Week 1: Overview of Procurement Discussion
Building Trust:
All: How do you feel intuitively about building trust in an organization? What do you think are the key
ingredients in building a trusting relationship? I feel that trust in organizations is a top priority because the lack
of trust can be destructive for any organization. When an organization is in a situation where people do not feel
trusted, it makes for a difficult situation. People do not perform well if they are constantly worried about their
job.
Check your ideas with the "Building Trust for Successful Partnerships: Checklist" on page 14 of our text. Do
you see any new ideas? Do you think that building trust is inherently the same across all types of relationships?
Finally, read the Copier Confusion case in the Case Study Area within Doc Sharing. Is this case a good example
of how to build a successful partnership? Why or why not? Can you relate this case study to other situations in
good and bad organizations where you have seen trust change over time?
Responses
Response
How do you
feel intuitively
about building
trust in an
organization?
Author
Anthony Mayo
Date/Time
4/29/2012 10:17:10 AM
I think that trust is not built overnight; rather it evolves as a process. Trust involves the deployment of
respect, transparency, balance and collaboration to name a few key elements. When each of these key
elements is at play, the possibility for other team members to resultantly communicate their ideas,
participate as well as listen and receive instruction is heightened. Once more, I think that trust is a
process that evolves and that involves each member’s feeling safe with the politics of their team
members. I also think that a person’s politics may be a mixture of values, behaviors, attitudes and
beliefs that culminates into their business practice.
In short, I wholeheartedly believe that it’s possible to build trust within an organization but that it
requires the participation of the organization’s cultural mix to be successful.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
Jennifer Weaver
about
building trust
in an
5/2/2012 9:38:19 PM
organization?
Building trust in an organization relies on communication and follow
through. Even if the message being communicated will not make people
happy, knowing that your organization will deliver the news good or bad and
will never mistate the position of the organization or the roles of its people
will build loyalty among the employee base. My current organization did this
when they were forced to do layoffs and make cuts. By opening up the
communication they actually had many employees stay through the closures
and help support the reduction the business required.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Kathryn Saura
building trust
in an
organization?
5/1/2012 11:59:15 PM
Anthony,
You make a very valid point that trust doesn't happen overnight and it is
something that needs to be worked towards. We are actually currently
working on this at my job and what our region manager strives for is
embracing a positive culture that allows us to use each other's strengths to
improve our individual work. It is easier to build trust when your team is
cohesive and you value other's input in order to improve. Everyone has
something different to bring to the table but it isn't always easy to understand
other's differences and work with differing behaviors and ideas of business
ethic. Employees must understand, however, that essentially they are all
working towards a common goal that can be reached more easily with
everyone on the same page.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Trudy-Ann Dyer
building trust
in an
organization?
4/29/2012 1:01:50 PM
Indeed Anthony, I agree that trust is an evolving process that is built on
honesty and integrity. I believe that some of the key ingredients in building
trust in organizations include:



