Regaining Trust Through Conversation
Angry, Angry World
What should have brought people together in a democratic exercise, the 2020 US Presidential election only further fortified the opposing trenches instead of bridging gaps. What an angry world! No surprise. After all, it is what polarization accomplishes: fueling shouting matches, carried out in parliaments, on Zoom calls, and over dinner tables. Insulted, disgusted, and full of anger, for too long, we preferred receding into our echo chambers where we can trust similar beliefs, points of view, values, and the compliments and reaffirming support. The algorithm-powered mechanisms applied to make us fulfilled also block points of view and opinions we don’t like. And, when blocked, anybody would revert to shouting or: writing in all-CAPS. But when scientific facts become a matter of opinion, who or what is left to trust?
Companies need to rely on being close to customers. Remaining silent might sound like the best options, though you’ll run the risk of becoming a silent approver. It is hardly the best way to establish or maintain the trust which customers place in you. It is hard to disconnect from the mess because we are all so well connected and interconnected. We expect the companies whose products or services we’re buying to take a position and show it. Not having a voice is translated into not caring. Businesses need to care.
The 5 to 1 Ratio for Relationships
According to science (Dr. J. Gottmann), the ratio of positive versus negative interactions needs to be 5 to 1 for a well-functioning relationship between people. Well, right now, we are in urgent need of more positivity. Each one of us can make the first step. In the article, “Embrace The Buddhist Concept of Mudita to Explore Untapped Happiness,” Akshad Singi highlights Mudita: finding joy in other people’s experience of joy. We usually do some of that within the circle of our family and friends — often not enough. And typically not outside of these circles. Focusing on Mudita helps to get rid of Schadenfreude and envy, as Akshad explains. Imagine if Facebook would have included the concept of Mudita when it learned, through an internally conducted study in 2018, that its people-connecting-platform is encouraging division among its billions of users. Instead, Facebook did not jump into action back then. (Maybe there was a romantic belief that division will give some strange sense of a diverse unity (?).
Algorithms do an incredibly efficient job of ensuring that we get to see what we want to see online. It feels good when search results and suggested opinion pieces are aligned, like magic, with our opinions. We’ll share it with our friends and, by doing so, further strengthen the visibility of that opinion, not noticing that we also contribute to further polarization. The algorithm takes care of it, but it doesn’t encourage critical thinking; it’s almost like a trickle-down pyramid scheme of likes under the screen of the ‘wisdom of crowds.’
Lead a Civil Conversation
As more extreme opinions keep showing up, brands and companies can no longer afford to remain silent. Some have defended their positions, showing support for climate change actions or social justice such as BLM and diversity. It is a fine line to walk on because companies aren’t keen to get sucked into aggressive verbal tit-for-tat (or worse). Nor should they. But it has become clear that the type of conversation companies have with customers, with markets, or communities is a mirror to how seriously they are taking responsibility beyond the quarterly results for shareholders. And businesses of all sizes can lead by example and demonstrate how to stay connected and show trustworthy conversations: not as a tone-deaf shouting match but as civil discourse. One essential point about civility is, as Robin Cangie explains in an article “What does it mean to be civil?” so well-fitting for 2020 (although written in 2018):
To be civil is, fundamentally, to care. To care for one’s community and the dignity and flourishing of each individual within it, even when doing so is difficult and uncomfortable.
Five Elements for a Constructive Conversation
Whether you are a solopreneur or run a larger company, here are five elements to prepare yourself for a constructive, civil conversation with your market:
1) Show your colors & stay firm on your values
First, you need some necessary work of preparation for leading convincing and confident conversations. It means re-evaluating your vision and mission and your reason for being a business. If you don’t have it, now would be an excellent time to get started. If you do, ensure your values signal that you’re running a responsible business. That means being accountable to your products, market, customers, the communities of your operations and customers, investors, as well as your company’s environment and social impact. It needs to be the complete package. Showing your colors means communicating your values, who you are, and what you stand for. And as Deloitte has shown, the coming generation of talent wants to work for companies that are good global citizens, attuned to issues of societal and climate challenges. And you will attract the right type of customers and investors aligned with your values. Consider this exercise as an opportunity for co-creation among your colleagues, organization, and partners to gain buy-in.
2) Have your facts ready & science-based
Committing to responsibility needs to translate into proof points. Responsibility means to be ‘response-able’: committing to targets for environmental and social impact, measuring and transparently reporting your progress. Large firms already invest in preparing annual sustainability reports, something smaller companies typically can’t afford. But even smaller companies can show engagement with communities. That the development of products and services can have a triple-bottom-line focus that isn’t as much a cost but a strategic decision to create new markets. It should be daily bread-&-butter for every business. Even entrepreneurs in startups need to be increasingly prepared to respond to investors for non-financial returns, too. Having your facts ready helps to substantiate the conversation with your market.
3) Listen first
Listening is the foundation of customer and market centricity. It starts with understanding your customers’ world view: what and why are pain points, challenges, and core issues? What are successes, and how are they experienced? When you are looking to have conversations with your customers, seek to understand their journey from search, discovery to purchase, usage, and recommendation? Next, what are the current topics of the influencers in your market? And finally, consider asking questions as an invitation to co-creation: What works, what doesn’t work, what’s missing. Many social media market listening tools can help with it. However, don’t underestimate personal interactions. Even in our times of social-distancing, reaching out and connecting can be done through zoom calls, webinars, and online workshops.
4) Moderate & engage, respectfully
Being a good moderator means to guide the conversation; the points above will position you well to be prepared and ensure the conversation stays civil and constructive. Be clear about the ground rules and conditions under which you are looking forward to having a conversation. Be clear about what is acceptable and what goes against your framework. Always align the discussion with your values (see above point 1).
5) Participate & celebrate
Taking responsibility and thoroughly caring about your customers will translate into results your company delivers that serve proof points you need to have at the ready. They demonstrate how serious you are to understand the issues your market cares about. They will clearly show which targets you meet and which ones you’ve missed, specifically regarding your market’s social and environmental impact. Showing care about what your market cares about also means celebrating the successes customers and partners have achieved.
The promise of the internet was “a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence or conformity”, as per the Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace from 1996. And so we did. And somewhere along the way, we took a turn that empowered the vile, hurtful, and ugly bombardment outside our echo chambers. 2020 has laid bare how interconnected we all are and how fragile the connections are. Trust is in danger of drowning in a loud cacophony of opinions. The way we lead the conversation. As Stephen Covey said
Trust is the glue to life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.
I believe it is possible and necessary to create future-fit businesses responsible for proactively participating and contributing towards a fair, net-zero carbon, regenerative, and thriving economy for all. My passion is to help companies use their inert skill, competence, and resources to transform and build responsible business organizations.
