Professional Documents
Culture Documents
by Suzy Wetlaufer
The last thing Eric Holt had ex- the tension level becoming unbear-
pected to miss about New York City able. Six of the top-level managers
was its sunrises. Seeing one usu- involved seemed determined to turn
ally meant he had pulled another the company around, but the sev-
all nighter at the consulting firm enth seemed equally determined to
where, as a vice president, he had sabotage the process. Forget cama-
managed three teams of manufactur- raderie. There had been three meet-
ing specialists. But as he stood on ings so far, and Eric hadn't even been
the balcony of his new apartment in able to get everyone on the same side
the small Indiana city that was now of an issue.
his home, Eric suddenly felt a pang Eric stepped inside his apartment
of nostalgia for the way the dawn and checked the clock: (inly three
plays off the skyscrapers of Manhat- more hours before he had to watch
tan. In the next moment, though, he as Randy Louderbaek, FireArt's
let out a sardonic laugh. The dawn charismatic director of sales and
light was not what he missed about marketing, either dominated the
New York, he realized. What he group's diseussion or withdrew en-
missed was the feeling of accom- tirely, tapping his pen on the table to
plishment that usually accompanied indicate his boredom. Sometimes he
those sunrises. withheld information vital to the
An all-nighter in New York had group's debate; other times he coolly
meant hours of intense work with a denigrated people's comments. Still,
cadre of committed, enthusiastic Eric realized. Randy held the group
colleagues. Give and take. Humor. in such thrall because of his dynam-
Progress. Here, so far anyway, that ic personality, his almost legendary
was unthinkable. As the director of past, and his close relationship with
strategy at FireArt, Inc., a regional FireArt's CEO that he could not be
glass manufacturer, Eric spent all his ignored. And at least once during
time trying to get his new team to each meeting, he offered an insight
make it through a meeting without about the industry or the company
her shoulder about eollaborating planned an agenda for each meeting formed into his usual ebullience.
with people who didn't understand and tried to keep the discussions on "That wasn't so bad!" he laughed to
the design process. track, Randy always seemed to find himself as he sat down at the end,
Ironically, both those fears had a way to disrupt the process. Time flashing a grin at Eric. "Maybe we
proved groundless, but another, and time again, he shot down other can turn this old ship around."
more difficult problem had arisen. people's ideas, or he simply didn't Maureen Turner had followed
The wild card had turned out to be pay attention. He also answered Ray. While not disagreeing with
Randy. Eric had met Randy once be- most questions put to him with him - she praised his comments, in
fore the team started its work and maddening vagueness. "I'll have my fact - she argued that FireArt also
had found him to be enormously in- assistant look into it when he gets needed to invest in new artists,
telligent, energetic, and good-hu- a moment," he replied when one pitching its competitive advantage
mored. What's more. Jack Derry had team member asked him to list in better design and wider variety.
confirmed his impressions, telling FireArt's five largest customers.
Unlike Ray, Maureen had made this
him that Randy "had the best mind" "Some days you eat the
at FireArt. It was also from Jack that bear, and other days
Eric had first learned of Randy's the bear eats you," he
hardscrabble yet inspirational per- joked another time, Ironically, the people
when asked why sales
sonal history.
to fraternities had re-
Eric thought would be
Poor as a child, he had worked as a
security guard and short-order cook
cently nose-dived. problems v^eren't.
to put himself through the state col-
lege, from whieh he graduated with
Randy's negativism,
however, was coun-
Randy vs^as the problem.
