COOPERATION CARD
RESPECT
Positive: Mutual respect
Negative: Lack of mutual respect
The identity created at work is for many a source of a sense of pride. It can also sometimes be a source of competition and comparison.
Unfortunately, when we seek to increase our own status, it sometimes comes at the expense of others.
We end up having too little respect for the abilities and contributions of others. These attitudes will undermine the relationship which is necessary for good cooperation.
​
If mutual respect has completely disappeared, we often end up avoiding confrontation and communication with each other as much as possible.
If, on the other hand, the relationship is characterized by mutual respect, it could contribute to a strong bond where we take each other's needs into account.
Tools for working with respect
Examples of lack of mutual respect:
​
At a Christmas lunch, a manager at the pencil factory became aware that there was a division between the development department and the production department. When he is asked about the phenomenon the following week, he finds out that the production department is experiencing that the development department is constantly making changes that push production. This means a lot of unpaid overtime, which also ruins all planning. In the development department, on the other hand, it seems that the production department is not commercial or customer-oriented enough: it is all about getting the best and most competitive product on the market.
​
The pencil factory has a dialogue with representatives from the development department and the production department about their cooperation. Here he finds out that each of us feels counted down to when the departments have to communicate. He also finds out that the departments have nicknames for each other. They talk about the snobbish and confused academics in the development department. And the disinterested, non-creative production people.