Building Relationships - IV
Issue #47 - Cooperation is indispensable
Hi Seamless Life Triber,
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Last one on Building Relationships.
I recently attended a JCI Lagos Coral Virtual training session, and the topic was Customer Relationship Management.
The Trainer made a strong point saying, “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business”
Cooperation is indispensable in your home, your job and in your social life. It is an absolute necessity in our democratic form of government and our system of free enterprise.
As much as I love to work Solo, I believe strongly in the ability to gain the cooperation of others.
I have led successful projects because of this.
I am leading one happening this Friday and Saturday, and I believe this rule of earning the cooperation of others plays a strong role.
There are two kinds of cooperation. One is motivated by fear or need, the other is based upon voluntary willingness. Real teamwork can only be acquired by establishing the proper motive to induce friendly coordination of effort.
In the decades that have passed since Andrew Carnegie was a captain of American industry, no one has really improved his formula for inspiring teamwork.
His system was simple.
First, he established a monetary incentive through promotions and bonuses designed so that a part of every individual's job depended on the sort of service he or she rendered.
Second, he never reprimanded any employee openly, but he caused employees to reprimand themselves by asking carefully directed questions.
Third, he never made decisions for his executives. He encouraged them to make their own decisions and be responsible for the results.
Carnegie's method encouraged individual achievement in a team structure because he believed that the greatest success is attained only through teamwork. This means giving cooperation as well as receiving it.
Selfish leaders will get little cooperation from their subordinates because cooperation is like love in that one must give it in order to receive it.
Philosopher William James once said, "If you can influence others to cooperate with you in a friendly spirit, you can get anything you want with little or no resistance."
That's a pretty bold statement, but it happens to be true.
When you get to the heart of any large, successful corporation, you find that its every heartbeat is teamwork, inspired from the top down. Whenever you find a winning sports team, the credit goes not to any one person, unless, of course, it is the coach who inspires his players to subordinate personal glory to the success of the team.
Knute Rockne of Notre Dame became a legend in his lifetime for his wonderful ability to inspire teamwork.
Any adequate interpretation of the motives that induce friendly teamwork must call attention to the Sermon on the Mount. There is no better way of getting friendly cooperation than by the application of the Golden Rule.
The law of reciprocation also has a negative aspect —the law of retaliation. They are both deeply seated in the nature of man. Through them, the meaning of the Biblical passage, "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap," becomes crystal clear.
For it is true that whatever you do to or for another, you do to or for yourself.
Work well with your team, and your team will carry you to success.
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Until next week,
Sam Femi, Founder, Seamless Life Africa