Trust is not a one-way street

Reflect for a moment on what causes you to trust people, or organizations. What are the characteristics, behaviors, values that you look out for?

In a recent article, PASA offers ‘Five essential tips to build trust with your suppliers’. In addition to the need to ‘ensure mutual interests’, it concludes with this summary: “By recognising the importance of business development, understanding supplier capabilities, prioritising empathy, and seeking evidence of authenticity, procurement professionals can establish strong and trustworthy partnerships with suppliers, leading to successful project outcomes.”

OK, you might say, that’s not an unreasonable list. And nor would it be if it were not so one-sided. Take empathy as an example. The article doesn’t suggest that Procurement should demonstrate any empathy with the supplier’s goals and interests, but rather that the supplier must show ‘an empathic understanding of your organization’s goals and challenges’.

In my experience, it is this self-interested, one-sided view of the world that undermines collaboration and generates potential for conflict. Just imagine a personal relationship where all the focus is on the other party’s interests, where all the testing is about their loyalty, where all the questions are ‘what have you done for me today’ …

A recipe for trust? If you want loyal suppliers – or customers – I recommend you don’t follow the advice contained in these ‘five essential tips’. Later this week, I’ll offer an alternative.