Page 163 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

134 Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

the leader is to foster mutual respect and build a complemen-
tary team where each strength is made productive and each
weakness made irrelevant.” When employees can focus on their
strengths, the organization benefits from increased productivity
and higher-quality work. At the organizational level, successful
partnerships may lead to increased revenue streams, lower pro-
duction costs, and improved distribution channels.
Partnerships focus efforts toward a common goal. In so doing,
team members are more likely to perform at a higher level for
the sake of the mission and vision of the organization, rather
than just worrying about looking good. In the words of Robert
Yates, “It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody
cares about who gets the credit.” Partners are willing to negoti-
ate and sacrifice individual glory to further the overall goals of
the partnership. They also feel significant responsibility toward
one another and ownership toward the organization. Such indi-
viduals are much more likely to take pride in their work, which
translates into higher levels of quality.
Partners continually provide one another with ongoing sup-
portive feedback, as discussed in the previous chapter. They do
so out of respect for one another and because of their interest
in achieving common goals. Thus, partners become each other’s
best coaches and push one another to excel. When one partner
improves, the overall skill level of the partnership increases.
There is no substitute for having partners who “have your back.”
In a culture of partnering, individuals watch out for one another
and assist as needed. This kind of support reduces individual
stress and leads to greater overall productivity.
The difference in the productivity and efficiency of a team
managed by a supervisor who has promoted partnership versus a
traditional supervisor-employee relationship is astounding. Since
they have more autonomy and decision-making responsibility,