CASE ANALYSIS FOR BOB KNOWLTON AT SIMMONS LABORATORIES This case deals with the predicament that B !

Kn wlt n is "acin# at Simm ns La! rat ries$%e has reached the cr ss&r ads'as "ar as his career is c ncerned$The alternati(es a(aila!le t him are)*$ T maintain the stat+s ,+ and s meh w clin# t his - !.m re imp rtantl/'his 0r -ect %ead desi#nati n1 r 2$ T see3 #reener past+res in an ther r#ani4ati n$B+t in rder t "ind an answer t this dilemma' B ! has t answer an ther "+ndamental ,+esti n)Whether he wants the pr -ect t s+cceed r is it his wn pers nal s+ccess which is imp rtant5This rep rt is a classic e6ample " sit+ati ns where a pers n'!+ /ant !/ his r her recent achie(ements !ec mes c mplacent' nl/ t !e r+del/ - lted +t " their re(erie !/ an ther c mpetit r$I intend t reiterate the (er/ !(i +s "act that in t da/7s c+t&thr at c mpetiti(e en(ir nment' ne cann t a"" rd t l wer their #+ard at an/ p int " time' !/ ad ptin# a sm+# attit+de t wards their career$F+rther still'it is (er/ imp rtant " r e(er/ h+man !ein# t rec #ni4e their stren#ths and wea3nesses and act acc rdin#l/$In sh rt'it is a#ain the ,+esti n " 8Kn win# th/sel"9$ The case !e#ins with B !7s reminiscin# a! +t the # d ld da/s$B ! had

pr p +nded a new line " research at Simm ns La! rat ries$Acc rdin# t :r$;err ld'wh was the pr -ect head'the mantra " r s+ccess at Simm ns La! rat ries was9The s3/ is the limit " r the pers n wh can pr d+ce9$And B ! "elt that it was a # d si#n " r him as he had act+all/ pr d+ced$%e had accidentall/ disc (ered the idea " a ph t n c rrelat r instr+ment d+rin# a r +tine testin# " s me "ailed Clans n c mp nents$This disc (er/ had a cascadin# e""ect with a separate +nit' de( ted t this line " research !ein# set +p and B ! was the !(i +s ch ice t !e its pr -ect head$ With n !enchmar3 a#ainst which he c +ld meas+re his per" rmance' B ! was +nder the impressi n that he was d in# ,+ite well$ B+t the realit/ " the pr -ect was that it was n where near c mpleti n$It was an entirel/ new c ncept and B !7s team was entr+sted with the tas3 " deli(erin# a w r3in# m del$

There were se(eral na##in# iss+es which had t !e s rted +t$Since s me " the pr !lems were new and seemin#l/ ins l(a!le'B ! and his team came +t with a (er/ c n(enient e6planati n " r these iss+ess&that there were n s l+ti ns " r these pr !lems$In s+ch intracta!le sit+ati ns'B ! acted +p n the premise that the pr !lems will !e ir ned +t with the am +nt " c llecti(e #r +p e"" rt that the/ were p+ttin# in$This ser(es t hi#hli#ht the limitati ns " his intellect+al capa!ilities$Th +#h he has st+m!led +p n a !rilliant idea'he has n cl+e whats e(er t c n(ert the c ncept int realit/$%e all ws the team t w r3 in tandem +nder the #+ise " the c mpan/ p lic/' which is t inc+lcate team c+lt+re " r enhanced pr d+cti(it/$ The team has d ne s me c mmenda!le w r3 in the past "ew m nths'!+t with n standards t meet +p t 'it all was reall/ a d+!i +s de(el pment$This "eat+re'c m!ined with B !7s lac3 " indi(id+al endea( +r and charisma nl/ led t a hi#h le(el " medi crit/$ The wh le sm+# en(ir nment at Simm ns La!s is shattered !/ the arri(al " Sim n Fester$Sim n is a ,+intessential l ner$%e is a man wh is s+premel/ c n"ident " his capa!ilities'has # t an impecca!le trac3 rec rd t !ac3 him'has a #arish sense " dressin#&an ther si#n that he d esn7t care a! +t the esta!lished n rms r ""ice eti,+ettes and n thin# !+t c ntempt " r team w r3$When he arri(ed at Simm ns La!s'it was he wh pted " r the 0h t n c rrelat r pr -ect$B ! was capa!le en +#h t read the min +s n pr !lems immediatel/$%e sin#le&handedl/ c n-+res +p si#ns !+t didn7t ta3e an/ pre(enti(e acti n$Fester has a (er/ sharp anal/tical mind and a 3nac3 " r 4er in# d wn s l+ti ns " r pr !lems which B ! and his team had sidelined !/ la!elin# them as ins l(a!le$%e cares n thin# " r teamw r3'a+th rities r ""ice ri#mar les$The (er/ "irst da/' he calls +p B ! Kn wlt n'his pr -ect head at 2$<< 0$M in the ni#ht t apprise him " s me disc (eries that he has made$This pr (es that he has a +ni&" cal appr ach and is c ncerned with n thin# else !+t the tas3 at hand$ Fester7s arri(al spells d m " r B ! Kn wlt n and his team$In the (er/

