Cooperation and Collaboration

by John J. Trakselis Coaching Essay

“It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too): those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” – Charles Darwin

“The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction.” – Jonathan Haidt

Do you remember some of the old Western movies where the good guy faces down the bad guys? I think the image of the lone gunslinger is a part of our American culture, but if you look at those western shoot ‘em up movies again, you will notice the presence of someone who assisted our hero in accomplishing his task. Maybe it was a little boy who yelled “watch out” or maybe it was the townspeople who mustered their courage to provide that extra “oomph” so our hero could get the job done. Rarely did one guy win the day all by himself – especially when you consider the number of incidents typically leading up to the final “shootout.” Someone was always rooting for and/or standing by our hero in some way. Heck, even the “Lone” Ranger had Tonto.

“I never did anything alone. Whatever was accomplished in this country was accomplished collectively.” – Golda Meir

So what makes us think we have to do everything by ourselves? Yes, we have a responsibility to address those things requiring our attention. However, we must keep in mind there are a number of ways to go about completing our assignments, and asking for help is key. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion recently that there is nothing we get done as a result of our singular efforts.

Think “Win-Win”

One of the important principles in cooperating and collaborating with others is Stephen Covey’s principle of “Think Win-Win.” Organized sports, political races, winning an Oscar or a Grammy are “Win-Lose” in the minds of the general public. In many respects, this is unfortunate. Not to diminish those who catch the brass ring, but the fact is that “winners” all have one thing in common. They have someone behind them who enabled, empowered, assisted or even pushed them to get to where they are. The same is true for those who earn a place or get nominated for a significant accolade.

In my work as a Vistage Chair I get to see a number of speakers and business coaches whom the general public views as individual performers. Sure, they are often on the stage by themselves and they might be the center of attention. But, if you look at what goes on behind the scenes, you’ll see there are a number of things they accomplish that requires a supporting crew. In some cases it might be handling the administrative tasks – the details that would distract these professionals from concentrating and preparing themselves for what they get paid to do. In other cases, winners may have trusted collaborators who tell them the truth (as they see it) with the sole purpose of pointing out the blind spots which can hinder success.

I also work with a number of successful business owners, CEOs and senior executives, and I have not found one who doesn’t want a good team behind him or her to help drive the success of the whole company. In a team situation, you may have heard that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. What is a chain in a company? It is the myriad processes, systems and people who run the business on a day-to-day basis. A well-functioning group of purposeful people is a beautiful thing to watch. A dysfunctional team, on the other hand, can be painful to observe.

So, I encourage you to think about how you can accomplish more with the assistance of others.

Take in Feedback—Be Coachable

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson

At the personal level, I notice that in our rush to finish an assignment we may get irritated if someone suggests additional actions when we are ready to move toward completion. Notice your irritability! Take that extra minute and process that anger or fear or even sadness. Do you have an issue with the one who makes the suggestion? Not all “suggestions for improvement” are done with positive intent. While it may be hard to take disapproval of your work by someone who does not have your best interests at heart, see if you can focus on the quality of their suggestion. Is it helpful, practical or cost-effective? Will it add to the quality of the work? Will accepting the feedback improve your work, allow the project to be completed on time or be completed more economically? Is it part of the next phase or your work, i.e., is it essential now or for the future? Did you miss it when doing the work? Realize that it is rare when we can’t improve our work but also realize that you cannot reinvent the wheel every time you solve a problem, take on a challenge or pursue an opportunity.

Do You Belong Where You Are?

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro

At the organization level take a look at how your culture supports results by fostering teamwork. Is it a sharing culture or a hoarding culture? Is it hero driven or is it results driven? I like participative, collaborative and collegial cultures. More work gets done in this type of environment, and I think the people in the company have more of a sense of accomplishment and belonging. They feel seen, heard and accepted. Their work and the work of others have more meaning. The funny thing about cultures, however, is that no one individual fits all types of settings. In fact, one of the big factors that will determine the success of any individual is their fit. If you don’t fit in two things will happen: you will eventually be shunned and you will ostracize yourself—and not necessarily in that order.

What will Make My Cooperation and Collaboration Successful?