top honors. Soon after, he started tered by occasional
his own advertising and market re- comments so insightful that they case to FireArt's top executives
search firm in Indianapolis, and stopped the conversation eold or many times, only to be rebuffed, and
within the decade, he had built it turned it around entirely - com- some of her frustration seeped
into a company employing 50 people ments that demonstrated extraordi- through as she explained her reason-
to service some of the region's most nary knowledge about competitors ing yet again. At one point, her voice
prestigious accounts. His success or glass technology or customers' almost broke as she described how
brought with it a measure of fame: buying patterns. The help wouldn't hard she had worked in her first ten
articles in the local media, invita- last, though; Randy would quickly years at FireArt, hoping that some-
tions to the statehouse, even an hon- revert to his role as team renegade. one in management would recognize
orary degree from an Indiana busi- The third meeting, last week, had the creativity of her designs. "But no
ness college. But in the late 1980s, ended in chaos. Ray LaPicrre, Mau- one did," she recalled with a sad
Randy's firm suffered the same fate reen Turner, and the distribution shake of her head. "That's why when
as many other advertising shops, and director, Carl Simmons, had each I was made director of the depart-
planned to present cost- ment, I made sure all the artists were
cutting proposals, and at respected for what they are - artists,
first it looked as though not worker ants. There's a differ-
If Randy can't help you, the group were making ence, you know." However, just as
no one can," CEO Jack good progress. with Ray LaPierre, Maureen's com-
ments lost their defensiveness as the
Derry had told Eric. Ray opened the meet-
ing, proposing a plan for
group members, with the exception
of Randy, wbo remained impassive,
FireArt to cut through-
greeted her words with nods of en-
he was forced to declare bankruptcy. put time by 3% and raw-materials
couragement.
FireArt considered it a coup when it costs by 2%, thereby positioning the
landed him as director of marketing, company to compete better on price. By the time Carl Simmons of dis-
since he had let it be known that he It was obvious from his detailed tribution started to speak, the mood
was offered at least two dozen other presentation that he had put a lot of in the room was approaching buoy-
jobs. "Randy is the future of this thoLigbt into his comments, and it ant. Carl, a quiet and meticulous
company," Jack Derry had told Eric. was evident that he was fighting a man, jumped from his seat and prac-
"If he can't help you, no one can. I certain amount of nervousness as he tically paced the room as he de-
look forward to hearing what a team made them. scribed his ideas. FireArt, he said,
with his kind of horsepower can "I know I don't have the book should play to its strength as a ser-
come up with to steer us away from smarts of most of you in this room," vice-oriented company and restruc-
the mess we're in." he had begun, "but here goes any- ture its trucking system to increase
Those words eehoed in Erie's way." During his presentation, Ray the speed of delivery. He described
mind as he sat, with increasing anxi- stopped several times to answer how a similar strategy had been
ety, through the team's first and sec- questions from the team, and as he adopted with excellent results at his
ond meetings. Though Eric had went on, his nervousness trans- last job at a ceramics plant. Carl had
"That's absurd," Randy laughed It was Eric who broke the silence. ego surrender that any kind of team-
again. "I'm not trying to impress "Randy, tbis is a team. You are work requires.
anyone here at FircArt. I don't need part of it," he said, trying to catch "Listen, everyone, I know this is a
to. I want this company to succeed Randy's eye without success. "Per- challenge," Eric began, but he was
as much as you do, but I believe, and haps we should start again-" cut short by Randy's peneil-tapping
I believe passionately, that groups Randy stopped him hy holding up cm the table. A moment later, Ray
are useless. Consensus means medi- his cup, as if making a toast. "Okay, LaPierre was standing again.
ocrity. I'm sorry, but it docs." look, I'll behave from now on," he "Forget it. This is never going to
"But you haven't even tried to said. The words held promise, but work. It's just a waste of time for all
reach consensus with us," Maureen he was smirking as he spoke them- of us," he said, more resigned than
interjected. 'Tt's as if you don't care somctbing no one at the table gruff. "We're all in this together, or
what we all have to say. We can't missed. Eric took a deep breath be- there's no point." He headed for the
work alone for a solution - we need fore he answered; as much as he door, and before Eric eould stop him,
to understand each other. Don't you wanted and needed Randy Louder- two others were at bis heels.
see that?" back's help, be was suddenly struck
by the thought that perhaps Randy's HBR's cases are derived from the
The room was silent as Randy experiences of real companies and
shrugged his shoulders noncommit- personality and his past experiences
real people. As written, they are
tally. He stared at the tahle, a blank simply made it impossible for him to hypothetical, and the names used
expression on his face. participate in the delicate process of are fictitious.