Power Bonding

IT WAS A BOOMER KIND OF THING. WHEN PRESIDENT Clinton recently invited his Cabinet to Camp David for the weekend, he also called in two “facilitators” to conduct encounter-style discussions about how to share, trust one another and learn. Everyone wore a name tag (first and last names). Clinton got the ball rolling by recalling how tough it was to be a fat kid. As part of the exercise, participants were asked, What do you know now that you are afraid you won’t know at the end of four years in the White House? Answered one: The names of my kid’s teachers. Said another: The cost of a quart of milk. How successful was the effort at high-level bonding? Well, friendly feelings can help. But trust is at best fragile in a town where every player tries to put a spin on events. During a separate session, Cabinet members got a tongue- lashing on keeping one’s lip zipped around nosy reporters. Result: Details of the discussions were all over town as soon as they got back.