Background:
Mark, a skilled manager at an automobile manufacturing company, faces challenges due to Parkinson's disease affecting his communication and balance.
Mark suspected that the leadership wanted him to take early retirement due to his impaired ability to communicate with employees. Mark wanted to semiretire. He loved his job, but wanted to spend winters with his wife at a home near the beach.
He certainly did not want senior management to dictate unilaterally the terms of his departure. Rather than making demands of the senior management and risk turning the situation into an adversarial battle, Mark used the power of appreciation.
Mark writes to SAM, the Senior Management, a friend of his:
Sam, thanks for taking the time to meet. I’ve been thinking about how to manage my work life now that this disease is starting to make communication more of a challenge. We’ve been good friends for a long time, and I’m sure this is hard for you to see the disease affect me as it has. I know you want to look out for my best interest and to make sure that I don’t put too much stress on myself. I also assume that, as regional president, you need to look out for the company’s best interests. You want people to satisfy their daily responsibilities efficiently. So I’d imagine that this situation is hard for you. I wanted to sit down with you and, without committing to anything, just think through some options we have.
Through these statements, Mark demonstrates an understanding of Sam’s point of view without conceding anything. Rather, he recognizes that Sam cares about him and that Sam also has professional responsibilities to uphold. These statements promote a positive tone to their conversation and increase the likelihood that an outcome will satisfy the interests of Mark, Sam, and the company.
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