Transparency
Modeling personal accountability
Encouraging diversity



Consistency in actions
Fostering a positive and respectful climate
Benevolence
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Professor Gordon
building trust
in an
organization?
4/29/2012 3:42:02 PM
Trudy,
Why is transparancy at the top of your list regarding trust? It is an
interesting one that I do not see mentioned often.
All the best,
Robert
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Trudy-Ann Dyer
building trust
in an
organization?
5/2/2012 11:10:09
PM
Modified:5/3/2012 12:09 AM
Professor Gordon,
Thanks for your feedback. I firmly believe that transparency
is the foundation upon which trust is built thus it is an
important factor and pillar in regards to building trust in an
organization. Sharing information and being forthcoming
regarding motives and decisions helps to alleviate
misunderstandings and prevents communication breakdown.
Transparency increases trust and productivity.
RE: How do
Alana Simpson
5/6/2012 10:03:07
you feel
intuitively
about
building trust
in an
organization?
PM
I am with you Trudy, I see transparency as one of the most
important elements of building trust. I will give an example
in a relationship. If you are married and your spouse leaves
at a certain time often and never tells you where they are
going and if you ask they give a a vague answer then you
more than likely would get suspicious and start to not trust
the person. Similarly, if you know something is going on
with your company and you ask your boss, and they blow
you off or say nothing or give an answer that you know is
not truthful then you will not trust them and it can cause
negative reactions. I feel that transparency is crucial for
establishing trust in all relationships.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Cynthia Mcgowan
building trust
in an
organization?
4/30/2012 9:30:39 PM
I agree with you on transparency being a key ingredient for trust. Also, I believe
that transparency envelopes some of the other items on your list, such as “personal
accountability” and “Consistency in actions”. Transparent people are easy to trust
because they are always the same. This does not mean that they are always happy
or that they are perfect, but that they are true “what you see is what you get” kind
of people. For example, a transparent person will admit that they made a mistake
and not waste time with excuses. You can trust that everything will be out in the
open.
Also on your list I would have to agree with Benevolence. I find that those who are
givers by nature are also fair and “other minded.” These types of people have
integrity that is visible in their handeling of people, which makes it easy to trust
them.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
Trudy-Ann Dyer
about
building trust
5/3/2012 12:20:58
AM
in an
organization?
Well said Cynthia. I feel that good leadership is one that
understands the value of transparency and trust. And in
showing consistency- it builds stability and confidence.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Martial Yao
building trust
in an
organization?
5/2/2012 4:58:55 PM
Confidence or trust is the basis of the philosophy of quality management within an
organization. The company, its partners and its clients trust each other. To achieve
the corporate objectives, Trust should be also an internal value of the company like
the involvement of all in the everyday functioning of the organization, the
transparency of information, accountability, and so on.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Latosha Smiley
building trust
in an
organization?
4/29/2012 2:17:50 PM
Anthony,
I must agree trust is not built overnight. In any relationship personnel or
professional trust is a vital component in how we react or act towards one
another. In building successful relationships one must stand on their word
(you are nothing if you don't have your word), Avoid double crossing (up
selling) your clients and ignoring their needs and financial situation to obtain
the paycheck desired. Successful relationships are built by conducting daily
business transactions and in most cases major projects. If the PM and CM are
happy with the work provided vendors are likely to be selected as business
partners on future projects and referred to other clients. Working in a trusting
environment makes the work day easier.
RE: How do
you feel
Professor Gordon
4/29/2012 3:42:58 PM
intuitively
about
building trust
in an
organization?
Latosha,
I would agree with you and Anthony that it is not built overnight, but can it be lost
overnight? Why is trust so fickle?
All the best,
Robert
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Alana Simpson
building trust
in an
organization?
5/6/2012 10:08:27
PM
I personally don't have a building trust mentality. I do agree
that it does get stronger with time but I pretty
much trust everyone until they give me a reason not to. It
has gotten me hurt in the past in all facets but it just is how I
am. Even with that mindset it can be lost overnight. I don't
think it is fickle, I think it is sensitive. When you trust
someone or something you are relying on it. For example,
when Camry was having issues with their brakes, they lost
trust overnight. People were relying on the quality for their
life. You trust a vehicle to do what it is supposed to do and
your life is on the line. Just like you trust your employer
and your livelihood is on the line. So, if your employer does
something that causes you to lose trust it does affect in
instantly because of the significance of what
occurs because of a lack of trust.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Cynthia Mcgowan
building trust
in an
organization?
5/6/2012 12:15:39
PM
I believe that trust is fickle because it is based
upon perception, and we are not directly in
control of how others perceive us. To earn
trust, we not only have to have actions that
garner trust, but often we must work through
the recipients preconceived notions and past
experiences. People have a tendency to place
stereotypes on anything that was a
substantially bad experience, and they expect
the experience to be repeated even if there are
different parties involved. For example, if
someone once worked for a bad manager they
may be prone to consider all management as
bad. As a result, the good manager may be
perceived, by the person, to have ulterior
motives even when he does things that would
normally instill trust.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Tawanna Meadows
building trust
in an
organization?
5/3/2012 2:53:08 PM
Trust is so fragile because people put alot of effort into it.
When trust is broken, so are many other things. Its true that
trust can't be built overnight but it can be lost overnight. To
me trust is like giving someone your life and expecting them
to take honest care with it. When you break that, its like you
really don't care about my life; so therefore I'm building this
wall that you will not be able to break or get around.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Renee Gordon
building trust
in an
organization?
4/30/2012 8:02:53
PM
It takes only one misstep to undermine the trust in a business
relationship. For instance, not returing a phone call or
answering an email in a timely manner can sow the seeds of
distrust and hurt the customer's confidence in the company.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Lorenzo Welch
building trust
in an
organization?
5/5/2012 9:08:03
PM
I agree with you Renee. I have seen scenarios
where directors who refuse to respond to
customers email are advocating that staff
should give great customer service. Trust
requires action email and phone calls should
be returned within 24-48 hr depending on
severity of situation. I had a colleague of
mine that explicitly asked for help from an
irate customer and management ignored to
answer his request. The customer called
corporate then everyone got involved. The
fallout was employee was punished and now
has total lack of confidence in
management. This issue could have easily
been addressed but now trust has
been severely eroded in teams opinion.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Latosha Smiley
building trust
in an
organization?
4/30/2012 6:10:49
PM
Trust is a major factor in any relationship personal or
professional. In efforts for business to business transactions
to take place one must research their business partners or
prospective business partners past and present activities and
business transactions to ensure that they have healed true to
their prior commitments, are ethically sound, and loyal to
their clients and employees. Trust should permeate
throughout an organization.
In building a trusting relationship one must remain true to
commitments, honor their promises (you are only as good as
your word), and refrain from double crossing (selling up)
your prospective clients. It because a persons actions speak
louder then words that trust can be lost overnight. One
unethical or conniving decision leads to another who you do
to others still posses a threat to me if I continue to conduct
business with you or your organization .
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Latosha Smiley
building trust
in an
organization?
4/30/2012 6:12:13
PM
Modified:4/30/2012 6:13 PM
Building off my previous post the COpier confusion
case is a good example of how trust can be lost
overnig. Although the solicitation included a
specification that called for a machine that would
permit “copying both 8.5x 11 in. and legal-sized
paper without manually changing the paper trays”
what the customer wanted and needed to meet his