“Nothing truly valuable can be achieved except by the unselfish cooperation of many individuals.” – Albert Einstein

If we seek greater cooperation and collaboration, the following questions might be helpful in determining if we can work with a particular individual or with others in a certain company:

• Do I have clearly defined values?
• Does my task (or responsibilities) have a clearly defined mission?
• How do my mission and values correlate with the purpose and values of the people I want to work with – in other words are we in alignment?
• Am I working in or with a culture where I fit in?
• What will be my unique contribution?
• How effectively will I work with others, including team members and my boss?
• How strongly do I trust my answers to these questions?
• How can I validate my conclusions – who is capable and willing to give me useful feedback?

The Bottom Line

Give up the illusion that you have to do everything yourself, all of the time! You can receive a lot more help than you may realize and there is a a great deal of assistance available to you. Look for the opportunity to make 1 plus 1 equal to 3 or more. The Pareto Principle says that the first 20% of the effort produces 80% of the results. You can get a lot closer to that 100% if you learn how to cooperate and collaborate with others in your endeavors and in their assignments. Think about getting to 100% without more effort but with the backing of your collaborators.

“One cannot be pessimistic about the West. This is the native home of hope. When it fully learns that cooperation, not rugged individualism, is the quality that most characterizes and preserves it, then it will have achieved itself and outlived its origins. Then it has a chance to create a society to match its scenery.” – Wallace Stegner

And, there is more, there always is.

Be genuine.

Employee Engagement: "It's Not in My Job Description"

For me, the sentence, "It's not in my job description", is a huge red flag.

It's a sure sign someone is not a team player.  It's a sign someone is a taker, not a giver. It's a sign someone is self-centered, putting their importance ahead of others.

I think I've said before how influential summer jobs can be, and today I'd like to share with you why I feel so strongly about the phrase in the title of this post.

Between my second and third years in university, I worked in the drill squad of the world famous Fort Henry Guard, based in Kingston, Ontario.

One of the unofficial mottoes of the Guard was "Remain Flexible".  The meaning of this was that, at any time, you could be asked to be a sentry, on gun drill, tour guide or cleaning up. Duties for sentry duty or gun drills were assigned each day, but sometimes we had more visitors than expected, which meant you had to be prepared to take on some new assignments.

While this may have been just a summer job, I think these principles hold true in any well-run organization.

In larger organizations, we tend to be slotted into narrowly defined roles and responsibilities that make it hard to be as flexible as we were at Old Fort Henry.  In smaller organizations, the ability to be functional in job roles outside your core responsibilities is vital.

At one company, our purchasing manager lost both parents within weeks of each other.  She was overwhelmed not only with the loss, but also the responsibilities of attending to both their estates.  As a result, she found it difficult to keep up with her job responsibilities, and purchasing was an area in which we were extremely thin on manpower.

While this was happening, we were also having quality issues with a company that supplied a critical laminated material for one of our products.  They were unable to identify for us whether the issues was the result of a fault in the lamination process or a defective batch of material. We knew we needed to find an alternate supplier for this lamination, and the process for finding one was normally managed by purchasing.

Because of the quality issue, we were prevented from manufacturing a product for one of our key customers, who were anxious to know when we would be able to re-commence supply.  They needed answers, not excuses.

I offered to take the lead on finding alternative suppliers because, in the end, it was a customer-driven issue: we had a customer who could not market their product because we were unable to supply a critical component.  So, while my job role was sales, handling a purchasing issue was also a way of solving a supply chain issue for a customer.

The more I researched companies who made one of the materials in the lamination we purchased, the more I came to realize there were literally only a handful of companies in the world who had the capabilities of making the material used, let alone being able to meet our specifications.  (Our customer thought there would be hundreds of companies who made this material and changing suppliers could be done in a couple of weeks). We were fortunate that two of those suppliers were located within a half-day's drive of our plant, so I visited them both to get a better understanding of the challenges in making the material we needed.

One of these suppliers analyzed samples of the lamination we used - both past and current - and determined that the incumbent had, despite protests otherwise, switched recipes and companies they purchased their materials from.  We now had scientific evidence to support our allegations there had been material substitutions.

