Showing good intent: ‘leave something for the other guy’

Trust thought for today - about Intent, one of the 7 Signals of trustworthiness.

Trusted organisations demonstrate that their intent is not totally self-focused and that one's own or the public interest is also seen as important.

Interesting lessons from Britain's most successful online retailer middle of the road company Next here in The Guardian: Whatever Next - how a middle-of-the-road High-Street store became a retail powerhouse.

One of their strengths is their relationships with their suppliers which has set them in very good stead during Covid, with sales this spring up 60% from 2019.

"Retail bosses who bemoan the hard deals struck by Amazon or department store chains in which they have concessions don’t complain about Next’s operation in the same way," says former Mintel director Richard Hyman. “I think doing business with them is quite straightforward. That doesn’t mean they’re not hard or uncompromising, but they leave something on the table for the other guy.” This pays off particularly in difficult times when suppliers go the extra mile to deliver.

(BTW, they also demonstrate good intent with their relentlessly focus on what their customers want and are also incredibly competent logistically. They are laggards on sustainability, in line it seems with their customer's own views. But also known for their responsiveness to changing values. Let's see. )

So here's an example of 'Evidence of Trustworthiness' under the heading of Intent: "Leave something on the table for the other guy."