organizations needs was a dual cassette copier.
Copies incorporated was willing to offer John
copiers which the company was beginning to phase
out (outdated) at a fraction of the cost. These
copiers did not exactly meet John’s requirements as
the model 125 could not operate completely on its
own unless one was skilled in operating the system.
Once one of Copies Inc competitors realized what
was being offered and at what price they notified
John and informed him that there was no way that
Copiers Inc could offer a Dual cassette contract for
the number of copiers required at the price offered.
After speaking with the representative for Copier
Inc Rachael Alexander and confirming that he
(John) was being offered a contract for 30 dual
cassette copiers he followed the phone conversation
by a letter to the representative.
The representative knew that the specifications did
not include the terms dual cassette copiers nor any
other reference to multiple-tray design. With little
hesitation the representative informed John of the
following “Our machine satisfies your specification
in every way.”
Although the specification did not include the terms
dual cassette design, rather then loose the contract
and purchasing power to dump outdated equipment
on a willing yet uninformed buyer the
representative took advantage of the situation. She
utilized a skillful play on words to persuade John
that Copier Inc was able to meet his needs.
Even After a letter in was submitted in writing by
John to the representative once again confirming
that he was indeed receiving copiers with a dual
cassette design, Rachel again utilized a play on
words to ensure him that his specifications were
being meet.
While John’s specifications were being met his
needs were not recognized by the organization.
Copier Inc took advantage of an unknowledgeable
client and utilized a skillful play on words to ensure
that his specifications were being satisfied not his
needs. This play on words lead to a lawsuit and a
unhappy client.
This is not a way to build lasting partnerships or a
reputable reputation. The proper thing to do was to
renegotiate the contract. But rather then risk loosing
the client and the opportunity to dump outdated
equipment they took advantage of an unknowing
client.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Tara Miller
building trust
in an
organization?
5/2/2012 5:52:20
PM
Modified:5/5/2012 6:23 PM
As far as building trust, I believe that it is
important to give trust as well as take
trust. Giving a client or subcontractor the
benefit of a doubt in some situations, but
not so that you are taken advantage of. I
think it is important to find the balance in
having a good relationship with another
organization and where you are not taken
advantage of. The quote "business is
business" comes to mind and an
organization is ultimately going to make a
decision that will benefit themselves. In
these cases, especially within the example
Latosha used, is it important to give a client
poor quality to make more profit or
cultivating that relationship to where it may
be more beneficial in the future.
RE: How do
you feel
intuitively
about
Felicia Walters
building trust
in an
organization?
5/6/2012
10:09:24 PM
This could even be a case for
ethical practices. Organizations
must truly seek to provide its
employees for success. This may
refer to a number of quality
issutes.
Building
Trust
Tyrone Labad
4/29/2012 12:47:34 PM
Webster’s defines trust as: “a reliance on the integrity, veracity of another person
or the confident expectation of an event.” Trust is often identified as an essential
ingredient for successful partnerships. You know you have a high level of trust
when those in a partnership. In balancing the “trust equation” one set of
strategies leads to the reduction of scope and the limiting of risk. Another set of
strategies can actually build trust. The trust building strategies are about
behavior and relationship. The “how to” of trust building requires people to
behave in ways that build trust and not to behave in ways that destroy it.
RE:
Building Anthony Mayo
Trust
4/30/2012 1:39:18 PM
Tyrone, I would agree with your assessment because I think that trust can be easily lost when
one’s motives or politics become unaligned with the project as defined by the teams’ goals or
project scope. I think that it’s important for Project Managers to set expectations of
transparency, fairness and equitability very early within working relationships so that
everyone understands that the only true loyalty that exists within the working circumstance is
that which surrounds the ethics of completing the project and its tasks - equitably. I believe
that when the focus gets compromised around the equitability of the ethics of task
deployment and resources to name a few areas, those issues can seriously affect project
completion. Equitability and ethics issues can result in disloyalties within relationships,
schedules, cash flow, production and many other areas.
RE:
Building Latosha Smiley
Trust
5/2/2012 2:57:24 PM
Anthony,
You hit the nail on the head. The quickest way to loose ones trust or
loyalty is to begin messing with an individuals "money". Or not
providing them with the quality of service they expect. In addition,
the following statement you made pertains to scope creep: "I believe
that when the focus gets compromised around the equatability of the ethics of task
deployment and resources to name a few areas, those issues can seriously affect
project completion. Equatability and ethics issues can result in disloyalties within
relationships, schedules, cash flow, production and many other areas." I agree with
you 100 %
RE:
Building David Fore
Trust
5/4/2012 7:49:24 PM
I agree that trust is a critical element in building a relationship in any
business. Trust is a bilateral process that requires commitment and effort from
both parties involved. Building trust in business and projects is very similar to
the way we build trust in our daily lives. It takes alot of time and effort. Trust
is something that is hard to gain, but it is very easy to lose. In business it is
important that customers believe in the products and service that is provided.
I think in 2008, the banking industry lost alot of trust from their customers,
and they have been working hard trying to rebuild that trust.
Building
Trust
Levonde Jones
4/29/2012 6:41:41 PM
Building trust is an essential part of building relationships for business. Trust is a
shared belief that you can depend on the each other. Trust is the willingness of a party
to be controlled by the actions of another party according to the expectation that the
other party will perform an action important to the trustor. Building relationships is
based on trust. Successful people have the ability to develop long lasting relationships
and requires trust.
http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/relationships_main.html
Trust
Lorenzo Welch
4/29/2012 9:17:45 PM
I think trust is something that is developed with time in an organization.
Employees have seen numerous occasions where people are terminated this
creates fear and lack of trust. Trust can be developed by being honest and
having a direct hands on approach of sharing information. I also think that
building trust is inherently the same most types of relationships if not all. It
is acting on promises and being clear with expectations.
RE:
Trust Professor Gordon
5/1/2012 6:27:50 PM
Lorenzo,
I feel that what people remember the most about an organization is how they
are hired and how they are fired. I feel if you can do both with respect and
dignity, then the organization is doing something right. I have worked at
companies when people would get nervous at 3:00pm on a Friday because
that was the time that people would be let go.
All the best,
Robert
RE:
Trust Alana Simpson
5/6/2012 10:11:59 PM
I would imagine that people did not do their best in this type
of environment. Being fearful of losing your job really takes a toll
on person and their productivity whether they realize it or not. That
just is not an enviromnemnt conducive to high levels of performance
and productivity. I know that at my previous company after 3 waves
of lay offs even though the company was very professional about
how they handled it and would constantly communicate people whee
still fearful just because it kept happening. It definitely affected the
work environment in a negative way.
RE:
Trust Lorenzo Welch
5/2/2012 8:05:48 PM
This is interesting because this is the energy that most
mangers that recognize that they are creating. I have always
been amazed at leaders that try to instill fear and then
question why their is a high turnover rate. If you know as an
employee you are going to be recognized for hard work and
not just financially that builds trust as well. Their is a lot of
distrust within the current financial markets and several
industries across the board. The patterns are similar in most
cases no accountability from leaders that are suppose to set
example.
RE:
Trust Bryant Windham
5/2/2012 10:43:48 PM
I agree with you Lorenzo that management has a lot to do with
building a culture of trust. I have been in sales most of my career
and the organizations that I have worked for I have always trusted
the company to do what is best for the company and whether you
are on the good end of that or the bad end depends on the
situation. My last employer had very high turnover, the culture
was high stress and the company made it know that only about a
third of the people made it past a year.
Dave Bowman a HR expert with TTG Consultants gives these
five ways to build trust and five ways to lose trust;
Build Trust





