Good Information, Hard to Listen to

Covey describes trust as being based on character and competence, where character is required and competence is situational. He uses financial terms as a concrete way to convey the cost of low trust and the benefit of high trust, describing the former as a trust tax and the latter as a trust dividend. The quickest way to make a withdrawal, he insists, is to violate a behavior of character, and the quickest way to make a deposit is to demonstrate a behavior of competence. He goes on to detail seven low trust taxes (redundancy, bureaucracy, politics, disengagement, turnover, churn, and fraud) and seven high trust dividends (increased value, accelerated growth, enhanced motivation, improved collaboration, stronger partnering, better execution, and heightened loyalty).

Covey also outlines what he characterizes as five waves of trust: self-trust, relationship trust, organizational trust, market trust, and societal trust. For each of these waves, he applies the concept of the four cores (integrity, intention, capabilities, and results) and the thirteen behaviors of high-trust leaders (talk straight, demonstrate respect, create transparency, right wrongs, show loyalty, deliver results, get better, confront reality, clarify expectations, practice accountability, listen first, keep commitments, and extend trust). The book includes a multitude of practical applications and pushes the reader to reflect on his or her own behavior.

Despite the fact that I have recommended this book, I do so with some caveats. Although I generally like it when an author reads the book, that was not the case for this one. Covey is a Harvard MBA, but I was astounded at the number of mispronunciations. His reading style has a hesitating tempo to it that comes across as patronizing, and his incessant family examples are over the top. He's a business man, not a family therapist. Those examples got very tiresome. Still, there are nuggets in the book.

77 people found this helpful

Disappointed

I have listened to ~30 audible selections over the past year. Though I had read reviewers' comments concerning poor narration, I never thought a bad narrator could undermine the content of a book so greatly.

Mr. Covey is probably a really nice guy, but is simply a poor reader. The choppy, uneven flow made me wish I would have purchased the book rather than listening to it.

Recommendation: Please listen to the sample audio prior to purchasing. (I will from now on.)

64 people found this helpful

Better at 1.3x Speed

This was a decent book and series of concepts, which I will have the opportunity to try. However, it screams for and would be better enjoyed with a better tempo. The pace made it difficult to stay engaged.

7 people found this helpful

Some good information in there, but is too long

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book has some great information. But it could be about 2/3rds shorter.A lot of information is repeated, and I couldnt' finish it.

6 people found this helpful

Outstanding!

This book is a game changer! No other book, or person, has helped me realize that my approach to trust saw it as an illusion I was creating. I had no self trust, and then wondered why people didn't trust me. This bok helped me realize why I must have self -trust, and how I could get it... fast!

This bok will change your life... if you let it!

4 people found this helpful

Very true!

This book was a pleasant surprise. There is much truth to what Covey says in this book, both about how trust changes everything and how to increase your "trust" quotient in life and in the office. It is also interesting how the principles in this book apply to virtually everything in life: Marriage, Church and Family, relationships between nations, etc..... This was recommended by my boss and I'm truly glad I read (or more accurately listened to ) it. Well worth your time!

21 people found this helpful

Behavior

The reason things are told over and over is because our mindset sometimes is a period instead of comma which is continual journey.
Yes, we (humanity) have all kinds of family habits that make us related to our families, yet to give everyone a perspective and be diligent in our own core values: we because we are all in this together need to forgive and to trust; be brave and overcome the mountains of our lives. Thank you, Stephen, for the last hour of this audiobook: It gave me a release. -Jeremy

2 people found this helpful

not bad

I liked it enough, but 7 Habits was better in my opinion. this is actually written by the son.

2 people found this helpful

Amazing information and challenge

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, but they've got to listen well and long as this is a long but challenging look at why trust is so important in all our lives.

What did you like best about this story?

Trust is shown to be what it was intended to be, the king-pin that creates and holds together relationships of all stripes.

What about Stephen R. Covey’s performance did you like?

His thinking and clear wording make one stop and self-evaluate.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, but it did force me to think and rethink.

1 person found this helpful

Good concept - not a good book

What disappointed you about The Speed of Trust?

While some have commented on not liking Covey's style of narration, I didn't mind that but really disliked the alternative narrator.

The book also seemed very repetitive as if it is trying to fill more pages than it would naturally.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Strongly agreed with and found the concept informative about how big a role trust plays but the shallowness of a lot of the material later on and the other narrator's affected tone made it an unpleasant experience overall.

7 people found this helpful