President’s Message: In Stephen M.R. Covey’s book, “The Speed of Trust,” the author makes the following comment: “There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy, and civilization throughout the world — one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character … That one thing is trust.”

Some people think trust is a “soft, touchyfeely” quality and not something that is real and quantifiable. I couldn’t disagree more. For me, trust is a tangible asset that is just as important and real to a team’s success as having the right equipment and assets to physically do a job.

For example, I used to be a crew chief on a CH-53 “Sea Stallion” helicopter in the Marine Corps — it was a thing of beauty, 29,000 pounds of grease and hydraulic fluid flying through the air at almost 200 knots. Our four-person crew worked as a team. I trusted the pilot’s ability to fly the bird and keep us safe; the pilot trusted the first mechanic and me to watch out for anything that would adversely affect him from doing those aforementioned things. The bottom line: if we couldn’t trust each other, mainly each other’s judgment to do the right thing, the mission at hand was doomed to be substandard or failed from the start.

Simply put, trust in each other means confidence in one another. As Covey writes in his book, “The opposite of trust — distrust — is suspicion.” Mahatma Gandhi states this same theory another way: The moment there is suspicion about a person’s motives, everything he does becomes tainted. One only needs to look at recent polls to see mistrust and suspicion are rampant in our society.

You don’t need me to tell you that trust in almost every societal institution — government, media, business, health care, religious institutions, political parties — is significantly lower than just a few years ago. According to a Harris poll I saw quoted, less than 22 percent of respondents trusted the media, only 8 percent trusted a political party, less than 12 percent trusted big companies, and the trust for many of our federal institutions was in the single digits. What a sad commentary on the greatest nation the world has ever known.

So what is the cost to each of us for the mistrust out there? Why should we care? According to Covey, the cost of trust can be looked at and measured in a formula with two critical outcomes: speed and cost. When trust goes up, speed goes up and costs will go down. When trust goes down, speed will go down and costs will go up.

I have seen enough examples of the above theory to believe the corollary to be true. I have seen thousands — hundreds of thousands — of dollars wasted on projects or recounts that really didn’t need to happen; groups or organizations just wanted to delay the process for their own reasons. I call that selfish. Because of distrust or unbelief, the process was slowed down, and the cost to taxpayers or investors skyrocketed. As Ralph Waldo Emerson laments, “Our distrust is very expensive.”

In a state that is already millions of dollars in the red, we cannot continue the status quo. Someone has to start the process of rebuilding trust. We cannot become prosperous by pointing fingers and calling each other names. We’ve done that for years now, and I humbly ask you: where has it gotten you, me, or the state of Maine?

My solution? Well, it is very simple and probably naïve. I learned it from my dad, and the process is this: sit down with all the stakeholders involved in a particular situation, talk facts (not emotions), listen to hear (not just respond), realize that no one opinion rules the day (we don’t live in an autocracy anymore), and identify areas that need to be worked on. For those who call themselves leaders, apply “leadership” throughout the process — let me be clear, leadership is not the same as facilitating. The final outcome should be a solution for the problem at hand.

Failure to build a transparent plan that can be communicated simply, with all parties agreeing on the facts, is a failure of leadership. To put it more bluntly, folks don’t trust your plan because they don’t trust you.

Are we doomed? Can trust ever be rebuilt? The answer is yes. Covey gives five “waves” in which trust can be rebuilt and solutions for moving forward. I highly encourage you get a copy of “The Speed of Trust” and read the waves for yourself. Trust me, the result could be life changing.

Upcoming Events: February’s Mid Day Chambers is “Be An Energy Bean Counter” presented by Rick Meinking, business program manager for Efficiency Maine. He’ll speak about reasons for energy accounting and how to get started. The program is free and meets Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Topsham Public Library on Foreside Road. Mid Day Chambers provides businessto business networking, a time to market your business and an information exchange.

“From Phone Books to Smartphones, How Customers Find Your Business” is a free seminar on Friday, 8 to 9 a.m., at the Inn at Brunswick Station, 4 Noble St., Brunswick. Our presenter is Jim LeClair of the Maine Coast Welcome Center. Topics include: 1) your business data record, 2) your business location — are your transactions “brick and mortar or Amazon?, 3) maps — who controls your business location, 4) directories, how to make a splash, and 5) crossover applications — How a Maine state park visitor becomes your customer. Please register by calling 725- 8797, ext. 1 or register online at www.midcoastmaine.com.

February’s regional networking event, Chamber After Hours, is Feb. 22, 5 to 7 p.m., at the Old Goat, 33 Main St., Richmond. It is also hosted by Legacy Investments. Come and enjoy the camaraderie of other business people and a warm, pub atmosphere in this historic building. Enjoy the cash bar and door prize drawings. To register for this event, call 725-8797, ext. 1 or register online at www.midcoastmaine.com.

The first of three Midcoast Women’s Networking forums is March 7, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Moulton Union on the campus of Bowdoin College. Lois Skillings, president and CEO of Mid Coast Health Services, will speak about achieving a “Healthy Life Balance for Working Women.” The program includes lunch and the fee is $15/person. Reservations are required by March 2 by calling 725-8797, ext. 1 or register and pay online at www.midcoastmaine.com. The program is sponsored by BEK, Inc.

Members in the news: SMMC welcomes CES, Inc., an engineering firm based in Brewer with a branch office in Topsham; the Old Goat Pub in downtown Richmond; Pine Tree Service Center, Phippsburg; Northern Benefits of Maine, an employee benefits brokerage serving businesses through the Northeast; and BambiThompson.com, an occupational therapist specializing in energy healing.

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