Mrs. Foster, the head of human resources for a large finance company, contacted me regarding a situation at work. The two employees involved were highly skilled individuals who could not work together harmoniously despite previous warnings about their differences causing delays in an important project. Both employees had specific skill sets crucial for the project’s success, making it impossible to assign them to separate projects.

At this point, they needed to collaborate closely for at least a few days before the project could move forward. Mrs. Foster explained that she had exhausted all traditional methods of conflict resolution and requested my assistance.

After gathering more details about the situation and the project itself, I devised a solution to address the problem.

The company owned multiple properties for entertaining and working weekends. I inquired about the availability of one of these homes for a four-day weekend, starting from Thursday evening until Tuesday morning. Mrs. Fox informed me that the lodge was not booked for this weekend. So, I suggested that both employees, herself and I, spend a working weekend there. This way, she could ensure progress on the project while I oversaw smooth collaboration between the employees and get things back on track. After thinking it over briefly, Mrs. Fox agreed it was an excellent idea.

We made plans to meet at her office later in the day to discuss this further and introduce me to the two employees.

Mrs. Fox and I further discussed the plans for the upcoming weekend. I suggested that both employees share one of the twin bedrooms. They were to be told that their recent behavior in the office was unacceptable and would not be tolerated any longer. They would then be given a choice to attend a four-day boot camp focused on teamwork or to be Fired immediately. This weekend’s event will be called a “Working Together Boot Camp,” I will be introduced as a specialist team-builder who will lead it.

Over the long weekend, they would work together on the project and participate in a specialized team-building program to strengthen their collaboration skills and foster a sense of unity. This program would emphasize the importance of boundaries and behavioral guidelines when working as a team and support personal development. Their performance would be evaluated at the end to determine whether they successfully completed the program. If one of them failed, both would be terminated from their jobs.

Mrs. Fox had requested a meeting with the two employees at 4 pm. While waiting for them to arrive, I took the time to review their personnel files beforehand.

Anna was 28 years old and a quality assurance specialist who had been with the company for three years. She was noted to be very good at her job but also very self-opinionated and often believed that her way was the only way to get the needed results.  She had a very structured, methodical way of working.

Beth, who was 30 years old, was a creative marketing strategist who valued innovation and flexibility. Her high value for flexibility might make her resistant to structured processes and schedules, sometimes leading to clashes with team members who prefer or require a more predictable workflow.

Anna and Beth’s two different working styles caused the clashes between them.

Mrs. Fox wasted no time addressing the recent incidents as Beth and Anna took their seats. She clarified that if they could not find a solution, both employees would have to be let go due to their equal responsibility. Beth began to protest, but Mrs. Fox cut her off and presented them with an ultimatum: attend a weekend boot camp or face dismissal. Beth and Anna had to agree, or else they would lose their jobs. The seriousness in Mrs. Fox’s expression and tone left no room for doubt – this was not an empty threat.

Mrs. Fox informed Beth and Anna that they would be attending a residential boot camp at the company lodge. They were expected to leave on Thursday at 5 p.m. and return Tuesday morning to start work at 9 a.m. Transportation would be provided, but they would not receive payment for attending this course. Mrs. Fox told them there would be no free time, so they did not need to worry about bringing outfits for going out.

She introduced me as Mr. Masters, a specialist team builder who had worked with the firm multiple times before. She was confident that my unique methods would produce the desired results to get the project back on track. Mrs. Fox then handed over control of the meeting to me.

I greeted Beth and Anna with a warm smile, assuring them that I was happy to meet them and that they had nothing to worry about. As a seasoned team-builder, I was used to facing resistance in my boot camps. However, I had a way of persuading even the most reluctant students to open up and embrace my methods. When Anna asked for more information on my techniques, I explained that I employed discipline in traditional methods often seen in schools years ago. The two of them exchanged glances, clearly taken aback. “You mean like spanking?” Anna asked incredulously. Without hesitation, I confirmed her suspicion and urged them to listen to what else I had to say.

I reassured them not to pack many clothes, as all necessary clothing would be provided. I also informed them that there was no need to bring makeup, beauty products, or hair dryers as they would not be needed during their stay. Additionally, I reminded them to let their family and friends know that they would be in an area with no cell phone reception for four days and would, therefore, be unreachable until their return on Tuesday. Before ending the conversation, I asked if anyone had any questions. Anna inquired about the activities planned for their stay, but I replied that it was on a need-to-know basis, and they did not need to know at the moment. However, I assured them they would receive a spanking on Thursday evening to clean the slate for their past behavior.

I informed them that Mrs. Fox had prepared two copies of papers for each of them, and they needed to decide on the set to sign. One set was terminating employment, and one agreed to attend boot camp and accept the terms, including waivers allowing me to discipline them. I assured Beth and Anna that both sets had clear explanations so they would understand what they were signing and agreeing to. I also reminded them that their decisions had to be mutual; they would both be dismissed if they couldn’t agree on the boot camp. To give them time to go through the papers and come to an agreement, they would have 30 minutes before we reconvened.

Thirty minutes later, Mrs. Fox and I walked back into the room and checked in with Beth and Anna to see if they had agreed on which papers to sign. They both nodded their heads in agreement. I then asked for their final decision, and Anna confidently stated that they had decided on the boot camp option. I praised their choice and noted that they were already working well as a team. Before leaving, I reminded them of our meeting at 5 pm on Thursday.

To be continued……