Building A Trust Mindset

In a world being increasingly driven by technology we are more driven towards trust. In a parallel universe in the world of bitterly fought electoral battles, the politician who inspires trust or even blind trust will always win. When we think about it our life’s most meaningful interactions would have been the ones where you felt trusted and trusted others.

In a world seemingly driven by technology, people gravitate towards trust. Trust makes me safe even when interacting with a technology interface.  

Leaders like brands of the future will be fuelled by trust filled experiences. 

Let’s try and unravel the labyrinth of trust.

Aneil and Karen Mishra, researchers and authors in the field of trust propose the ROCC model of Trust. They posit that being trustworthy is based on four pillars – Reliability, Openness, Competence, and Compassion.  

Why is Uber successful? It is because I can trust my family to get into a stranger's car. Tomorrow if the web shuts down for one year If I see a Uber branded car, I will flag it down to take me where I want to go. I deleted Ola the minute they penalised me for cancelling a ride for no fault of mine. Uber runs on trust, not tech. 

AirBnB and Oyo will be successful the same reason as Uber. Can I rely on them to deliver what they claim to deliver? 

Then comes the world of Amazon. They open themselves up to the entire universe. I have the right to return any product, absolutely no questions asked. They make themselves vulnerable to misuse. Yet, I never misuse them. I am happy to overlook a few blemishes. Their openness to trust their customers set them apart. Unlike the physical world, where if I was to undergo the entire inconvenience of the return process, I am keenly aware it will not be a transparent or open process. My trust is built on their openness. 

Why will old media be successful? I trust the editors to do a good job, check facts, present facts in an unbiased manner. I trust them for their competence. When I need news I will gravitate to old-world brands for the competence they bring to me. Similarly, I buy Microsoft software and Apple hardware. Not vice-versa. 

Why is Netflix successful? Not because of their technology. I trust Netflix to understand what I want. To show me programming relevant to me at a price which suits me. At a time that suits me. Netflix's understanding of my taste builds trust. Sacred Games touched my heart. Not technology or cloud computing or artificial intelligence. Zomato and Swiggy will be successful as Netflix and Uber. If I can trust them for their competence. If their recommendations.

The competence trumps technology prowess. 

Then comes the world of being able to make mistakes. Brands who acknowledge my inability to navigate their products without making me feel inadequate or downright stupid. Brands who will gently let me correct my order when I made a request. I was checking flights and had a choice between an 11 pm and 1 am, and then made an error on the day change. Then I was saddled with a huge cancellation fee for a small error. More than the fee it was being made to feel stupid which dramatically reduced my experience of an otherwise brilliant airline. Google has a fabulous feature where you can recall either incomplete emails or even emails that you sent at the heat of the moment. They recognise human frailty and build it into their process. These brands demonstrate something called empathy and compassion. 

Onora O’Neill a Philosopher and a Member of the House of Lords talks about providing credible, tangible, and usable evidence to demonstrate trustworthiness. 

It is not just about expecting people to find you trustworthy. It falls upon us to provide them with enough evidence. Without providing evidence, we are expecting them to trust you blindly, and the day you expect blind trust or what I might even label as loyalty is the day that we will disallow dissent, challenge, and growth. 

Being trustworthy and trusting others is how brands, relationships, teams, businesses, communities, and societies will evolve. A mindset of trust built on reliability, openness, competence, and compassion pave the way.