AICC Boxscore 2013

Building a Culture of Cooperation and Shared Trust Together continued from page 13

to feel that I have not yet effectively figured out how to get owners and senior managers to realize that it’s not just the people they manage who act with a bias toward self- interest at the expense of overall company interest. They too are affected by this conflict and that, because everyone who works for them sees it, their bias towards self- interest at the expense of company interest may be the greatest obstacle to achieving a highly motivated staff and a company culture based on trust and cooperation. In other words, if the culture is a reflection of leadership and the overall culture seems mired in individuals choosing their own, short term interests over the needs of the company then it follows that this dynamic is at least perceived to be at play at the highest levels of the company as well. There are several people I have met in our industry who have found effective ways to address this issue and have developed strong, working organizational cultures that are built on principles of team cooperation and shared and reciprocal trust. Many other people I’ve spoken with, while acknowledging that they are struggling with internal conflicts and cultural dysfunction within their plants, have some very good ideas that, if shared with a larger audience, could begin to spark a drive to working through this thorny problem. Here is a short list of examples of this dynamic conflict: • Stemming from a need/interest to be the one in charge, when the owner mico-manages situations/ departments when what is needed for greater company efficiency is effective delegation.

• An employee who is a friend of an executive is excused for behavior that would end in disciplinary action for any other employee who is not a friend of that executive. • Generally, a common trap is for an owner to think that, relating to himself/herself, there is no difference between self-interest and company interest. From the owner’s perspective, there is logic

to this view. If there is shared ownership, however, this percetion will lead to major conflict between the principles when each sees the bias in the other but not in himself. Additionally, when an owner acts on such an assumption, a great detachment occurs between the owner and everyone else in the company, deeply undermining the goal of achieving a high level of cooperation and shared trust.

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