TRUST - THE CARE FACTOR
Relationships Matter
Trust – the care factor
Our first blog in the Relationships Matter series explored trust. We developed a trust framework, and discussed some of the factors that can contribute to the dynamics of trust. In the next few blogs you’ll hear from farmers about what trust looks like for them, the people and organisations they trust – or don’t trust - and how relationships based on trust shape what these farmers believe and how they act.
Let’s unpack trust a bit more and start with care – the first component in our trust framework. Trust can be built when a person perceives that another individual or organisation demonstrates care or concern for others. Let’s hear Tom*, a Manawatu dairy farmer, talk about the relationship he has with his fertiliser representative (rep). Tom described how his rep ‘looks after us’ and he continues:
Yeah, well he's an older guy, he's 70 now, but he's a mad keen trout fisherman, he's a local trout fisher guru, and he takes the kids for trout fishing, when we're busy in November and all that, when they have the fishing carnival, he'll take the kids out fishing. He's a local fire-arms officer, he's got his hands in a lot of pies, and he's just a nice guy, just a good old guy. He treats the kids like his own little grandkids really, doesn't he? We talk mainly about fishing (laughs), and what's going on around the district. Because he knows everyone, we don't do a lot in the district. Because we didn't know anyone when we came down here, I suppose we found it reasonably hard to break into the little groups that are around here.’
What does care look like for Tom and his family? Tom believes his rep listens to them, supports them, sees the world from their perspective. Their fertiliser rep provided a contact with a community Tom and his family felt excluded from as district newcomers. The key point of this story: Tom trusts his fertiliser rep and believes his information. Based on the rep’s advice, Tom changed his fertiliser strategy. When Tom’s fertiliser rep changed companies, Tom also changed company to maintain their trusted relationship.
How can you demonstrate care in your relationships with others? How can demonstrating care help you build and maintain trust with current and future clients?
Interested to learn more about the dynamics of trust? Interested in rural social science research? I can help you.
Please get in touch with me at Heather Collins Consulting.
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*Tom was a dairy farmer participant in an in-depth social science study about farmers’ responses to environmental policy interventions. Tom is a pseudonym.
