In a corporate-wide survey, employees said that managers did not listen and did not encourage participation. Upper management asked lower level managers to get feedback on their performance from subordinates. One manager saw this request as an opportunity to advance the human side of operations. With Meridian Group's assistance, he outlined a new upward appraisal process and had a team decide the details using the same categories that his superior had used to evaluate him. His subordinates met by themselves to discuss his performance and agreed that any changes in his behavior would require effort by the entire team to make the changes work! They talked about how they wanted to work with him. Then he was invited into the room. The ensuing discussion was exciting and productive, resulting in high commitment and follow-through by both sides.

A regional 250-employee plant of a Meridian Group client acquired control of an adjoining similarly sized competitor's plant. The culture of each plant was distinctly different—one was careful, participative and controlled, the other was a "hot-dog", impulsive and autocratic. Meridian Group first helped merge the management team and then build cooperation and understanding in the process integration team. From what first seemed to managers from both sides as an impossible combination—"We will never work together"—we helped them understand each other and successfully integrate teams at all levels. The result was a timely, successful integration of the plants.