Trust, Reputation and Benefit of the Doubt
What's important to learn and know
“When you trust someone,” writes Milorad Ajder, the global service line leader of corporate reputation at Ipsos, “you give them the benefit of the doubt.
“If that person gets in trouble, you will hear their side of the story before jumping to conclusions.”
That’s why we as individuals, groups, businesses and any organization need to be diligent in constantly building, establishing, nurturing and protecting trust.
It’s why we need to promptly, humbly, thoroughly administer conflict repairs when we have dinged or damaged trust.
Because, plainly stated, the benefit of the doubt means that much in difficult or rotten situations. You’re going to want it badly and if it’s not there, you’re going to feel it.
Think how you will react emotionally and psychologically if that benefit of the doubt isn’t present and isn’t going to be offered.
That’s going to do a number on your mental health.
“Companies seek to build the same benefit of the doubt among their stakeholders,” Ajder writes. “Without a strong reputation, companies risk not having a receptive audience for their story when they need one the most.”
Just as this goes for companies and their leaders and investors it goes for us as individuals, whether in our professions and careers or in our personal lives. We will want and crave that pause of emotion and judgment through a benefit of the doubt, even if for a short time, when we need it the most.
Let’s go back to business though for the moment. Did you know…
“Among people who trust a company a great deal, more than half (59%) say they would definitely give that company the benefit of the doubt in a crisis. Among people who feel neutral toward a company, that percentage shrinks to just 10%.”
Think about that for a long moment. Keep thinking. That’s a precipitous drop, from over a 50-50 chance to a slim likelihood. Those aren’t odds that I want in business, my profession or my personal relationships. What about you?
“Benefit of the doubt and trust are highly correlated. When companies build trust, they are building up benefit of the doubt,” Ajder writes.
This needs to be a constant, daily commitment with decision making and interactions.
Did you also know that, “… companies with the best reputation get the most benefit of the doubt, and least trusted companies generate very little benefit of the doubt.”
You might say, “why thank you for communicating the obvious.” But there’s something important here that might not be immediately clear to everyone.
The better we build trust in our relationships and interactions the more we are not only increasing it but additionally minimizing the chances of distrust, especially in the worst of situations.
People may very well come to you with positive intent and detail what is being felt and communicated about you instead of immediately getting angry or disassociating from you.
They likely will either convey that they don’t believe what is negative or they will be curious to learn if it’s factual and true. That’s a big difference from doubting or judging you harshly.
They won’t immediately judge you as guilty of any perceived wrongdoing.
That might not seem like enough to you but it’s very, very valuable. You have a chance to intelligently, credibly speak to the claims and show that they aren’t factual and true. You can play a role in disproving what isn’t true.
Keep in mind, whether in your professional or personal lives, Ajder is talking about stakeholders, meaning we’re not talking about total strangers to who you are.
The benefit of the doubt is worth continuously pursuing and earning that necessary trust by what we say and don’t say, do and don’t do and regularly showing ourselves as responsible, self-controlled, caring, humble people will “win” that coveted reward.
Michael Toebe is a reputation consultant, advisor and communications specialist at Reputation Intelligence: Reputation Quality, assisting individuals and organizations with further building reputation as an asset or ethically and responsibly protecting, restoring or reconstructing it.
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