Building a Trust-based Relationship

Building a trust-based relationship requires a fundamental understanding that "relationship" is the foundation from which all activities happen and that building a good relationship takes time and commitment. It is a willingness to build a personal relationship in addition to a professional one, participating in open exchanges of experiences and culture. It requires a genuine, non-controlling approach and relies upon demonstrated integrity and transparency. Building a trust-based relationship requires a high level of consciousness of the experience of Indigenous people with Crown relations. It assumes that strengths abound in Indigenous people, cultures and communities.

Demonstrates the Behaviour When

• Goes without agenda to the person, community or organization to listen and understand their experience
• Willing to adjust behaviour or approach in the interest of building a relationship
• Makes a conscious effort to establish and build rapport, including discussion about weather, current events, family, etc.
• Identifies and refers to areas of mutual interest as a means of establishing a relationship
• Demonstrates valuing Indigenous and Western knowledge equally
• Learns from interactions and makes adjustments
• Shares information honestly and openly
• Schedules an appropriate amount of time for both business and relationship building when meeting with Indigenous people
• Draws on key expressions and words from the traditional language to build trust and show respect
• Nurtures the relationship over time
• Meets regularly and informally with objective of relationship building
• Involved in Indigenous community and/or cultural activities
• Maintains regular contact to nurture long-term relationships
• Incorporates relationship deliverables into work plans, project plans and strategic plans
• Initiates opportunities to improve the longer-term working relationship, such as introducing Indigenous people to trusted others who can provide useful information or services
• Nurtures the relationship despite differences in opinion or other conflicting situations

Needs Development When

• Engages in transactions to the exclusion of relationship building
• Resists the concept of relationship as a deliverable
• Incorporates only task related deliverables into plans
• Declines invitations to gatherings, ceremonies or meetings
• Feels a need to check in on Indigenous people to make sure they are "doing it right"
• Overlooks or discounts opinions and ideas of Indigenous people
• Dominates conversations or does not allow for silence
• Considers the relationship as a failure if differences arise
• Sticks to the agenda, when a deviation would serve and strengthen the relationship
• Withholds information
• Does not communicate regularly and openly
• Focuses on short-term results without considering long-term impact upon the relationship
• Focuses only on government interests and needs and refuses to discuss anything outside of those parameters
• Withholds information that may be useful or that may cause discord
• Reluctant to participate in Indigenous community and/or cultural activities
• Indigenous people avoid working with the employee or indicate dissatisfaction
• Ends the relationship when the work is done