People work well as a team, hut
they don't think well as a team. That
is the essence of what Randy is saying
in his arrogant way: "A brilliant
idea never came out of a team. Brilliant ideas come from brilliant individuals,
who then inspire others
in the organization to implement
them." From this standpoint. Randy
is right. The team assembled by Eric
would not succeed even if Randy
were not bent on sahotaging the
process, hecause its objective is too
vague and its leadership is too weak.
The team was given the task of developing
a plan for strategic realignment
and having it implemented
within six months. This guideline is
totally insufficient, especially hecause
the members of the team are
unaccustomed to working together
and probably uncomfortable with
conceptual discussions. They are
confused by the mandate, and, as a result, they are shooting in all directions.
Worse, they do not realize (or
want to admit] that they do not understand
the issue. No one has asked
the basic question: What is the real
problem with FireArt's husiness?
Jack Derry, the CEO, "thought"
the company's faltering financial results
were caused hy the entry of
large glassmaking companies into
its niche market, but that analysis is
superficial. Are customers going to
competitors because they offer lower
prices, a broader selection, or better
service? The solutions proposed
by the managers of manufacturing,
design, and distribution indicate
that each has a different answer to
this question. Someone must define
the primary cause of FireArt's declining
market share and direct the
team to focus on that specific issue.
That is the first step toward solving
the problem pre ...