Addressing consumer trust in the dairy industry at March PDPW Business Conference

FOND DU LAC, WIS. – February 11, 2011 – Most people are familiar with “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” one of the two most influential business books of the 20^th Century authored by Dr. Stephen R.. Covey. At the 2011 Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Business Conference “Pathways to Profit,” March 15-16, Madison, attendees will have the opportunity to hear and interact with the man who led the strategy that propelled this book. That man is Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s son, Stephen M.R. Covey, who is making his mark in the business world for his insight on trust and how trust can make organizations more profitable, people more promotable and relationships more energizing.

Stephen M.R. Covey is the author of his own book, “The Speed of Trust,” that is quickly gaining the same groundswell of followers as his father’s book. This groundbreaking book challenges the assumption that trust is merely a soft, social virtue and maintains that trust is, instead, a hard-edged economic driver.

“Nothing is as fast as the speed of trust,” Covey relates, “and the ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust with all stakeholders is the critical leadership competency of the new global economy..”

Stephen M.R. Covey will zero in on the trust issue when he delivers the opening keynote address at the 2011 PDPW Business Conference, March 15, in Madison. During his “Building Your Future on Trust” keynote, Covey will outline why and how to make building trust an explicit goal, how individuals perceive the trustworthiness of others and how to use the “language of trust” as an important cultural lever. He’ll also explain how to create action plans to build “trust accounts” with all key stakeholders—at home, at work, within the industry and with consumers.

“This presentation couldn’t come at a more timely time as consumers are looking at their food choices in a whole new way. This keynote will cut to the core of what accelerates or terminates every relationship in our professional and personal lives,” states Eric Hillan, PDPW president and dairy producer from Ladysmith, Wis.  “Trust is a leadership challenge, and we so often take this critical intangible for granted.. I’m anxious to hear from the trust expert and learn what the dairy industry can do to reap the dividends of high trust.”

Hillan adds that, in addition to Covey delivering the opening keynote address, he will also head up a two-hour afternoon specialty session, “Get Your Business on the Fast-Track to Sustainable Success.”

“PDPW’s 2011 Business Conference is jam-packed with specialty sessions, and attendees can pick and choose from among the 15 topics and decide which sessions they want to participate in,” Hillan explains. “We’re talking a variety of topics and all delivered by industry experts. It’s like having 35-some consultants or resources in one place for two days and all are ready to share information to help us become better business people.

“And that’s not even counting the value of networking with fellow dairy producers and allied industry partners who attend the Business Conference. I learn a lot every step of the way at the Business Conference.”

To learn more about the 2011 PDPW Business Conference or to register for dairy’s premier educational conference, visit www.pdpw.org or call 1-800-947-7379.

Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin is a dairy-producer founded organization that provides educational programs and services to fellow dairy producers. PDPW’s mission is “to share ideas, solutions, resources, and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.”

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