Every OSS supplier wants to achieve “trusted” status with their customers. Each supplier wants to be the source trusted to provide the best vision of the future for each customer. Similarly, each OSS customer wants a supplier they can trust and seek guidance from.
I’m an independent consultant, so I have been lucky enough to represent many organisations on both sides of that equation. And in that position, I’ve been able to get a first-hand view of the perception of trust between OSS vendors / integrators (suppliers) and operators (customers). Let’s just say that in general, we’re working in an industry with more scepticism than trust.
So if trust is so important and such a desired status, where is it breaking down?
Whilst I’d like to assume that most people in our industry go into OSS projects with the very best of intentions, there are definitely some suppliers that try to trick and entrap their customers whilst acting in an untrustworthy way. For the rest of this post, I’m going to assume the best – assume that we all have great intentions. We then look at why the trust relationships might be breaking down and some of the ways we can do better.
Jon Gordon provides a great list of 11 ways to build trust. Check out his link for a more detailed view, but the 11 factors are as follows:
- Say what you are going to do and then do what you say!
- Communicate, communicate, communicate
- Trust is built one day, one interaction at a time, and yet it can be lost in a moment because of one poor decision
- Value long term relationships more than short term success
- Sell without selling out. Focus more on your core principles and customer loyalty than short term commissions and profits.
- Trust generates commitment; commitment fosters teamwork; and teamwork delivers results.
- Be honest!
- Become a coach. Coach your customers. Coach your team at work
- Show people you care about them
- Always do the right thing. We trust those who live, walk and work with integrity.
- When you don’t do the right thing, admit it. Be transparent, authentic and willing to share your mistakes and faults
They all sound quite obvious don’t they? Do you also notice that many of the 11 (eg communication, transparency, admitting failure, doing what you say, etc) can be really easy to say but harder to do flawlessly under the pressure of complex OSS delivery projects (and ongoing operations)?
I know I certainly can’t claim a perfect track record on all of these items. Numbers 1 and 2 can be particularly difficult when under extreme delivery pressure, especially when things just aren’t going to plan technically and you’re focussing attention on regaining control of the situation. In those situations, communication and transparency are what the customer needs to maintain confidence, but the customer relationship takes time that also needs to be allocated to overcoming the technical challenges. It becomes a balancing act.
So, how do we position ourselves to make it easier to keep to these 11 best intentions? Simple. By making a concerted effort to reduce complexity… actually not so simple as it sounds, but rewarding if you can achieve it. The less complex your delivery projects (or operational models), the more repeatable and reliable a supplier’s OSS delivery becomes. The more reliable, the less friction and a reduced chance of fracturing relationships. Subsequently, the more chance of building and retaining trust.
Hat-tip to Robert Curran of Aria Networks for spawning a discussion about trust.