by Christopher Cornue

I had the opportunity this week to meet Stephen M. R. Covey and talk with him following his presentation in New York about the importance of Trust. It was an amazing presentation where he described the impact trust has in organizations...specifically healthcare organizations.

During his talk, he discussed some very sobering statistics about those of us in healthcare. Specifically, he quoted several studies that demonstrated we have significant trust issues.

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He cited that only 34 percent of people believe that others can be trusted. In Great Britain, this number is even worse, with 29 percent stating they trust others, which is down from 60 percent a few decades ago. With regard to healthcare, 27 percent of people trust healthcare leaders, down from a high of 73 percent many years ago. Additionally, only 28 percent trust hospitals.

These statistics, coupled with all the press about healthcare reform we've been hearing the past several months, paint a very grim picture for healthcare and its leaders. Is it a fair or unfair representation of our industry?

Mr. Covey suggested that healthcare leaders have the ability to impact change on significant levels through the establishment of trust in our organizations. He stated that "the ability to establish, grow, extend and restore trust with all stakeholders [patients, families, colleagues, providers and communities] is the No. 1 leadership competency in healthcare today."

He also suggested that this level of trust, and reestablishing it across the industry, will be a key piece of changing healthcare going forward. He provided a direct correlation of trust with both speed (i.e., getting things done) and cost. Specifically, when there is low trust, there is decreased speed/efficiency and increased cost because you end up compensating for things. Conversely, when there is a high degree of trust, you realize increased speed in getting things accomplished with reduce costs. This is a key lesson to everyone in these times of economic unpleasantness.

I thank Mr. Covey for the wonderful opportunity to spend time with him this week...and convey a positive message from which we can ensure our healthcare organizations are the best they can be. I believe we all agree that when there is trust, we are able to be better leaders and make changes happen more effectively. Many organizations include "trust" in their values...or they include other characteristics that are associated with, or lead to, trust: integrity, credibility, judgment, character, etc.

Maybe this is the first, and most important, aspect of healthcare reform; one that we can all accomplish within our respective organizations.