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Management article
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Reference no. 86208
Published by: Harvard Business Publishing
Published in: "Harvard Business Review", 1986

Abstract

Appointed general manager in 1980 of Westinghouse''s newly created Synthetic Fuels Division (SFD), William Peace devoted most of his time to strategy at the expense of employee morale. Many employees did not support the division''s new mission. Not until some of them vandalized cars belonging to two managers did Peace realize how abysmal morale really was. Several lessons emerged from the experience: managers must be alert for employee perceptions that don''t match their own; frequent and open communication is essential to organizational effectiveness; and, finally, managers can build trust in organizations by disclosing their true feelings and taking risks on behalf of their employees. McKinsey Award Winner.

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Abstract

Appointed general manager in 1980 of Westinghouse''s newly created Synthetic Fuels Division (SFD), William Peace devoted most of his time to strategy at the expense of employee morale. Many employees did not support the division''s new mission. Not until some of them vandalized cars belonging to two managers did Peace realize how abysmal morale really was. Several lessons emerged from the experience: managers must be alert for employee perceptions that don''t match their own; frequent and open communication is essential to organizational effectiveness; and, finally, managers can build trust in organizations by disclosing their true feelings and taking risks on behalf of their employees. McKinsey Award Winner.

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