Curtin management staff attend ‘Leading at the Speed of Trust’ workshop

Miri – 2 November 2012 – 19 management staff of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) recently attended a 2-day ‘Leading at the Speed of Trust’ workshop conducted by trainers from the Franklin Covey Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Held at the Miri Marriott Resort & Spa, the workshop introduced the participants to the ‘Leading at the Speed of Trust’ programme developed by Stephen M.R. Covey, son of the famous Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

The programme examines the different aspects of trust, such as self trust, relationship trust, organisational trust, market trust and societal trust, which Covey regards as the key leadership competency of the new global economy. It also seeks to increase trust within an organisation in the context of getting work done.

According to Curtin Sarawak’s Human Resources Manager Viziaty Drahman, the programme helps participants identify strengths to capitalise on and areas to improve as they strive to build trust with others.

To help them towards this, participants invite feedback from their bosses, peers and subordinates on the levels of trust they have in the participants to develop Trust Quotient or tQ reports which are then evaluated during the workshop.

According to Covey, trust is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organisation, nation, economy, and civilisation throughout the world. If removed, it can destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character and the deepest love.

On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, it has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life. Yet, it is the least understood, most neglected, and most underestimated possibility of our time, he adds.

For the participants, the programme is an ongoing one, where they are expected to evaluate different situations in their respective workplaces and develop and implement ’trust action plans’ to inspire trust in given situations. Regular follow-up sessions will be conducted in coming months to track progress.

Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Ching said the workshop was truly beneficial as it reminded him to continue upholding the four Cores of Credibility, namely Integrity, Intent, Capabilities and Results, and that they are all interrelated and all-powerful.

Meanwhile, University Life Manager Haslina Malek said she found the workshop refreshing.

“Trust sounds like a simple verb but to affectively trust others and for others to trust us in return requires an understanding of the concept and a commitment to undertake the process of building or extending trust,” she said.

Sharing Haslina’s views, Director of Staff and Student Affairs Dr. Adeline Wong said that the workshop was an invaluable eye opener.

“It helped to reconfirm some of the things we already knew about, and also opened up some surprises that can help us improve how we go about our work and our relationships,” said Dr. Wong.

The participants and trainers pose for a group photo at the end of the workshop.