Case study: A question of trust What to think about

Bernd Schneider is head of European sales for a Usbased global healthcare company that sells a range of products to pharmacies and doctors. The forecasting process is about to begin for next year, and Bernd is facing a dilemma regarding the UK team. In the past two years, the UK sales team failed to reach their proposed targets, whereas his German team’s sales were exactly as planned. The head of UK sales, Paul Tucker, always has an explanation relating to changes in the market and the tactics of competitors. But Bernd is beginning to lose trust in the ability of his UK colleagues to plan effectively. He decides to talk on the phone from his Frankfurt office to his US manager, Arnie Sanders.

Arnie: Hey, Bernd. What can I do for you?

Bernd: I think I need some advice. As you know, it’s goal-setting time and it’s the usual problem with the UK. Paul has given me his forecasts for next year, but I just don’t trust these guys any more to plan effectively. Their numbers are too high.

Arnie: Yes, they’ve missed their targets for the past two years.

Bernd: Exactly. We need reliable figures to run a business. Sometimes, I get the impression that they’re just interested in selling a story and a reputation. I’m not sure how open they really are with me.

Arnie: They’re ambitious. And they have good people who are very motivated.

Bernd: I know that, which is good. I think one of the problems, though, is the sales staff. They’re very individualistic. They have personal targets and personal bonuses. In Germany, the team bonus is much more significant. I think there’s too much ego in the UK teams. I don’t even think they trust each other. They just compete.

Arnie: OK, so what do you want to do?

Bernd: I’m in London next week. I’ll take it up with Paul and tell him that we need more trust in the organization. We need to deliver on promises and collaborate more.

Arnie: OK, let me know how things go.

Bernd: Sure will.

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What issues relating to trust does Bernd identify? How accurate do you think Bernd’s interpretation of the situation is? And how do you think the head ⋅ of sales in the UK sees the issue?

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