A few weeks later, when our purchasing manager returned from bereavement leave, I took her to meet the company we felt represented the best opportunity to supply the lamination we needed.  This gave her a chance to see the plant as well as meet the executive team and allowed me an opportunity to transition the supplier search back to her so she could begin qualification trials.

Taking on a task normally done by purchasing gave me some insights into the challenge purchasing people face in searching for and selecting suppliers.  Given the circumstances, it helped forge a stronger relationship between sales and purchasing While helping the company respond to a customer in need.

When I left this company, the purchasing manager was the first person to come into my office and give me a hug and tell me how much they'd miss me.  I was really touched by this and it is a moment I will never forget.

I hope you can see that, in this situation, the roles of sales and purchasing were very strongly interdependent. Had we stuck to our job roles, we might still have solved the supply chain issue for our customer, but at the cost of several weeks being unable to supply them. Blurring the lines between sales and purchasing in this case demonstrated that our company really required a team effort to survive - and thrive.

Posted by Ronald Jamieson

Profit & Leadership Most Viewed Posts of 2013

This is the 1 year anniversary of my blog PROFIT AND LEADERSHIP. Due to supporters like you, the blog has been well received. 

Thank You!

My motivation for creating P&L was to provide a facility for people who run businesses to access useful leadership tips and improve their individual performance as leaders and the performance of their companies. On the occasion of this first anniversary, I conducted an audit of the blog’s over 500 posts and here are the top 15:

SIX MYTHS ABOUT VENTURE CAPITALISTS

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/05/six-myths-about-venture-capitalists.html

BAD BUSINESS DECISIONS AND FAMOUS QUOTES

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/02/bad-business-decisions-and-famous-quotes.html

NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE CORRELATION BETWEEN CSR AND BRAND STRENGTH

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/07/new-insights-into-correlation-between.html

CASE STUDY: COMPETING IN RETAIL– “DAVID VS GOLIATH”

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/05/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_8834.html

CASE STUDY - ANCILLARY BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/03/case-study-ancillary-business.html

CASE STUDY - ANATOMY OF A TURNAROUND

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/03/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_12.html

CASE STUDY: ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/04/case-study-achieve-and-maintain.html

GOOD STRATEGY/BAD STRATEGY: THE DIFFERENCE AND WHY IT MATTERS

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/04/good-strategybadstrategy-difference-and.html

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: "IT'S NOT IN MY JOB DESCRIPTION"

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/12/employee-engagement-its-not-in-my-job.html

35 QUOTES TO TRANSFORM YOURSELF INTO A LEADER

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/04/35-quotes-to-transform-yourself-into.html

9 HABITS OF PEOPLE WHO BUILD EXTRAORDINARY RELATIONSHIPS

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/04/9-habits-of-people-who-build.html

THE BENEFITS OF BELONGING TO A CEO GROUP

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2014/01/the-benefits-of-belonging-to-ceo-group.html

WHY PRODUCT STRATEGY IS KEY TO INNOVATION AND NEW MARKETS

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/10/why-product-strategy-is-key-to.html

CASE STUDY: TEAMWORK = TURNAROUND

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/05/case-study-teamwork-turnaround.html

HOW TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE WAY ORGANIZATIONS LEARN

http://profitandleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/06/how-technology-is-changing-way.html

Employee Engagement: "It's Not in My Job Description"

For me, the sentence, "It's not in my job description", is a huge red flag.

It's a sure sign someone is not a team player.  It's a sign someone is a taker, not a giver. It's a sign someone is self-centered, putting their importance ahead of others.

I think I've said before how influential summer jobs can be, and today I'd like to share with you why I feel so strongly about the phrase in the title of this post.

Between my second and third years in university, I worked in the drill squad of the world famous Fort Henry Guard, based in Kingston, Ontario.

One of the unofficial mottoes of the Guard was "Remain Flexible".  The meaning of this was that, at any time, you could be asked to be a sentry, on gun drill, tour guide or cleaning up. Duties for sentry duty or gun drills were assigned each day, but sometimes we had more visitors than expected, which meant you had to be prepared to take on some new assignments.

While this may have been just a summer job, I think these principles hold true in any well-run organization.

In larger organizations, we tend to be slotted into narrowly defined roles and responsibilities that make it hard to be as flexible as we were at Old Fort Henry.  In smaller organizations, the ability to be functional in job roles outside your core responsibilities is vital.

