Meanwhile, the bank wasn’t the only party in this relationship with concerns. Exult at the time was a small but growing player. They had not yet filed for their IPO, and when they did, they wanted to make sure they were in the best financial position to do so. The longterm contract with the bank helped. But they were also cautious about the relationship. As Michael Salvino, the account vice president, told me, The bank is like an eight-hundred-pound gorilla sitting at the table.
They’re big and smart, but we don’t want them coming in and telling us how to run our business.We know there’s a lot at risk for them and they have to trust us that we know what we are doing and are looking out for the well-being of their associates, just as they would. It’s our business, we know what we’re doing, and we don’t want them second-guessing our every decision. In this case of external partners, each has a fear.When you are in the Form stage of the relationship, you want to think the best of your partner—but there are always lingering concerns. “Will the leaders of Exult dart?” “Will the bank come in and control our every move?” These are reasonable concerns for any partner. Self-Disclosure and Feedback is the attribute to use to start removing those concerns and building trust with your partner.
