromanagement by fostering accountability
✔ Speed up decision-making and execution by eliminating hidden doubts
How This Connects to Workplace Assessments and Restorations
Many workplace assessments uncover low-trust environments, with issues like:
Employees doubting leadership’s motives.
Decisions taking too long because of excessive approval layers.
Teams working in silos instead of sharing information freely.
By applying the principles in The Speed of Trust, HR leaders can help organizations shift from skepticism to confidence, creating a culture where things get done faster and with less resistance.
How Can You Apply This?
➡️ Are trust issues slowing down decision-making in your workplace?
➡️ Do employees feel unsure whether leadership follows through on promises?
High-trust workplaces don’t just feel better—they perform better.
Where to Buy
Interested in reading The Speed of Trust? You can purchase it here:
📚 Amazon
📚 FranklinCovey’s Official Site