Establish and maintain integrity.
Communicate vision and values.
Consider all employees as equal partners.
Focus on shared, rather than personal goals.
Do what's right, regardless of personal risk.
Lose Trust





Act and speak inconsistently.
Seek personal rather than shared gain.
Withhold information.
Lie or tell half-truths.
Be closed-minded.
I believe that some people get caught up in withholding
information and seeking personal gain to make themselves look
good or to try and create a since of good security. Class what are
your thoughts?
Read
more: http://www.ttgconsultants.com/articles/trustworkforce.html
RE:
Trust Renee Gordon
5/3/2012 1:13:08 PM
I can agree with your assessment professor. I know that in my local
organization, the running joke is "will my badge work when I show
up for work?" The local organization is broken up into different
SBUs, and in some areas of the organization employees have no job
security whatsoever. It is a sad way to run a business. I'm sure the
other divisions of the organization that are not in this state are not
handled this way, but locally it is terrible. Employees do not trust
local management because an action that does not get one person
fired WILL get another one fired. There is no rhyme or reason to
it. There is also a big tradition of withholding information from
employees until absolutely necessary. There is much distrust from
the employees because of these actions.
RE:
Trust Bryant Windham
5/5/2012 8:45:11 PM
Renee that is unfortunate and I know from experience that it is a very difficult
situation to work in. Do you believe that management can repair the situation
or do you think that there needs to be a change in management with a different
philosophy to correct the situation? About.com states this in a article about
trust “The integrity of the leadership of the organization is critical. The
truthfulness and transparency of the communication with staff is also a critical
factor.”
Read
more: http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/trust_rules.htm
RE:
Trust Renee Gordon
5/6/2012 1:39:35 AM
I honestly think that a change of the guard is in
order. The facility changed management
philosophies, but kept the same people to oversee
those philosophies. They still keep the employees
in the dark about things, and do not engender
trust. Changing some of the key players at the top
level would help. The production management tries
to do the best they can, but there is only so much
that they can do. They do try to show that they
appreciate their employees and the job they do, but
it would mean a lot more if the appreciation came
from the top. Production management also tries to
keep the employees informed, but although the
employees recognize the effort the fact that top
management's attitude hasn't changed still hurts the
trust factor.
RE:
Trust Martial Yao
5/5/2012 5:24:41 PM
Professor, I totally agree with you when you said "I feel if you can
do both with respect dignity, then the organization is doing
something right". In our everyday relationship, we experiment Trust.
For example, the barista gives us the coffee cup before we pay. It is
the same thing in a company where Trust operates daily. But Trust
requires a certain stability in the relationship between people to be
effective.
Trust &
the
Checklist
Teanna Soule
4/29/2012 9:39:48 PM
I believe ensuring personnel behave professionally with integrity, veracity, and
accountability is key to building trust in an organization. I also believe that actions
speak louder than words; in other words, I expect a business to do what it says, if it
can, and/or ensure adequate communication is maintained risks can be better managed
and trust will be built and maintained.
I do not see any new ideas on the page 14 checklist of our reading; however, I do
believe the outline is fundamental in maintaining open and ethical communications
with the contractor. Additionally, I believe the below quote from the text summarizes
well the importance of maintianing ethical standards with contracts.
"Frequent, open, and honest communication is vital to building successful
partnerships between companies. When meeting with customers to provide
status reports on the business partnership, whether on a contract or program
basis, business professionals must learn to deliver the truth, both good and bad.
No business partnership goes perfectly, but communicating the good, the bad,
and at times the ugly goes a long way to building trust. What a company does
to overcome business obstacles and successfully communicate those actions
with customers can be vital to building trust even when the final results are not
the best". (Garrett 13-14) Garrett, Gregory A.. World Class Contracting, 5th
Edition. CCH. <vbk:978-0-8080-2568-9#outline(2)>.
Building
Trust
Bryant Windham
4/30/2012 1:07:57 PM
I do agree that trust takes time to be built. The most key ingredient in any relationship
is communication. I do feel that building trust is inherently the same across different
types of relationships. I do how ever see a business relationship and a personal
relationship different. A personal relationship has a lot more complexity to it where as
a business relationship is about the bottom line.
It is hard for me to see how anyone can have total trust in a company. Employees are
resources, if cost needed to be cut or if a division falls below expectations then to
improve the bottom line the company cuts resources. A company is there to generate
profits, if they can find better processes or methods to do that and it in tells cutting
resources then that is what they do. From a business partnership relationship it is only
effective and lasting if both sides are getting a benefit, if it makes better sense to
partner with someone else then you can trust that the business will do that.
RE:
Building Tamika Francis
Trust
Bryant,
5/6/2012 10:16:03 PM
You and I agree agree that trust needs time to be built between two parties.
We also agree that communication is key to ensuring that both parties are able
to receive all the benefits and that business and personal relationship differ. I
don't agree that it's impossible to trust in a corporate setting. There are many
companies and persons across companies who trust each other inherently and
totally because they have built the type of trust that is needed.I believe the
examples that you have given are of business decisions that may have to be
made by a company but would not necessarily affect trust across companies.
Employee to Employer trust is again something that is created over time and
that both parties could continue or discontinue at anytime but the benefits of
that trust is not as large of an impact as is that across business.
Tamika
Trust
Matthew Hartman
4/30/2012 5:31:11 PM
Trust is a key piece (can I say crucial...better yet, a must) in any organization. The
text lays out the laundry list and basic ideas of trust and the development of
trust. These include listening to the customer, being flexible, honoring verbal
agreements, and celebrating joint success. Out of the list in the text, there are a few
that really stick out to me. In my career, I am balancing and maintaining short term
relationships... I would say that my most important are:





listen to customer
state the obvious
return phone calls
disclose problems early
honor commitments
All of these will demonstrate credibility. It starts with knowing what you are talking
about. If you don't know the answer, suggest a call back to them with the right
answer, not a half-guessed (or even whole guessed) answer. Acting professional
and knowledgeable goes quite the way in trust alone.
I feel the most important one to me not mentioned above is develop, document and
share best practices. Such a vital part of trust...and business as a whole. If best
practices are set into place, no reason to deviate (unless problems in those practices
are found)...everything can be streamlined.
More to come regarding the case study.
RE:
Trust David Fore
5/5/2012 4:31:15 PM
I agree that building trust in any organization is paramount to the success that
they will have. Another item that I think builds trust in a organizations's
products is the warranties. Warranties build trust with customers when it
comes to buying there product. For example if you give me a moneyback
guarantee on a product, I will trust that the item will do what it is suppose to
do.
RE:
Trust Matthew Hartman
5/6/2012 2:35:24 PM
After reading the case study, one major theme came to my mind: Deception,
on behalf of Rachel and their organization. This is an atrocious attempt at
building any successful relationship. Rachel was trying to position herself
and the company in a way that John and co. would be extremely satisfied
with the product, but she kept avoiding the subject. John laid it out, black and
white, this is what I want - dual cassette. What did they get? Not that. What
added gasoline to the fire was that Rachel was not looking to come to a
resolution with John and co., suggesting that there would be a breach of
contract if they did not pay. Nothing good comes from that. These actions
that prevailed were likely the beginning of the end of the business to business
relationship. All trust and reputation is clearly out the window.
I previously worked for a reputable IT company working with
governmental organizations (State and Local agencies) in which similar
actions were taking place. More established customers were set up on verbal
purchase order agreements. One of my coworkers would annually receive
requests for new licenses for Microsoft products via e-mail requested X
number of licenses and he was well aware of the price. What the coworkers
was doing was instead of selling governmental licenses (say $30 per license),
he was selling education licenses (say $5 per license - at a cost of $30). Do
they do the same thing - somewhat. They're licenses. But do they meet legal
terms - absolutely not. The customer found out - the employee was fired.
Building
trust
Dennis Granlund
5/1/2012 6:47:47 AM
Building Trust is an important task when doing business and building
relationships. The golden rule is a great start in building trust. Where I work we
have metrics to monitor Respect - trust and teamwork through open and honest
communication. There are attributes that are different through the different levels
of the organization. As follows:
Individual Contributors
 Creates and contributes toward strong commitment, spirit and energy in
his/her team

