Trust
Why should it be believed?
Why it matters
Why should it be believed?
Accuracy is not the same as credibility. An answer is trustworthy when a traveller can see who stands behind it, when it was last verified, and what happens if it turns out to be wrong.
This is the ground that cannot be scraped. Destination content can be licensed or ingested by anyone. Attribution, currency and recourse are properties of an organisation that accepts accountability, which is why they are the defensible part of the work.
What to identify
Where to look first
- Which sources carry attribution, and which are anonymous.
- How recently each material fact was verified, and by whom.
- What happens when an answer is wrong: who is told, and what changes.
- Where duty of care obligations make provenance non-negotiable.
Assessment
Four questions worth answering honestly
- Can a traveller see who stands behind a recommendation?
- Is there a verified date attached to the facts that change most often?
- Is there a route for correcting something that turns out to be wrong?
- Would this stand up if the consequence of a wrong answer were serious?
Maturity
Where organisations usually sit
- Anonymous. Nothing carries attribution or a date.
- Implicit. Trust rests on brand alone, with nothing to point to.
- Attributed. Sources are named, though currency is inconsistent.
- Verified. Attribution and review dates are maintained on material facts.
- Accountable. Provenance, currency and recourse are published and auditable.
Find out where you stand
Most engagements begin with a baseline across all six pillars, and a view of which one is holding the others back.