At one company, our purchasing manager lost both parents within weeks of each other.  She was overwhelmed not only with the loss, but also the responsibilities of attending to both their estates.  As a result, she found it difficult to keep up with her job responsibilities, and purchasing was an area in which we were extremely thin on manpower.

While this was happening, we were also having quality issues with a company that supplied a critical laminated material for one of our products.  They were unable to identify for us whether the issues was the result of a fault in the lamination process or a defective batch of material. We knew we needed to find an alternate supplier for this lamination, and the process for finding one was normally managed by purchasing.

Because of the quality issue, we were prevented from manufacturing a product for one of our key customers, who were anxious to know when we would be able to re-commence supply.  They needed answers, not excuses.

I offered to take the lead on finding alternative suppliers because, in the end, it was a customer-driven issue: we had a customer who could not market their product because we were unable to supply a critical component.  So, while my job role was sales, handling a purchasing issue was also a way of solving a supply chain issue for a customer.

The more I researched companies who made one of the materials in the lamination we purchased, the more I came to realize there were literally only a handful of companies in the world who had the capabilities of making the material used, let alone being able to meet our specifications.  (Our customer thought there would be hundreds of companies who made this material and changing suppliers could be done in a couple of weeks). We were fortunate that two of those suppliers were located within a half-day's drive of our plant, so I visited them both to get a better understanding of the challenges in making the material we needed.

One of these suppliers analyzed samples of the lamination we used - both past and current - and determined that the incumbent had, despite protests otherwise, switched recipes and companies they purchased their materials from.  We now had scientific evidence to support our allegations there had been material substitutions.

A few weeks later, when our purchasing manager returned from bereavement leave, I took her to meet the company we felt represented the best opportunity to supply the lamination we needed.  This gave her a chance to see the plant as well as meet the executive team and allowed me an opportunity to transition the supplier search back to her so she could begin qualification trials.

Taking on a task normally done by purchasing gave me some insights into the challenge purchasing people face in searching for and selecting suppliers.  Given the circumstances, it helped forge a stronger relationship between sales and purchasing While helping the company respond to a customer in need.

When I left this company, the purchasing manager was the first person to come into my office and give me a hug and tell me how much they'd miss me.  I was really touched by this and it is a moment I will never forget.

I hope you can see that, in this situation, the roles of sales and purchasing were very strongly interdependent. Had we stuck to our job roles, we might still have solved the supply chain issue for our customer, but at the cost of several weeks being unable to supply them. Blurring the lines between sales and purchasing in this case demonstrated that our company really required a team effort to survive - and thrive.

Posted by Ronald Jamieson

7 Tough Leadership Lessons From A Navy SEAL Commander

Taking tactics from the war room to the boardroom.

As corporate leaders explore how to elevate the effectiveness and professional excellence of their working teams, there is a lot to be learned from Special Ops.

Their collaboration with other branches of the military over the past decade makes them an area of the military that both corporate America and the government can learn a lot from. I've been a longtime fan of the Navy SEALs, and in my constant search for inspiration to implement work culture and leadership change, I felt they could be a superb group to learn from. While this highly secretive branch of the military keeps themselves, and their secrets, to themselves, books like Lone Survivor and The Hunt for Bin Laden give us a look into how they operate. But nothing beats sitting down with a Navy SEAL commander to understand how they think about leadership.

Corporate and military leadership are distinctively different for obvious reasons: The military’s leadership is focused on leading organizations responsible for our country’s security and fighting wars, while business leaders are focused on creating value and protecting the interests of their stakeholders, with profit and return on investment often being the top priorities.

Meticulous planning
From a management standpoint, one of the greatest lessons that can be learned from Navy SEALs is their skill of being highly effective and meticulous planners. They focus on the importance of time management, on-target execution, and completing the mission. They operate with a backup and contingency plan in place for almost every scenario. One of the most practical skills taught in this branch is clear and direct communication. Most people think that the military teaches direct, one-way communication--but what’s less obvious to nonmilitary folks is the importance SEALs place on listening. SEAL Commanders listen and formulate an opinion that incorporates as many ideas and experiences as possible to form a solid plan. A big difference between Navy SEAL and civilian leadership is that once a commander’s decision is reached, the discussion is over—then full support and backing is given and a unified front is presented. Ultimate accountability rests on the commander’s shoulders.