Knows personal strengths and weaknesses and demonstrates ownership for
personal development

Finds common ground and collaborates within and across team and
departmental boundaries

Communicates honestly and in a constructive way at all times
Supervisors and Managers
 Fosters a sense of team belonging and shared purpose

Communicates timely knowledge and information and provides resources

Recognizes potential in people, and demonstrates commitment to developing
and advancing talent across the organization

Practices active listening to understand individual concerns

Supports challenging and respectful debates to identify and solve problems
Key Managers and Executives
 Blends a variety of people into high performing teams characterized by
cooperation and collaboration across organizations

Attracts, develops and retains people of all backgrounds develops a strong
talent pipeline

Creates a positive environment, shares ownership and promotes visibility of
staff

Fosters an environment where people openly communicate information, and
invites input from others to debate issues in a constructive manner
New
relationships
Professor Gordon
5/1/2012 6:26:31 PM
Class,
Why is it easier to make a new relationship than to repair an old one? Why is it
easier to rebuild an engine than to rebuild a relationship?
All the best,
Robert
RE: New
relationships Anthony Collins
5/3/2012 3:39:03 PM
Older relationships can potentially carry a lot of baggage. They may even be rife with
sensitive, festering old wounds. Ill words may have been said, undesirable
collaborations may have been entered into and, figuratively speaking, much blood
may have been shed.
The past may have been so undesirable that no one may want to continue. New
relationships are not so. They are fresh starts, opportunities to get things right the
first time or do things differently.
There is no real comparison between rebuilding an engine and rebuilding a
relationship. Engines may appear complex but relationships can be exponentially
more difficult to rebuild. Engines being inanimate objectives are more predictable.
Human behavior being at the base of any relationship makes them far more
subjective and outcomes more random.
RE: New
relationships Dennis Granlund
5/2/2012 5:35:08 AM
An old relationship has history, and past practices tied to it. If the relationship
was mismanaged because either side did not fulfill their commitments
(especially more than once), then the relationship may be unreconcilable. A
new relationship does not have the history and may be attributed from
recommendations from someone that is trusted and has some detailed
knowledge of the person or business being reputable. This makes it easier to
create the new and discard the old.
RE: New
relationships Ruchi Galande
5/2/2012 8:39:50 PM
Modified:5/2/2012 8:41 PM
I agree with you Dennis that old relation has history and with that we
know the good and bad both side of a relationship. But when you
start a new one it does not have any darker side. All good examples
and experiences get shared and its easy to build the new one.
RE: New
relationships Levonde Jones
5/2/2012 11:09:35 AM
With new relationships you can make a conscious effort to fully communicate
and offer a clear understanding the first time. With new relationships , each
party must have a clear idea of the expectations for the new
relationship. Sometimes the clear idea is not delivered. Each party must be
able to communicate its ideas to the other party and gain acceptance of those
ideas. Sometimes an agreement reached by parties is not precisely shown in
the contract document. This may cause problems with quality, cost, and
scheduling. Many times people do not fully develop their ideas and are
unable to communicate their ideas to others. Many times sales
representatives focus on winning the contract first and educating the buyer
after the contract is awarded.
World Class Contracting, 5th Edition, Garrett, Gregory A., page 5-6.
RE: New
relationships Anthony Mayo
5/2/2012 3:22:57 PM
While I do not favor one type of work relationship over the over as they both have their
merits and challenges; to answer the question, I think that compromised old work
relationship have the potential to carry scars, even when repaired.
Once a work relationship has been compromised, the issues surrounding the compromise
may loom within circumstances surrounding the successful or unsuccessful deployment of
business practice. Also, motives may be continually be questioned and weighed out during
the process of relationship reparation that go directly to the reasons surrounding the work
relationship’s area of initial challenge and eventual “break”. If a broken old work
relationship gets repaired, then all parties must continually make concerted efforts to get
beyond the elements that created the compromise until enough references of good faith
evidence have been put forth to outweigh the circumstances that created the break. If the
compromise occurred around trust, then perhaps issues of incompatibility may have been the
reason and I don’t believe that those are fixable areas – I believe that those are simply
stylistic differences that aren’t right or wrong, broken or requiring of repair.
I think that new work relationships carry fresh starts and can have their basis formed upon
more solid information about what is needed to establish an effective solid working
relationship; especially when they occur after a broken unrepairable work relationship has
occurred. I believe that broken work relationships can offer valuable prerequisite
information on the “how to’s” of forming better, new, work relationships, if there are lessons
learned about what is needed to form successful work relationships from those aspects of
the work relationships that did not go well. I also believe that effective and successful work
relationships are a process unless all parties share similar organic values (stylistic
similarities) that simply work well together with little to no effort.
RE: New
relationships Matthew Hartman
5/2/2012 6:49:46 PM
Mike Ditka once said "I don't hold grudges, but I have a good memory." This
holds true every day. I wish sometimes I could do this with some of my
colleagues. After being in a role currently for approximately six years, I've
been working with the same core for so long. We've had our ups and
down. The ups are celebrated when we have them, but we tend to remember
the downs, specifically who we can trust, who did what work, and who we
can lean on . Yes, we've learned how to work with each other, but it is almost
easier if we got a new time and started a brand new working relationship with
new people. It comes easier to meet new people and learn their ways and
means to work through issues.
RE: New
relationships Teanna Soule
5/1/2012 8:14:50 PM
Modified:5/6/2012 9:57 AM
Building a new relationship is easier than repairing an old one because there
is no stigma associated with a new relationship or fear of mistrust.
Conversely, it is easier to rebuild an engine than to rebuild a relationship,
because with an engine everything is technical; no emotions or personalities
getting in the way - a simple spec and instructions are easy to follow, with a
relationship, it's like "a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna
get" (Forest Gump, lol). This is the simple answer.
Conversley, when something works well, if you are willing to put the time
and effort required to fix it, why not rebuild the engine. Often times this can
strengthen the relationship or improve the engine.
RE: New
relationships Professor Gordon
5/3/2012 9:25:25 PM
Teanna,
I agree with you but why are people remember something long after
is has passed? Is it productive to hold that grudge over so many
years in business?
All the best,
Robert
RE: New
relationships Ray Stout
5/4/2012 9:41:43 AM
Professor,
i think it might have something to do with our genetics. As
we, as a civilization, progressed we learned many lessons,
what not to eat, where not to go, and what animals not to
mess with. These lessons stay with us for a very long
time. As individuals we learn things when we are young
that can stick with us for our life time. A fear of heights, a
phobia of spiders, and where not to touch the stove. Where
am i going with all of this? I woudl argue that there is a
distinct correlation between our memory of pain, fear, or
anger that never goes away. With those memories are kept
relationship memories. Mostly because they involve a pain,
anger, or fear. With that in mind i think we never forget
when someone wronged us in a relationship and that might
not be good for business.
Businesses change consistently, either through attrition or
change in management. By holding grudges against certain
companies or areas, revenue could be lost simply because a
manager or sales person doesn't like that company or
person. IT almost would be better that we coudl wipe a bad
memory in business instead of holding on to it like an
elephant. Maybe that is where the saying came form that no
one wants to talk about the big pink elephant in the room
because it never forgets anything.
enjoy,
ray
RE: New
relationships Felicia Walters
5/5/2012 11:29:36
PM
Well and there is always that possibility of the
business being sold or acquiring another
company. It's not the company, moreso, it's really
the management and executive leadership that
people have the serious issues with.
RE: New
relationships Teanna Soule
5/6/2012 9:54:24 AM
I absolutely do not believe it is productive to hold a grudge.
An example I can share would include a vendor my
organization used who lost trust after being bought out by
another organization, when this happened the vendor's
response and performance dropped dramatically, cuasing our
orgnanization to list this vendor on our "do-not-buy" list. In
an attempt to fix the relationship and rebuild trust senior
management met with the vendors senior management and
provide them opportunities to re-build the trust. In the long
run we removed the vendor from the "do-not-buy" list as
they were able to rebuild the trust. Often times trust is not
lost from simple things, in this case, it was a matter of
organizational and cultural change not flowing appropriately
throughout an organization. However, the actions taken by
my organization to re-establish a positive working
relationship with the vendor provided the vendors executive
team with the visibility and feedback required to fix the
problem.
RE: New
relationships Tara Miller
5/6/2012 11:46:35
AM
I think this has already been touched on but people tend to
base a lot of their decisions on reputation and what they
have been told and experienced. If in a business relationship
or decision went sour in the past, a business may be
reluctant to work with that entity again for the simple fact
that they can not trust or depend on that firm. It is important
to try to keep good relationships if at all possible but
sometimes there may be no other choice depending on the
situation. It is important to remember that businesses are
run by people with the same prejudices and biases that are
inherent in man.
RE: New
relationships Renee Gordon
5/6/2012 1:45:48 AM
Because it is hard to overcome the experiences of the past. If a client or
supplier has failed a company once before, then it is hard for the company to
trust that the client or supplier will follow through with their word in future
dealings. Likewise if a company fails a client, then it is hard to repair the
damage inflicted, and the customer may take their business elsewhere.
RE: New
relationships Martial Yao
5/6/2012 6:50:56 PM
Human relations are complex; that is why it is not easy to resolve conflicts. Especially, when
we need to recreate an atmosphere of trust and mutual comprehension between old
friends or enemies. It is not the case of an engine; we can know or predict its whole
functioning and identify what parts to fix.
Maintaining
trust
Professor Gordon
5/1/2012 6:29:02 PM
Class,
Building and maintaining trust is very important in all types of relationships, both
business and personal. It is some people’s opinion that real trust must be created
through a series of actions. For example, real trust is created when you demonstrate
the following:
When you make and complete your promises and commitments, when both sides of
the relationship understand the values, culture, and needs of the other party and
that they match products or services to their desired outcomes. If both parties do
not share what success looks like, success will not happen. Both parties must work
towards the desired outcome and continuously understand what the final picture
must look like.
All the best,
Robert
RE:
Maintaining Tyrone Labad
trust
5/5/2012 11:31:56 AM
From both a personal and professional perspective, it is extremely critical that
there is a sense of trust that would lead to commitment, mutual want to do
well for the other, and gradual increase of relationship that brings in many
benefits leading to faster, efficient and responsive achievement of goals.
However to achieve a state of trust, one would need to invest a lot of time and
effort, and lay many things in place that would show one's intent and
willingness, that would sow the seeds for a long term, beneficial relationship
to all parties concerned.
RE:
Maintaining Ray Stout
trust
5/2/2012 3:03:08 PM
Professor,
I woudl agree with this demostartion of trust. If both parties are not willing
or able to put the other party first then the realtionship is doomed. Of course,
sometimes each parrty must take their own concerns over the other. At the
end fo the day, the realtionship has to be looked at as a give and take not jsut
a take.
I was once told that trust is earned by actions involving putting one's self in
the "shoes" of anothers and finding ways to help that party or person figure
out a way to solve that problem.
Has anyone ever gone into a store and talked with a sales associate about a
particular product and that sales person directed you to another company or
store completely because it better suited you problem? Wouldn't you trust
that sales person more later and want to go back to that store because they put
your needs above just making a commission. I do a lot of home improvement
projects and there are several sales associates in many of the big box stores i
go to because they will direct me to the right solution. They have earned my
trust in their judgement because their willignness to put themselves in my
shoes nad do what is best for me. OF course i reciprcate this by sending my
family and neighbors to them.
THis fits directly into this class because if i am writing a procurement
contract and i find a company that might not offer exactly what i need, but
they point me into the right direction, i will be more inclined to try and find
rpboelms they can solve because they have earned my trust.
enjoy,
ray
RE:
Maintaining Yelena Magid
trust
5/4/2012 9:14:18 PM
Ray, I agree that sometimes holding grudges in the business
could be counterproductive and may result in lose of new
opportunities. Because something went wrong once, it does
not automatically means the same outcome would be in the
future. May be there was a good explanation for previous
negative experiences, for example the procured materials did
not arrive on time due to bad weather. Additionally, I believe
everyone deserves a second chance, which may rectify the
working business relationships.
Building
Trust
Anthony Collins
5/1/2012 11:32:36 PM
I’m in agreement with the textbook. You build trust by being dependable, meeting
expectations, and honoring commitments. In relationships of all types, your word is truly your
bond. Trust is an invaluable part of a business’ brand and reputation. Break that trust and both
are adversely impacted. Without trust, you have no business. This is something that, even
entities in the criminal underworld understand.
I see some of the key ingredients in building a fruitful lasting business relationship as being:

