CHSCM 3.0 - Unit 1 - SCM in the Humanitarian World

We discussed earlier that it is people who work together and develop relationships between
organizations and between different functions. There are a number of barriers to people working
together. These include:
• Trust
• Skills
• Job role
• Attitude
• Personality
• Self-interest
If one person does not trust another, it can be very difficult for them to work together and develop a
good working relationship. It may not prevent them from working together, but it will usually
significantly reduce the benefits they could reap from working together. If one person has been let
down by another, e.g. they have not delivered what they promised to deliver, or they have passed on
information given in confidence, it can be very difficult for them to start to trust that person again.
Earlier in this unit, we looked at ways of developing trust with other people, but we need to
recognize that once trust is lost it can be difficult, and take time, to regain that trust.
The way a person behaves is significantly affected by the role they have and what they believe that
role is. You will often hear people say things like, “That isn’t my job,’’ or “That is not in my job
description.” If people do not see things as part of their role, they may not do them or they will do
them reluctantly and with little commitment. If people are asked to work together, with another
person in another organization or other function, and they do not see this as part of their role, then
they will not do it or they will do it without any commitment.
Some people will also see their role and job title as signifying their level and position within the
organization. If asked to work with and develop relationships with other people whom they perceive
as being at a different level, they may be reluctant as they believe they should only be working with
people at the same level.
To overcome this barrier, it is important to ensure people’s perception of their role is correct and
that the role titles and any job descriptions are appropriate. Where a person is required to work
with others for the first time, it is important to ensure that they understand the change in role and, if
necessary, ensure the job description is changed to recognize this change in role.
People have different personalities and different personality types. Whether people are happy to
work with other people is often based on whether they like them and feel comfortable with them.
People’s personalities affect the way they behave at work. There are some personality types that
lend themselves to working together with other people. More importantly, where there are