Communicating Trust in Adversity

Originally Published MX March/April 2003

TOPSPIN

Building and maintaining corporate trust starts with transparency and partnership.

Jim Reid-Anderson

In the dynamics of today's overall business environment, trust plays an important role. Company leaders from a wide variety of industries can attest to the importance of trust between a company and its investors, employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. But it is certainly nowhere more important than among the regulated companies that make up the medical technology industries—including those of the in vitro diagnostics sector, which is the sole business focus of my company, Dade Behring (Deerfield, IL).

All too often, the current period of business instability is characterized by a significant lack of trust between corporate America and its customers—with damaging effects for both. The key to rebuilding the trust essential for companies to successfully pursue their business objectives lies in the fundamental values of transparency and partnership.