About this Video

This video is from the The 4th annual SIIA Content Forum conference, which focused on the tools, tactics, and best practices necessary to build, enable and sell content.

The Software and Information Association is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries.

Steven M.R. Covey, author of The Speed of Trust, was the opening keynote speaker at the SIIA Content Forum in San Francisco.

Covey believes “trust is a hard edged economic driver because it always addresses speed and cost.” When trust decreases, speed decreases, and costs rise.

Covey also believes that trust is a key leadership competency in the new economy. Trust is needed to acquire and keep customers, create and maintain community, and inspire and retain team members (employees or otherwise). According to Covey, trust is a function of credibility and behavior.

You build credibility by acting with integrity, demonstrating respect for people (intent), building and maintaining relevant and current capabilities, and getting results.

However, a personal philosophy of integrity, good intentions, and ever increasing capabilities is not enough. Your actions must support your words. “You can’t talk yourself out of a problem you behaved yourself into.”

In the end, Covey believes that trust is reciprocal and you must extend it to build it. “Trust but verify” – but trust first and foundationally.

About Ann Michael
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I’ve worked in several companies while they’ve struggled through change. I was with AT&T right after it divested the baby bells. I was with Prodigy (anyone remember that?) when it was trying to create a consumer oriented online news and shopping experience (before AOL even existed). I’ve spent the last six years working with traditional publishers.

If there has ever been an industry smack in the middle of radical change – it’s publishing. If you’re in the information business the world is a scary place right now.

Or is it?

You can close your eyes and hope everything turns out all right or you can figure out how to participate – and build a thriving business. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I’d like to find out what others think, what they’re doing, and how it’s working for them.

I believe in collaboration.
I believe that when we work together we increase the opportunities for everyone.

OK – so maybe I’m an idealist. I can live with that.

The reality is that people need information and quality is no longer in the eyes of the information provider – it’s in the eyes of the consumer.

How do you take control? There’s the rub – you can’t! That’s what changed. You’re no longer in charge, but you can participate and you can lead.

If you want to make it – you’re going to have to adapt.