The concept of trust has been scientifically researched primarily through 3 lenses: personally with one's self (mindfulness), interpersonally with others, and through organizational interactions. Under the umbrella of mindfulness, trust is a foundational attitude alongside acceptance, patience, gratitude, non-judging, letting go, and non-striving. In the post below, we explore trust from a mindfulness perspective as a soft skill and how it can be measured organizationally.

Trust: A Technical Soft Skill Learned Through Mindfulness

Mindfulness encourages individuals to develop trust in their own feelings, intuition, and wisdom. This heightened level of awareness and inner trust can then ripple outward to enable more authentic and trusting relationships with colleagues and patients at scale when integrated into the organization. Ultimately, the skill of self-trust guided by mindfulness can be essential for creating an authentic culture that promotes empathy and effective communication.

"In practicing mindfulness, you are practicing taking responsibility for being yourself and learning to listen to and trust your own being. The more you cultivate this trust in yourself, the easier you will find it will be to trust other people more and to see their basic goodness as well." - Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Full Catastrophe Living. Pg 25. Kindle version.

In a study looking at the relationship between mindfulness and specific leadership development practices, Beekun & Stedham (2022) alluded to the idea that mindfulness enhances abilities for individuals to build trust through genuine presence, empathy, and understanding of others.

As Konte (2023) points out:

"...leading mindfully allows leaders and managers to make strategic decisions with serenity and self-control. It is a management method that combines performance and well-being."

Trust as a (KPI) Key Performance Indicator

Investing in trust as a key performance indicator or cultural tool can help healthcare organizations navigate challenges with stakeholders, such as regulatory bodies, insurers, and the community. To do this, Meyer et al. (2024) created the Development and Validation of the Trust in Multidimensional Healthcare Systems Scale (TIMHSS) as a tool to measure trust in various aspects of healthcare.

Sample Questions Breakdown

Here is a more detailed breakdown of the types of questions you can find in the TIMHSS:

1. I trust that doctors do not judge their patients. (Patient focus of providers)
2. I trust patients get enough attention. (Patient focus of providers)
3. I trust that doctors have control over the decisions they make about my care. (Policies at the macro level)
4. I trust that healthcare policies treat everyone equally. (Policies at the macro level)
5. I trust that doctors will admit when they have made mistakes. (Health care providers’ expertise)
6. I trust that healthcare policies are designed with patients' needs in mind. (Policy - Patient-Centered)
7. I trust that doctors are committed to continuing their education and training (Health care providers’ expertise)
8. I trust that the healthcare system is open about its procedures. (System - Transparency)
9. I trust that the healthcare system advocates for the best interests of its patients. (System - Advocacy)

Trust is crucial for effective healthcare, shaping how patients connect with their providers and impacting their health outcomes and satisfaction. Rebuilding and maintaining this trust is essential, and mindfulness practices can play a key role in this effort. By promoting mindfulness, healthcare organizations can improve well-being, strengthen workplace relationships, and build a foundation of trust that enhances patient care. Making mindfulness a core part of healthcare operations can help restore and sustain trust over the long term.

References

1. Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness
   
2. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: MINDFULNESS AND LEADERSHIP PRACTICES
   
3. Mindfulness in Organizations: The Concept of Mindful Leadership
4. Development and validation of the Trust in Multidimensional Healthcare Systems Scale (TIMHSS)