"irst team meetin#'he pr (es his !rilliance !/ ne#atin# the rest " the team7s line " reas nin#$%e als re(eals his c ntempt " r team w r3 which acc rdin# t him was a (er/ +ni,+e American idea " r !reedin# hi#h le(els " medi crit/$In "act'he is ri#ht n this

c +nt t '!eca+se the w r3 c+lt+re in the "irm is n t #

d$0e ple d n7t practice what

the/ preach$Team&w r3 was emphasi4ed +p n " r research !+t the realit/ was (er/ di""erent$Fester is -+sti"ied when he wants t w r3 +p n the pr !lem sin#le&handedl/$%e is pra#matic en +#h and tries t redeem the sit+ati n !/ sa/in# that he was pen t team meetin#s and w +ld de"initel/ share the pr #ress with all " them " r their m+t+al !ene"it$Acc rdin# t him'creati(e ad(ances were made nl/ i" an indi(id+al was cl sel/ ass ciated with the pr !lem at all times and n t as a res+lt " team w r3 r meetin#s$B ! had n pti n !+t t accept Fester7s l #ic as he had act+all/ deli(ered !/ pr (in# that the line " reas nin# " B !7s entire team was circ+mspect'i" n t wr n#$ :+rin# the ne6t si6 m nths " perati ns'Fester s/stematicall/ decimated B !7s team wh was rele#ated t the sidelines as a mere spectat r$Initiall/'Fester +sed t en- / the team meetin#s$%e was !(i +sl/ !etter prepared than the rest " them n e(er/ iss+e$%e was in "act' the man in char#e and B ! was merel/ a tit+lar head$T add ins+lt t in-+r/'B ! had t praise Fester and his e"" rts whene(er :r$ ;err ld in,+ired a! +t Fester7s pr #ress.:r$;err ld had a (er/ hi#h pini n a! +t Sim n Fester1$B+t (er/ s n Fester dr pped his (eneer " ci(ilit/ and started treatin# the #r +p mem!ers.e6cept Lin3'the team mathematician1 with c ntempt$%e w +ld simpl/ re"+se t address the c ncerns " thers n the prete6t that their ,+esti ns were !ased n their i#n rance " "acts$In sh rt'acc rdin# t Fester'he had n resp nsi!ilit/ " r amendin# thers st+pidit/$This led t a !rea3d wn " the team'with m re mem!ers s3ippin# the team meet and a l w m rale n all "r nts$This was c n"irmed !/ B !7s interacti ns with indi(id+al team&w r3ers$B ! initiall/ "elt that he had ca+#ht Fester n the wr n# " t !+t Fester7s !rilliance was (er/ easil/ a s+ita!le rec mpense " r the shatterin# " his team$ The "inal nail in the c ""in was the meetin# with the sp ns rs " the pr -ect$B ! was n the h rns " dilemma as acc rdin# t c n(enti n' he was s+pp sed t #i(e a presentati n as the pr -ect head$M+ch " the w r3 d+rin# the last si6 m nths was d ne !/ Fester$B ! had little cl+e a! +t the de(el pments and wasn7t s+re whether he w +ld !e a!le t present it n his wn$It was als wr n# t present nl/ th se de(el pments which were made !e" re Fester7s arri(al and i#n re his c ntri!+ti n$There

was als the +nderl/in# "ear that Fester mi#ht pr (e B !7s w r3 as "allaci +s in "r nt " the sp ns rs themsel(es$S B ! decided t let Fester ma3e the presentati n$%is s+##esti n was immediatel/ appr (ed !/ :r$ ;err ld$The +tc me was n e6pected lines and Fester7s presentati n was a r arin# s+ccess$%e !ecame the c/n s+re " the #atherin# and p r B ! had t !eha(e in a (er/ predicta!le manner$%e t appla+ded Fester7s e"" rts in "r nt " e(er/ ne !+t the alarm !ells started rin#in# in his !rains$ The sit+ati n " r B ! is irretrie(a!le n w$%e sh +ld ha(e nipped the e(il in the !+d and sh +ldn7t ha(e all wed it t !l ss m$On the c ntrar/'he presided (er the #rad+al er si n " his a+th rit/ and was red+ced t the p siti n " a mere spectat r$All the real p wers were n w (ested in the capa!le hands " Sim n Fester$The crisis in B !7s hands is ne " " his wn ma3in#$B+t in retr spect'I "eel he had a (er/ little c ntr l (er the circ+mstances which seem t !e #+ided m re !/ "ate$This is n t a t/pical case " a !rea3d wn in the team spirit'leadin# t a "all in pr d+cti(it/$%ere'an entire team7s e"" rts ha(e !een tr+mped !/ an indi(id+al' wh it seems is pre& rdained t e6cel in whate(er he la/s his hands n$N w B ! has t "i#+re +t whether he can c n(ert this c ncept int realit/ n his wn$The nl/ p siti(e si#n " r him is that it was he' wh act+all/ pr p +nded the idea " a ph t n c rrelat r$ I" he can deli(er the res+lt'he sh +ld see3 a di""erent c mpan/ !eca+se at Simm ns'he has !een c mprehensi(el/ (ershad wed !/ Fester$B+t i" he can7t'then he sh +ld simpl/ step aside and let the s+peri r man pass$