-Trust

-Loyalty
– as previously discussed.
– commitment to others welfare and success. Not as competitors but as partners.
This works well when the fates of two or more organizations are so intertwined that one
cannot succeed without all succeeding or fail without the failure of all.

-Understanding
one another
The list in the text is more exhaustive and specific. I think understanding and being able to
differentiate between a customer’s needs and desires is most crucial. A business and it’s
supporting stakeholders must know the difference and be readily adaptable to changes.
I do think that building trust in personal relationships is quite similar to doing so in business
relationships. I think the common denominator in both is people and their
natures/emotions,that play such a large role in driving decisions.
The Copier Confusion case study is a good example of how NOT to build a successful
partnership. Although John did not make himself totally clear, due in part to his ignorance of
copier features, he depended on the supplier to deal honestly with him upon realizing what he
really wanted. In pressing the quick but unscrupulous deal, Rachel gained a sale but probably
lost a lifelong business partner. That could have been easily avoided by educating John on
copier features and allowing him to make an informed decision as to whether he wanted to
purchase her T-125s. Even had John rejected the Rachel’s machines, he would have
respected her honesty and remained a repeat customer. She was flat out dishonest.
Business relationships are built on trust which is founded upon honesty. Business associates
become enemies when they compromise this principle.
This reminds me of a recent incident in which I decided from time to time to give out
restaurant gift cards to homeless people I met rather than money. I purchased a $10 gift card
from a local Subway and not knowing how the system worked, I got the manager to reiterate
how the gift card worked to me prior to buying it. The manager assured me that the card could
be redeemed for $10 worth of food. Subsequently, I gave the card to a homeless young lady
that I had spoken to on previous occasions and I explained that it was worth $10 worth of food
and that from time to time, upon her returning the card to me, that I would recharge it with new
funding.
Later I ran in to the lady at her usual spot and asked her how the arrangement worked out.
She told me that, upon redeeming the card that the same Subway manager told her that there
was only $7 worth of value on the card.
I knew then what had transpired. The manager never realized that I would be giving the card
to the homeless and probably thought the lady was just a bum without any recourse to being
cheated.
I never told the manager what transpired and I never returned to his store. Through his
actions, he lost a good repeat customer due to his dishonesty. He cheated the homeless out
of $3 but he lost a customer that would have spent many times more than that in his
establishment over a period of the next few months.
RE:
Building Professor Gordon
Trust
Anthony,
5/4/2012 5:31:10 PM
I am sorry to hear that the store was dishonest about the situation. It is
unfortunate when people are dishonest against the people that have the least.
All the best,
Robert
Copier
Confusion
Tawanna Meadows
5/2/2012 12:42:39 PM
In the Copier Confusion case study, this does not exemplify how to build a successful
partnership. John, the purchasing agent, specifically asked for a "dual-cassette"
design. However, when he contacted the Copiers representative, she knew that the
words dual cassette wasn't anywhere on the document. She kept responding in a way
to try and cover up the fact that she was not selling him dual cassette copier. She knew
that she had confused him. Since Johns boss had pressured him to hurry up and
purchase the copiers, he went ahead and signed the contract with Copiers. When the
copiers arrived, they were not dual cassette. John stated how she lied to him about
them being dual cassette. She responded to him by saying you can change the paper
without changing the trays. Copiers did not meet Johns specifications. So now they
will have to settle this in court.
Copiers were trying to get rid of these machines because they were phasing out. So
they lowered their bid to compete with the other companies with out caring about
having a good business partnership with John. This type of business partnership
happens alot in the manufacturing industry. According to our text, you have to use
trust to build a firm foundation. As such, Copiers did not. I'm sure John will tell
everyone about his experience with the company. This lack of trust between
organizations will destroy Copiers.
RE:
Copier
Dennis Granlund
Confusion
5/5/2012 7:37:17 PM
I agree, taking advantage of someone whom is in a rush to make a purchase
because of deadlines is not the time to be confusing or vague. John should
have insisted in a more detailed written commitment versus verbal
agreements. Specifications need to be just that very detailed and specific.
Since the history of this transaction was poor. John will be sure to
communicate to his peers in the industry of the untrustworthy business
conduct. People tend to communicate this type of bad experience with more
passion than good ones, so he will be able to influence future potential
Copiers customers.
Trust in a
organization
David Fore
5/2/2012 6:03:29 PM
Building trust within a organization is paramount to the success of that particular
organization. It is important that building trust be included in the corporate fabric of
that particular organization. It is important to have trust at all levels within the
company. Trust can only be built when leaders take the first step by setting a example.
Building trust within a organization is very similar to planting a tree It starts out small,
but over time it continues to grow as long as the right steps are taken. When their is a
good level of trust within a organization, employees will not mind coming to work
and doing a good job.
RE: Trust in
a
Kathryn Saura
organization
5/3/2012 12:00:18 AM
David,
That is so true that trust is important not only with your team but throughout
the company. This is something I have seen as a struggle at my current
organization. Although we have a cohesive department that has a good level
of trust, there are other departments we work with towards the same goal.
There are several instances where we have conflict with one another due to
the way they handle things differently with customers. There must be a good
level of trust through different levels of the company in order to have
effective cross department communication. Although different divisions have
different tasks at hand, essentially everyone should be working together rather
than against each other to achieve a common goal.
RE: Trust
in a
Professor Gordon
organization
5/3/2012 9:28:35 PM
Kathryn,
That sounds like a difficult situation. I hope that your departments
can come together in order to work together to meet the needs of the
customer. If one does not remember the customer, then the
organization might not be successful long term.
All the best,
Robert
Building
Tiffany Terrell
5/2/2012 6:27:42 PM
Trust
The first and most important step to building trust is communication from the start.
Whether you are returning emails or phones call communication is key and even if an
answer has not been found for the question or problem. Also, a key point from the text
would be developing a project plan so that individuals will know who is reponsible for
each task.This will help to cut down on confusion and it also allows for work to be
distributed as evenly as possible. From a partnering aspect I feel that companies
partner with other companies that have a solid reputation and customer testimonies.
Also, clients want to feel that there is chemistry. I have seen in my current position
where there have been clients that just did not mix well with the person that was
implementing their products for them. This led to a great deal of issues and poor
customer surveys.
RE:
Building Felicia Walters
Trust
5/2/2012 11:38:19 PM
Tiffany, in continuing on with your example, you can also use this to
determine best practices. This is integral when working in tandem with others
on several areas.
Trust
Alana Simpson
5/2/2012 8:05:17 PM
I think that building trust is inherently the same across all types of relationships to a
certain extent. It takes the same key elements but the way in which it is done is
different in personal relationships vs. work relationships. I feel one of the key factors
in establishing trust is honesty and positive communication. I think transparency is
key as well. When employees feel they are being lied to or that their employer is
hiding something from them is creates a very hostile work environment. For example,
when lay off occur and a company says nothing about it employees start to worry
about their jobs and then no one is working or performing to the best of their
ability. It is important to establish open honest communication to build trust.
Copier
Confusion
Jennifer Weaver
5/2/2012 9:40:20 PM
This case study in my opinion was an obvious breach of trust on the part of the
vendor. The purchaser was very clear in his questions even if he did not provide this
in his specifications and the vendor took advantage of his mistake to seal the deal. I
would never again work with this vendor and in fact would end with the same line
John did and take it to court. He even sent documentation of his specific request for
the dual copier and the response was manipulated to avoid directly answering the
question asked.
RE:
Copier
Professor Gordon
Confusion
5/4/2012 5:31:58 PM
Jennifer,
Who do you think was to blame for the problem?
All the best,
Robert
RE:
Copier
Cynthia Mcgowan
Confusion
5/5/2012 11:57:13 AM
I believe that both parties are to blame in this situation. The
requirements need to be explicit in the specification, and not
implied. So John really did not do a thorough job in making sure that
both parties were in agreement on the specifications. Also, if he had
doubts he could have asked to see the model. It was his
responsibility to protect the companies interest and he gave in to
time pressure and did not do his homework.
Also, the vendor is responsible. Rachel also had a doubt but pushed
it aside. She was more interested in a profit than she was in being
mindful of the relationship and trust that she should be building
with the customer.
All of this could have been alleviated if the specification had been
written correctly.
Building
Trust
Tamika Francis
5/2/2012 11:05:24 PM
I believe trust is a reward that is earned through work and progress that comes when two entities or
persons work together. Once trust is build you know that you can count on that entity or person to
provide you with what you need or back you up when necessary. The "Building Trust for Successful
Partnerships: Checklist" on page 14 of our text is a great way to understand if the partnership or any
relationship meets the trust factor that would be rewarded after these items are meet. Trust though may
mean these items in a business partnership but is potentially different in another relationship. Trust in a
parent child relationship may require absolute truth between the two where no omission is possible but
this is not always possible in the business world.
RE:
Building Jared Shoemaker
Trust
5/5/2012 10:26:42 AM
That is probably one of the better ways to describe the relationship between a
company and a customer. A company is a parent because they have what a
customer wants making them the child. The only way the relationship will
change is if both sides have products that the other needs and they are trading
with each other with their products. The trust comes in when you are willing
to trust the other person and their products, that they are selling you a good
product and it will meet you needs for that product.
Trust
Jared Shoemaker
5/2/2012 11:14:57 PM
Not only does a company need to be trusted by the customers so that they will buy the
companies products. But the employees need to be able to trust the company they
work for to feel like their work is valued and that they are creating high quality
products so they can be happy with their work. They also need to trust a company to
keep their job because if a person fears they are going to be fired they will quit
producing and end up doing nothing until they get fired.
Copier
Confusion
Anthony Mayo
5/3/2012 12:54:41 PM
I feel that in the Copier Confusion case scenario that John Richardson acted in good faith, trusting
Rachel Alexander, Copiers' representative, to be up front and forth right with him in delivering the
