Managers who are able to build good working relationships with their peers and subordinates are much more likely to retain employees and significantly reduce failed new-hires. Recent studies have determined that interpersonal skills are the most important skills for job effectiveness of M.B.A. graduates (Robbins, 2001, p. 4). .
At Sprint North Supply, all new managers are required to go through a training process that is comprised mostly of organizational behavior and interpersonal relationship training. The company truly believes that building relationships with associates is a vital key to the long term success of the company. The company is willing to devote the time and money necessary to provide new managers with the tools they need to build a successful organization.
There are some executives at Sprint North Supply that believe organizational behavior is nothing more than the latest management "buzz words". They believe that relationships are meant to be built away from work and have nothing to do with the way someone performs at work. The vice-president of Information Technology is one such executive. His former military background leads him to believe that he can get his subordinates to be most productive by raising his voice and telling them what, when, and how they are going to accomplish something. The word "empowerment" is not in his vocabulary. Things get done his way the first time (even if it is not the most cost affective), or they usually get done again. Unless you can absolutely show him that there is a better or more cost affective way of doing something, it is his way, or no way. .
Fortunately, this vice-president is not involved in most of the day to day decision making. It is also fortunate that some of the directors and managers who report to this vice-president have very good organizational behavior skills and are usually able to motivate subordinates by communicating well and by making associates feel that their contributions to the organization really do make a difference.