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BOX
SCORE
Building a Culture of
Cooperation and Shared Trust
Together
By Mark Neely
continued on page 15
Several years ago,
working as
a consultant, I was asked by Mike
Lackey, then VP of Corrugated Sales at
Weyerhaeuser, to come up with a short
program focused on building greater
cooperation between 8 plants located in the
Midwest. GM’s, Sales Managers, Production
Managers, and the head of HR, Sonja
Narcisse, were invited. In all, around 45
people were in attendance when I gave my
talk in January of 2004. I titled the program,
Keeping a Light on the Goal; How Power,
Trust and Fear Affect Motivation
. I had a
solid reputation at Weyerhaeuser, having
already conducted numerous programs on
Negotiation and Sales for plants around the
country and it was clear as people were
taking their seats that they were looking
forward to what I had to say. I was only
given a couple hours to make my points
and so I chose to start right in with what
I believed (and still believe) to be the
biggest management obstacle to achieving
a culture of cooperation and trust within a
work environment –
the perceived conflict
between self-interest and company interest
.
Initially, there was an immediate, thoughtful
nod of approval reflected back to me as I
spoke. However, after only a short while
in front of the group, a shift occurred. It
occurred when I brought up the sensitive
point, “It’s easy to see how others are
subject to this conflict yet it’s very difficult
to be aware of it in yourself. Don’t be fooled,
though. Every person you deal with – even
other managers in this room - can see it in
you when it occurs and it is for this reason,
more than any other, that others may
not be following you with any more than
average enthusiasm – especially when you
ask them to do something they don’t want
to do.”
Well, just after saying this, there was a
definite shift in the attitudes of the people
I faced. I didn’t think I had said anything
all that profound or controversial. I figured
everyone would agree with me. Clearly,
though, they were not as happy as they
had seemed to be just a few short minutes
earlier when I first started my talk. In
fact, in my career up to that point, with
roughly 15 years of experience as a trainer
and consultant under my belt, I had never
experienced the feeling that hit me at
that moment like a toxic pie in the face.
Uniformly, they were looking at me with
what appeared to be a budding hate. I had
never panicked in front of an audience but I
was on the verge. I remember the frightened
thoughts circling in my head as I kept going,
vainly searching for a way to turn my car
away from the cliff over which I imagined
myself soon to be tumbling. It took every
bit of discipline I had not to shout out what
my thoughts were silently screaming in my
head, “Just tell them it was all a big mistake.
Tell them they can have their money back
and that you’re sorry to have taken up their
time. Run!!!”
Luckily, I didn’t panic. I moved ahead a
few pages in my program manual and got
them all working on a series of questions
they had to answer together in small
groups. I recovered my inner composure
and continued with the program to its
conclusion and a warm (though not hearty)
applause. On the one hand, it was a victory.
I ended up getting through the program
without a bloody nose - Mike even thanked
me, reassuring me that all went well.
However, on the other hand, since the time
I left that Management group in Chicago
back in January of 2004, I have continued
. . . the biggest
management
obstacle to
achieving a culture
of cooperation
and trust within a
work environment
–
the perceived
conflict between
self-interest and
company interest
.
“
”