specs that his company required. Additionally, I believe that John acted prudently and in good faith in
writing out his request and sending it over to Rachel Alexander to insure that his request was
understood and would be honored. Procurement processes should involve bids and listing of
specifications as a matter of business practice. In the absence of detailed specifications, a Procurement
Officer should write a lettered request of what is being sought and obtain an acknowledgement – which
John Richardson obtained. I do not feel that Rachel Alexander delivered on John’s request.
This scenario gets at Murphy’s Law in that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong”. In my
perception, Murphy’s Law is really another way of saying that it’s better to consider the possible risks
within a scenario and plan for them thoroughly such as to remove the possibility of
miscommunications, misunderstandings and mishaps. I feel that John Richardson planned accordingly
by writing a letter to Copier’s Representative and by obtaining an acknowledgement of satisfaction
guarantee:
“Rachel responded to John's letter by writing - We absolutely guarantee that our Model 125 satisfies
your specification in every detail. We know you will be pleased with its Performance and ours, or your
money back.”
Perhaps the “disconnect” in this circumstance lay in how each company understood the wants and
needs that were addressed within John Richardson’s letter. However, Rachel’s guarantee is a very
strong indicator that her company should honor John’s Richardson’s company’s (dis)satisfaction as
expressed.
RE:
Copier
Levonde Jones
Confusion
5/4/2012 8:14:17 PM
No, I do not feel that this case is a good example of how to build a successful
partnership. I feel that Rachel did what ever she had to do to close the
sale. Not only did John call Rachel, but he wrote her a letter to confirm that
the Model 125 featured a dual-cassette. Rachel was very dishonest, just to
get the sale. I feel that John was very professional and pro-active in writing
the letter and Rachel was very dishonest.
Remember
to answer
the questions Professor Gordon
of the case
study
5/3/2012 9:26:51 PM
Class,
I know that we have been having a lot of great discussions but remember to post
something about the case study. If you do not post about the case study, you will lose
points in participation.
All the best,
Robert
Trust in
buying a
Professor Gordon
car or
home
5/3/2012 9:29:47 PM
Class,
What experience do you have in building trust in a relationship, such as in the buying
of a home or purchasing a car? Share how you managed the relationships and what
you did to reach a deal (or not reach a deal).
All the best,
Robert
RE:
Trust
in
buying Tyrone Labad
a car or
home
5/6/2012 12:07:07 PM
Both the purchases being discussed, a car or a house, are big ticket items and
would mean a large outlay of money. Therefore, even before I would first go
and meet the sales person, I would do a lot of information seeking and due
diligence on what I want and what are the various options on offer. I would
seek out informal sources like the internet, friends and colleagues, to become
an informed person. After this, I would approach the sales person, in a
friendly and professional manner, and at the same time lay the ground that I
am a well informed customer. These two things, being prepared, and being
prepared and friendly would help me in building trust and make for a value
creating relationship.
RE:
Trust
in
buying Tawanna Meadows
a car or
home
5/4/2012 2:10:48 PM
I recently just purchased a new car. I went to 2 different dealers before
actually making my decision. Because I really didn't have any established
credit, it was going to be hard for me to get a loan over $20,000. However, I
linked up with my coach's friend who is a dealer down in San Antonio. I was
skeptical at first because i live in Dallas, which is about 5 hours away. How
would i get the car, sign my papers and so forth. To make a long story short, I
was able to get a $20,000 loan on a new car with a very low APR. The
salesman drove the car up here the next day after everything was approved.
We met at my job, and i signed all the necessary paper work. He even gave
me additional incentives for my car. We build a trust that he would take care
of my while Im in the car that he sold me, simply because he knew the other
dealers were trying to get over on me. I trust that when its time for me to
purchase another car. Im going back down to San Antonio Texas!
Case Study
Questions Anthony Mayo
5/4/2012 2:51:26 PM
Is this case a good example of how to build a successful partnership? Why or why not? Can you
relate this case study to other situations in good and bad organizations where you have seen trust
change over time?
I feel that the case study is a great example of how to build a successful partnership from the standpoint
of John Richardson’s approach and not the vendor's approach. John Richardson verbally discussed the
needs of his company and then he followed up his request in writing. My company issues a Purchase
Order, which details the specifications that Mr. Richardson issued within his letter. Mr. Richardson
then obtained a quote/agreement/guarantee from his vendor for their product and service.
In a very good way, I can relate to John Richardson’s approach since I do not believe that the vendor
purposefully intended to mislead John Richardson. I believe that while the Vendor knew that their
product did not meet Mr. Richardson’s specific requests to the letter, they believed that it would still
“wow” them and meet their baseline needs. I also feel that the Vendor felt that there were some
linguistic and functional differences in what constituted adequate swapping of paper sizes that would be
addressed by the Vendor’s lesser expensive product. I believe that the Vendor felt confident about their
position because of their pricing strategy mapped onto their product’s lesser capability even though the
procurement details of Mr. Richardson’s request were not equally matched by the service
rendered. From the standpoint of the Vendor, I would not recommend managing a business in the
manner in which Rachel Alexander managed her business as I believe that one could lose more
business than attract new business. I also believe that prior to delivery of the product that the vendor
could have provided some written confirmation of the details of the product to insure that there would
be no need to visit the letter of guarantee if their customer were dissatisfied.
This circumstance would not be enough to cause me to mistrust the Vendor. However, this
circumstance would be enough to cause me to obtain more specific verifications from Vendors.
RE: Case
Study
Jared Shoemaker
Questions
5/6/2012 1:17:55 PM
If you send a list of specific needs to a vendor for a product you would want
the vendor to meet all or at least most of those needs. If a vendor says they
can do that and don't deliever then they lied to you no matter if they
impressed you with other things in the products. This would call for more
caution when dealing with the vendor and maybe requiring a demonstration
of the product they believe fit your needs. Another thing is instead of creating
a list of things you wants and things you may not really need you could talk
to the vendor and they could figure out what you need better then you could.
Trust
Survey
Professor Gordon
5/4/2012 5:28:23 PM
Class,
I would like to take a little informal trust survey. Please answer the following
questions as honestly as possible:
Do you trust your organization?
Do you trust your boss?
Do you trust your boss' boss?
All the best,
Robert
RE:
Trust
Ruchi Galande
Survey
5/6/2012 2:00:40 PM
I thought about all the organizations where I worked and finally come up with
the answers:
I do trust my organization as given me the opportunity to show my skills, pay
on time. I believe in their vision and that why I am the part of the
organization.
I had good and bad experiences with the boss & boss’ boss. But the bad
experiences taught me don’t trust your boss always.
RE:
Trust
Yelena Magid
Survey
5/5/2012 11:52:10 PM
I trust my organization because it supports by actions it’s vision and
mission. Even though I doubt my boss’ boss, I have faith in my boss.
My boss is a new to the management and still cares about her direct
reports, whether the upper echelons is more seasoned and know how
to twist situations to their maximum advantage.
RE:
Trust
Levonde Jones
Survey
5/6/2012 9:16:03 AM
I truly trust my organization. My organizations holds a lot of open meeting
inclusive to all employees regarding serious conditions and changes with the
organization. Even when certain programs are ending, instead of laying us
off , we are RIFed and placed somewhere else. Yes, I trust my boss. He is
truly professional and always let me know that he looks out for my best
interest. I also trust my boss's boss. I feel that he is obviously doing
something right. Our program has made tremendous growth which is a true
sign of success.
RE:
Trust
Lorenzo Welch
Survey
5/5/2012 9:18:34 PM
I do not trust my organization. I do not trust my boss and I also do
not trust my boss' boss. I firmly believe that the actions and words
that have been spoken have contributed to my decision.
RE:
Trust Professor Gordon
Survey
5/5/2012 10:58:30 PM
Lorenzo,
Are you looking for something else. It sounds like a difficult
company to work for if there is that much mistrust. I know that I
have always hated working in a company where I could not trust
others.
All the best,
Robert
RE:
Trust
Bryant Windham
Survey
5/5/2012 9:54:40 PM
Due to the culture of my previous organization I did not trust the
organization, my boss or my boss’ boss. Rules of engagement were often over
looked to benefit some, people being let go for no good reason, top people
voluntarily leaving the company with false information being put out to try
and explain it and just the way they pushed people to compete with each other
did not promote trust within the organization.
RE:
Trust
Matthew Hartman
Survey
5/5/2012 8:32:37 AM
This is so often talked about in the work place as morale has been low.... so
here we go:
1. Do you trust your organization: Yes, as they are very forthcoming about
changes and whatever else is going on. This is not to be confused about
confidence in keeping the job due to layoffs.
2. Do you trust your boss: Yes, as he is not only a great manager, but a great
leader. He praises in public and talks about shortcomings on a one-on-one
basis. He will include his manager in all success stories about you (me) via email. He works to make sure the workplace is a positive environment for you
to the results are better. Now, my previous boss... he was never wrong, he
would throw you under the bus, and would blame you at any point for
anything that could be wrong. He's done it to people in front of his boss so he
looks better.
3. Do I trust my boss' boss: No. When things are good, it's expected. When
things are bad, lookout. You're the worst person ever and I would feel
nervous about my reputation. Same as my previous boss.
RE:
Trust
Kathryn Saura
Survey
5/5/2012 10:21:20 AM
I trust my organization to make good business decisions and to accurately
analyze business results to understand how to improve. As far as management
goes, I do trust both my boss and boss' boss. This is due to their level of
commitment to helping me improve and suggesting what steps should be
done to grow with the organization. I have, however, worked in a different
division for the company where I did not trust my boss. Trust comes with
time so I think that building this trust happens through going through
experiences together and seeing how your leader handles situations as well as
how they contribute to your development. So in regards to hiring the right
candidates to lead my organization it's is not completely there seeing that
there is a drastic difference in effective management styles.
RE:
Trust
Anthony Collins
Survey
5/5/2012 6:17:22 PM
Working for the government seems pretty secure in regards to employment longevity
(more so than private sector) but I can’t see placing the same level of trust in
speaking of workplace dynamics. I’ve worked in both the private and government
sector, and of the two, I’ve the impression that government can be more political and
more centralized in decision making.
Every little decision has to be vetted through so many different levels. With
government being so political and layered, one never really knows which direction
the dagger came from that killed a pet project and one is usually not all that sure that
