Applications of Everyday Leadership

Professor Gregory Northcraft

Golfsmart Products

Role instructions for Jamie Pike, Sales Director

You are the sales director for a line of golf accessories that traditionally have sold very well in both
golf course pro shops and golf retail store outlets. Yesterday you learned that the senior sales
associate at Golfsmart Products (Dylan) is finally retiring, so the senior sales associate’s very rich
sales territory needs to be reassigned. As the most senior sales associate, Dylan’s territory has always
been envied by the other sales associates as the best territory. Dylan’s sales territory has been
estimated to have annual sales potential of almost $6 million at golf course pro shops and annual
sales potential of almost $6 million at golf retail stores.

Two of your five sales associates – Riley Ames and Sean Effram – have been lobbying you hard for
the opportunity to take on Dylan’s sales territory. Riley has worked successfully for Golfsmart
Products for about 15 years – even has been top producer a few times – and next to Dylan is the
most senior sales associate. Sean has only worked for Golfsmart Products for about 2 years, but has
shown real promise, and last year was the top performer among the sales associates. Both currently
have sales territories with about $9 million in annual sales potential.

Last year was a bit of a disaster with the relative downturn in the golf industry. So your boss has
been pressuring you to make the numbers look better this year. Your boss is also concerned that you
try so hard to be a “nice” boss and big brother to the sales associates that you often appear
indecisive. So you CANNOT let this conflict go on – and you certainly cannot afford to alienate either
Sean or Riley (maybe one or both will leave and then where will you be?), or have either one
complain to your boss about your decision (which will make you look incompetent as a manager).
Your boss has told you that if this conflict is not handled by the end of this week, he will make you
give Dylan’s territory to a new sales associate who you are supposed to hire to replace the retiring
senior sales associate.

You have decided to meet with Riley and Sean to see if you can work something out to resolve this
conflict.

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