Clear expectations
Navy SEALs focus on a very clear set of objectives, where significant importance is placed on defining the goal and motivating the team to follow. Even with highly complex operations, each SEAL has a clearly defined role, and expectations can be recited by each team member. Similarly, articulating a compelling vision and aligning people with priorities are vital areas in business, but these are often overlooked by many leaders. The SEAL’s rules of engagement (how they respond when confronted) are clearly established before each mission, and modifying these rules could negatively impact the entire operation. The rules of engagement for businesses (what is acceptable employee behavior and what is not) are very often ill-defined or nonexistent. One of the biggest disconnects we see in business is the gap between a company’s strategy and the aligned expectations set for the employees.

During a recent conversation with a SEAL commander, he offered tangible advice that can be applied to almost any business:

1. Teamwork is your top priority.
A mission cannot be successfully executed unless the team is functioning as one. The SEALs continual emphasis on teamwork corresponds closely with the daily requirements of the business world.

2. Early leaders are good leaders.
This opportunity is unparalleled in the corporate world, where an employee may need 10 to 15 years to reach a position of significant leadership and high level of responsibility.

3. Excel at ethics.
In the world of business, the ethical leader is sometimes a rarity, and truly esteemed.

4. Stay calm.
The military trains its team to be more comfortable taking risks with incomplete information. This is the daily function of a CEO, but it is rarely passed down to employees.

5. Hard times help you adapt--quickly.
Young executives who go through hard times should learn to appreciate them, recognizing that those times will not only strengthen them, but truly train them to properly and successfully lead their own teams when battling the competition.

6. Ambush the competition.
In an ambush, always take out the radio operator and the unit leader (usually the guy next to the radioman). Without leadership or good communication, the enemy is forced into disarray and can be picked apart. A good lesson for all leaders and their organizations.

7. Study Darwin.
Survival is not about who’s the strongest or fastest, but who can best adapt to change. Navy SEALs are masters of adaptation, being able to operate in jungle, desert, or artic conditions. In comparison, CEOs must adapt to the ever-changing market conditions they face daily and should train their staff to do the same.

Shawn Parr

Navy SEAL Lessons For Operating Successfully As A Team

Every person counts. And four other important rules to work by.

In the military, there are shared beliefs, consistent values, and deep traditions across all military units. In comparison, it’s often unclear in businesses what values a company operates with. In the military, certain protocols exist such as respect for rank regardless of the military branch, following orders, communicating clearly , and giving only one’s absolute best. But corporate cultures vary--from top-down hierarchies to vague or flat leadership. 

Military culture is traditional, historically informed and fixed, whereas corporate cultures differ based on the leadership or other variables that oftentimes create challenges for employees at every level. Military personnel have a clearly structured and transparent path to promotion, while in the world of business, there's often no defined career progression and the necessity for employees to manage their careers.

It's clear that above all else, the Navy SEAL’s functional and effective teamwork is among one of its top strengths. The following SEAL insights could, and should, be applied to working teams in business.

1. A Navy SEAL does not discriminate.

Regardless of shape, size, beliefs, or culture, the biggest personal trait demanded of a SEAL is demeanor. A Navy SEAL does not display a superior attitude or arrogance, but rather a confidence in his physical and mental abilities for the good of the team.

2. Every person counts.

Settling for mediocrity is the death of an organization. Every SEAL knows with 100% confidence that the person behind him will be able to save his life. Corporate leaders need to be able to say the same about their management teams. Employees’ livelihoods depend on it.

3. SEALS train.

When SEALs are not on combat deployment, they spend the vast majority of their time in training. In contrast, executives spend the majority of their time executing. The importance of training for new employees, or even a veteran team, is vital to the success of the business. Navy SEALs spend thousands of hours honing their skills, and so should employees in a profession.

4. Everyone is expendable.

All SEALs are trained in a nearly identical manner, so no one SEAL is indispensable to the unit or the mission. The understanding during combat is that anyone can be lost at any time and the rest of the unit can carry on the mission successfully. Businesses need to ensure contingency plans are in place for any unforeseen personnel circumstances within their organization so the team can carry on without any delays.

