Farm Futures logo

Embrace these 4 traits to build better business, personal relationships.

Davon Cook, Family business consultant

April 20, 2021

3 Min Read
building the word trust with crane - with chalkboard in background
iStock/Getty Images

My previous blog stressed the importance of trust in family business relationships. Trust is displayed not simply by being honest or holding information confidential. It’s also displayed in every day actions that build others’ confidence in our abilities and performance.

In The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey offers 13 behaviors that build trust. Here are a few I find most relevant among farm families:

Talk Straight. We tend to avoid uncomfortable conversations. Talking straight takes honesty to a new level. It’s not just telling the truth; it’s discussing hard truths. It is not having a hidden agenda. For example, if you’re concerned your nephew is not putting in enough hours, talking straight means telling him yourself—not hoping your wife will talk to his mom who will put a bug in his ear. Talking straight doesn’t mean be rude or blunt or inflammatory; use emotional intelligence and communication skills to have tough conversations in a setting and tone that’s productive. Often times the need to talk straight is related to the next behavior…

Clarify Expectations. When we’re disappointed in another person’s performance, this is the single most common reason why. We didn’t have the same understanding of what/when/where/how/why. This works both way. If you’re trying to restore someone else’s trust in you, make sure you understand what specifically will convince them you’ve done the job right. If you’re extending trust to another, set them up to succeed with clear goals. And then, after you clarify expectations…

Deliver Results. Nothing builds confidence in each other like getting the job done. Maybe that is busting tail to prove your new organic venture is profitable and wasn’t an unwise wild risk like your partners thought. Maybe that is showing up for work 10 minutes early every day to disprove the perception that you’re a slacker. Actions speak louder than words in many cases.

Finally, Create Transparency. If your partners suspect you’re losing money hedging, show them regular status reports. And if you did make a bad decision, help them understand why you did so at the time and what you learned.

If your next generation wants to join the farm but is worried about whether it’s feasible, show them the books and let them do their own analysis. If the partners are giving conflicting marching orders to employees, have a weekly meeting to get on the same page about priorities. “In the absence of a story, people make one up.” If you are not communicating relevant information, you’re leaving people no choice but to make assumptions that may or may not be correct.

I encourage you to read the book; it has practical examples of how behaviors build or erode trust every day.

Davon Cook is a family business consultant at K Coe Isom. Reach Davon at [email protected]. The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress. 

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress. 

 

More from Davon Cook

Here’s what happens when farm families don’t trust each other

Why sunscreen is part of your risk management strategy

5 ways an advisory board helps your farm

About the Author(s)

Davon Cook

Family business consultant, Pinion

Davon Cook is a family business consultant at Pinion (formerly K Coe Isom). She helps families work well together in the business and navigate transitions in leadership and ownership. She works with farmers and ranchers all day every day and is passionate about production ag. Davon has been specializing in this area since 2012, partnering with Lance Woodbury at Ag Progress and K Coe Isom. She facilitates peer groups covering a range of strategic and technical topics, so she understands the issues producers are managing every day. Her perspective is shaped by spending ten years working in her own family’s cotton business near Lubbock, Texas, and a career spanning the ag value chain from McKinsey to ConAgra to consulting with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation throughout Africa. She welcomes comments, questions, and conversation!

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like