The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What They Want

Chapter 12. Translating Partnership Theory into Partnership Practice

We advocate a partnership culture as the surest path to a high-performance organization. Partnership works because it harnesses the natural motivation and enthusiasm that is characteristic of the overwhelming majority of workers. Other management modes dampen—even destroy—that motivation and enthusiasm. The partnership organization is effective precisely because it is based on the assumption that the great majority of workers are, by nature, motivated. Rather than a vicious circle (assume and expect the worst and you get the worst), a partnership philosophy creates a virtuous circle (assume and expect the best and that's what you get).

But, does partnership always work? Nothing ...