5. You never know the measure of people until they are tested.

People are more resilient and tougher than imagined. During SEAL training, instructors prove that their men are capable of 10 times more than what they ever imagined. Until your team is really tested, you can never be too sure who will step up and who will falter in any given situation.

Shawn Parr

Shawn Parr is the The Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, IDEO, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie's Homegrown, The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, CleanWell, The Honest Kitchen and World Vision. www.BulldogDrummond.com

Employee Engagement: "It's Not in My Job Description"

For me, the sentence, "It's not in my job description", is a huge red flag.

It's a sure sign someone is not a team player.  It's a sign someone is a taker, not a giver. It's a sign someone is self-centered, putting their importance ahead of others.

I think I've said before how influential summer jobs can be, and today I'd like to share with you why I feel so strongly about the phrase in the title of this post.

Between my second and third years in university, I worked in the drill squad of the world famous Fort Henry Guard, based in Kingston, Ontario.

One of the unofficial mottoes of the Guard was "Remain Flexible".  The meaning of this was that, at any time, you could be asked to be a sentry, on gun drill, tour guide or cleaning up. Duties for sentry duty or gun drills were assigned each day, but sometimes we had more visitors than expected, which meant you had to be prepared to take on some new assignments.

While this may have been just a summer job, I think these principles hold true in any well-run organization.

In larger organizations, we tend to be slotted into narrowly defined roles and responsibilities that make it hard to be as flexible as we were at Old Fort Henry.  In smaller organizations, the ability to be functional in job roles outside your core responsibilities is vital.

At one company, our purchasing manager lost both parents within weeks of each other.  She was overwhelmed not only with the loss, but also the responsibilities of attending to both their estates.  As a result, she found it difficult to keep up with her job responsibilities, and purchasing was an area in which we were extremely thin on manpower.

While this was happening, we were also having quality issues with a company that supplied a critical laminated material for one of our products.  They were unable to identify for us whether the issues was the result of a fault in the lamination process or a defective batch of material. We knew we needed to find an alternate supplier for this lamination, and the process for finding one was normally managed by purchasing.

Because of the quality issue, we were prevented from manufacturing a product for one of our key customers, who were anxious to know when we would be able to re-commence supply.  They needed answers, not excuses.

I offered to take the lead on finding alternative suppliers because, in the end, it was a customer-driven issue: we had a customer who could not market their product because we were unable to supply a critical component.  So, while my job role was sales, handling a purchasing issue was also a way of solving a supply chain issue for a customer.

The more I researched companies who made one of the materials in the lamination we purchased, the more I came to realize there were literally only a handful of companies in the world who had the capabilities of making the material used, let alone being able to meet our specifications.  (Our customer thought there would be hundreds of companies who made this material and changing suppliers could be done in a couple of weeks). We were fortunate that two of those suppliers were located within a half-day's drive of our plant, so I visited them both to get a better understanding of the challenges in making the material we needed.

One of these suppliers analyzed samples of the lamination we used - both past and current - and determined that the incumbent had, despite protests otherwise, switched recipes and companies they purchased their materials from.  We now had scientific evidence to support our allegations there had been material substitutions.

A few weeks later, when our purchasing manager returned from bereavement leave, I took her to meet the company we felt represented the best opportunity to supply the lamination we needed.  This gave her a chance to see the plant as well as meet the executive team and allowed me an opportunity to transition the supplier search back to her so she could begin qualification trials.

Taking on a task normally done by purchasing gave me some insights into the challenge purchasing people face in searching for and selecting suppliers.  Given the circumstances, it helped forge a stronger relationship between sales and purchasing While helping the company respond to a customer in need.

When I left this company, the purchasing manager was the first person to come into my office and give me a hug and tell me how much they'd miss me.  I was really touched by this and it is a moment I will never forget.

I hope you can see that, in this situation, the roles of sales and purchasing were very strongly interdependent. Had we stuck to our job roles, we might still have solved the supply chain issue for our customer, but at the cost of several weeks being unable to supply them. Blurring the lines between sales and purchasing in this case demonstrated that our company really required a team effort to survive - and thrive.