the rationale given is truthful. So no, I can’t say that I really trust my organization or,
for the same stated reason, my boss or his boss.
Remember
to answer
the Case
Study
Professor Gordon
5/4/2012 5:33:18 PM
Class,
Remember to answer the Case Study by the end of the week.
All the best,
Robert
Case
Study
Ray Stout
5/5/2012 1:35:51 PM
I believe this a perfect example of a way to be within the law, but still fail miserably
in the execution so badly that business is lost. Both parties are at fault for not being
very specific with the details either in the contract or later descriptions of the model
presented. This allows for a legal loop hole for the vendor to reside in that makes it
legal for them to offer and accept the contract. The letter doesn't actually explain to
the company what they are buying, but simply states they are meeting the
contract. This is where the vendor loses trust as well as misses the opportunity to still
keep the contract but not lose money and time taking the company to court.
If the vendor had taken that opportunity to not only fix the contract, but offer a
product that was still below any other bids both sides would have been happy. THe
representative of the company had a perfect opportunity to be compeltely truthfull and
develope a trusting relation ship, but instead went for thte ability to clear her
warehouse of outdated equipment.
I have seen this happen many times while dealing with contractors and contracts. I
usually had a lot of help making sure my specifications were completely spelled out
and that the repsondee had to produce an example of the product offred as well as
details ont eh specifications to make sure the product i was ordering was exactly what
i needed. Had the comapny done this, there would have been no question as to what
type of copier they were buying as well as the fact that it was something the business
actually needed.
enjoy,
ray
Copier
Case
Study
Tiffany Terrell
5/5/2012 4:32:18 PM
The case study showed a poor way to build a successful partnership. Although John
was not specific about the dual-cassette that he required for his new printers, Rachel
from an ethical aspect wanted the sale at any cost. Unfortunately this was a poor
business deal in order to sell their remaining printers for an old model. Rachel should
have taken the time to first make sure that John understood what dual-cassette means
to ensure that was what he was requiring with his purchase. She then should have
advised that the particular copier did not offer that feature. I have mentioned in other
postings this week that I have experienced this situation within my organization. Sales
managers told prospective clients that we would be able to do specific things in order
to close the deal. Now I can understand and I do have sympathy because I have been
in sales before and quotas are just a part of the business. Now some of the sames
managers were not intending to mislead the client because they often did not have a
good understanding of the product; however, we were finding that the more seasoned
managers were again just trying to close the deal. My organization has since partnered
with the sales organization for additional training and our project implemenations
have certainly improved.
Building
Trust
Ruchi Galande
5/5/2012 6:05:48 PM
In the case of The Business Company both were right at their side. But there was a
leak of understanding the requirement vs. need. I will say John has tried putting his
effort to understand the difference of prices form the bidding company. But the Rachel
was just followed specification and did not understand the customer’s need. She could
have talked in detail about the companies’ requirement vs. the product they choose in
bidding before installation.
According to me in this case below points are important for building trust:
Understand the customer's needs vs. desires
State the obvious
Be flexible; develop alternatives
RE: Coper
Confusion
Tara Miller
5/5/2012 6:38:24 PM
Modified:5/6/2012 11:48 AM
After reading the Copier Confusion Case study, this is not a good example of how to
build a successful partnership because first of all, Rachel should not have assumed
ignorance on the part of the client. She should have been more honest in the actual
specifications of the copiers that they were offering. As a result, Rachel's company is
going to to be dragged through court. When she sent the bid she should have been
more detailed as to the specifications and if John accepted anyway without reading all
the details, then it would not be her or her company's fault.
I can relate this to other situations in a bad organization where the client required a
certain organization as a sub-contractor to the prime to complete the work. At first
they were offering the product that was agreed upon in the contract. Eventually
because there was little monitoring by the client, the sub contracting organization was
getting paid without furnishing the product. When finally the client found out the
prime contractor not only had to find another sub-contractor to finish the work, but
also had to keep paying the "ghost" sub-contractor just on the basis that the client had
originally wanted them to do the work. As a result, the client become much more
involved in the monitoring processes, as they should be, and lost some trust not only
in the sub-contractor but the prime contractor also. It really was a mess of a situation.
RE: Coper
Confusion Professor Gordon
5/5/2012 10:59:27 PM
Tara,
Do you feel that there would be any way to fix the situation or is this a case of
just having to move on? What do others think?
All the best,
Robert
RE:
Coper
Tiffany Terrell
Confusion
5/6/2012 6:25:41 PM
I feel that this would be a difficult situation to change due to the
contract that was agreed upon between the company and John. I
think that if the copier company would be willing to agree to a new
contract with the copier with the dual-cassette that they could
possibly come to an agreement without having to go to court.
Unfortunately this is a lesson for John to review contracts carefully
moving forward and also to clearly define his expectations to the
request for proposal process. Also, the responsible thing for Rachel's
company would have been to ask additional questions for
clarification.
Copier
Confusion
Bryant Windham
5/5/2012 9:38:06 PM
In the case study Copier Confusion it is a very poor way of building a successful
partnership. Rachel was dishonest with John, she knew what he was asking for and
she initially used the exact wording in the document to twist the truth. Most of my
career has been in sales so I have seen the truth twisted to work for one side verses
another. When I was a drug rep one of my competitors did a study comparing our drug
to theirs and showed a faster onset of improvement in symptoms with their product
over mine. Of course our competitors ran with this information and converted a lot of
doctors but one thing that they failed to tell the doctors is that our product was
encapsulated so of course they would have a faster onset of action.
RE: Copier
Confusion Tamika Francis
case
5/5/2012 10:12:18 PM
Modified:5/5/2012 10:13 PM
In the Copier Confusion case it seems that both companies were not aware of how
to develop a successful working partnership. Communication is key on both sides and
neither side tried to ensure they were communicating the correct details to the other
party involved. By starting off on this foot it created confusion and issues that will
now take more steps to over come and could hurt either companies reputations going
further. Essentially trust is now lost between both companies.
In many of my companies I have see trust erode to the point that two companies can
no longer work together. Most recently in my last two companies the loss of trust has
dealt with centralized processing centers within the organizations which in working to
streamline process can develop unclear regulations and create more work in for others
within the same organization trying review and check the processing centers work
over time. Trust is lost when process are performed incorrectly and not changed when
pointed out additionally processes that say one thing but do another also erodes trust.
RE: Copier
Confusion Trudy-Ann Dyer
5/5/2012 11:58:26 PM
Case
Modified:5/6/2012 12:47 AM
The case is definitely an example of poor communication and misguided trust. I believe that in any
contractual agreement especially in regards to equipment, that configuration specs must be concise and
communicated effectively. John failed to specify the term " dual cassette" in his RFP but only that he
required a machine that would permit "copying both 8.5 x 11 in. and legal-size paper without manually
changing the paper trays". In reality, what he needed was a Copier with both an 8.5 x 11 in and a legal
sized tray.
Based on the specs regarding the tray, Copies Inc. ascertained that the Model 125 - which was not dual
cassette but had the functionality of copying both sizes without changing paper trays- would suffice the
client needs as requested in the RFP. As such, a bid was placed.
I believe that John as a purchasing agent should have done his due diligence and researched the specs of
the Model 125 especially since he had been tipped off that the price does not match the market rate of a
'dual cassette' copier. He left it up to the industry reputation of Copies Inc.
Although he did write to Rachel to confirm the machines were dual cassettes, her response was vague
and did not reassure him.
Rachel upon receiving the inquiry from John on whether the bid machines were dual cassette, should
have been honest and clarified that they were not although they had the capability to perform as such on
a more manual scale.
Her avoidance to the clarification of spec was in my opinion deceitful and her actions could
possibly jeopardize the company's integrity but John needed to have asked for more clarification since
he was a bit unsettled.
Building
trust in
Copier
Confusion
case
Yelena Magid
5/6/2012 8:38:13 PM
Copier Confusion case is a great example of how to ruin trust from the first
transaction, I doubt involved companies will ever work together again. Both
parties are partially responsible for the occurred conflict. The purchasing
agent for Business Company neglected to use appropriate and specific terms
(stating the obvious) during solicitation process, and Copier’s representative
was sneaky and dishonest by not explaining the product. In my experience
ordering equipment, the sellers’ representatives were very informative and
specific in providing information and specs about their products. Only through
honest and open communications, the trust could be built. Once, I had a quote
for the instrument that was expiring within two weeks, but then my purchase
request was denied and the purchase had to be postponed for two quarters,
due to the budgeting issues. I immediately contacted the seller’s
representative explained the situation and asked for extension of quote’s due
date, which was honored and saved my company same money.
Building
Trust
Kathryn Saura
5/6/2012 11:44:39 PM
Trust in an organization is important because it allows the company to work together
cohesively versus competing against on another individually. One point that stood out
to me a lot in the checklist was ‘celebrate joint successes’. We remind each other at
my job that we either win together or lose together as a team, and the only way this
happens is to have trust that we will help one another achieve our individual and
organizational goals. Many of the points on the checklist are things I have seen in my
organization so I didn’t notice any new ideas, however, not every organization is able
to say that they experience the same. In the case study, for example, the trust between
Business Company Inc. and Copiers Incorporated was very poor because Rachel
clearly found ways around telling the truth that the copier they spoke about did not
meet the expectations he had inquired about. As the checklist stated, trust is about
providing regular communication and disclosing problems early and mitigating
negative impacts. Rachel knew ahead of time that John may not be happy that the
copier he wanted was not a dual cassette machine, yet she assured him satisfaction
nonetheless. Trust needs to be mutual and have all parties understand all details to
have a partnership succeed.
My organization has experienced a drastic change in management where it was clear
that the previous manager was trusted much less than the next one. This was due to
more effective communication in involvement in employee development and
organizational success. This commitment allowed trust to build over time.