As Erik Peterson, an MBA graduate freshly positioned as general manager at Green Mountain Cellular (GMCT), a mobile cellular company, I am dealing with substantial initial hurdles that pushed back our initial deadline to commence the service from February 1st. Nevertheless, I've forwarded the amended activation date of April 1st to the main office. Currently, with only three weeks left till the updated deadline, I need to formulate an effective strategy and handle grave matters to achieve the second activation deadline. Furthermore, I need to discuss my action plan in three weeks with Chip Knight, director of pre-operating system at our parent company, Cellular Communication Services, Inc. (CelluComm), alongside Dashiell Harper, CelluComm's VP of Operation, and Ric Jenkins, CelluComm's president.
Challenges faced by Peterson: There are numerous obstacles that could potentially postpone the planned activa
...tion of our company's mobile service. The primary two concerns due to time restrictions are outlined below: Achieving the Apr 1st activation deadline: I need to promptly address and involve myself in any issues causing delays to our secondary deadline on Apr 1st as my role may be at risk. Matters such as zoning difficulties, cell tower construction, and local utility preparations are all significant issues affecting the service launch.
I won't be overseeing the zoning discussions and proceedings directly, but they seem critical. The responsibility of this zoning matter rests on Scott Green and Karen Cantor, specialists from CelluComm towards whom I have unfavorable impressions. Consequently, I lack motivation to meddle in their tasks. Nonetheless, a successful outcome is essential for GMCT because setting up a new tower site would be both expensive and resource-draining. Hence, I have to fulfill the necessity
of rectifying the zoning issue to initiate service by the second deadline. The starting batch of 16 cell towers for GMCT also plays a pivotal role in meeting the service commencement date, as they enable constant coverage for subscribers.
If we skip one cell, it can result in dead zones within our service area, putting GMCT at a distinct competition disadvantage. The duty of coordinating and handling equipment and supplies through supply chain management now rests on Stevana Hanes. Based on her outstanding previous performance in the MIS department, I strongly believe she is capable to fulfil this role effectively. However, I failed to establish a clear collaborative relationship between her and Curt Andrew, who previously held responsibilities related to supply chain planning. Hence, Stevana's inexperience in the cellular industry might not get full support from Curt, which could potentially impact her ability to perform her tasks efficiently.
Facing challenges with the readiness of local utility for phone lines marks another issue in my path. Despite scheduling a meeting with the general manager of local utilities, their adherence to the planned schedule remains underwhelming. The velocity of the utility make-ready, perceived as a significant problem, can lead to costly consequences if delayed. I need to make sure the make-ready goal is achieved to realize the second proposed activation date. Issues concerning higher ups and subordinates: Along my journey, I faced multiple issues involving superiors and subordinates. Although I attempted to rectify matters related to subordinates, I overlooked managing my superiors.
Our organization is plagued by a myriad of conflicts among both subordinates and superiors due to inadequate experience, communication challenges, interpersonal issues, unclear reporting structures, and lack of
industry knowledge. This problem, while not an immediate emergency, is critical for long-term organizational effectiveness. As someone with no prior experience in this field, I anticipated guidance from my immediate superior. Hardy was assigned to be my direct supervisor alongside his primary responsibilities. However, he too lacks experience in the operations of the pre-system.
Hardy lacks the ability to offer me proactive advice or direction, typically refraining from tackling major issues, and instead focusing on minor, trifling matters. My engagement with other bosses and our headquarters has been minimal since my employment began. The head office appears oblivious to the obstacles I encountered in meeting the deadline, primarily due to inadequate communication on my part. Several important decisions were postponed at the headquarters and there were numerous alterations made to the originally specified equipment. My passivity towards these situations contributed to the delay in achieving the initial startup goal.
It's now crucial for me to adopt a more proactive approach to foster reciprocal understanding between me, my junior staff, and superiors to adequately navigate through imminent deadline challenges. Additional challenges in management issues affecting my team need rightful resolutions, especially since most of us are novices in the operation of the new system. Even though I've made an effort to actively manage my team using my comprehension, the persistence of internal conflict and a lack of sufficient knowledge could possibly hinder my efficiency within the organization.
Crucially in relation to the matter at hand, it is expected from the head office that as part of my general manager duties, I efficiently oversee my subordinates. Concerning Peterson's options, I have a restricted timeframe to address pressing matters; thus, it
is paramount that I prioritise in order to meet the second deadline for activation on April 1st. One potential strategy is to take on a leadership position and stay ahead of all critical issues, involving both the headquarters and Jenkins directly (excluding Hardy) in the progress and decision-making process.
The advantage of the first alternative is that it allows me to manage my timeline effectively and meet the due dates. However, this could potentially result in members of the GMCT feeling detached from the project, leading to insufficient support. The other option is to fully involve every member of the GMCT team and keep the headquarters updated about the progress. This could undoubtedly foster a sense of involvement among employees, creating a positive work atmosphere. But, this could also result in excessive discussions that might cause a delay in meeting the second deadline.
An alternate strategy is to take command and prioritize pressing matters, involving influential personnel in problem-solving, and incorporating the headquarters and Jenkins into our decisions and advancements. This approach will harness strengths and limit weaknesses from the first two strategies. To address superior-related issues, I could proactively involve Hardy in decision-making and co-share the deadline's responsibility with him. Alternatively, I could circumvent Hardy and involve Dash Harper, the new VP of Operations, in addressing operational challenges.
Additionally, I have the opportunity to actively engage and establish trust with the headquarters and Jenkins. This allows me to potentially ask for additional support from headquarters or maintain my usual routine, dealing with problems independently. Although involving Hardy more might be risky and put me in the spotlight as I strive to build my credibility, this choice
could benefit the organization substantially in the future.
Resolving subordinate-related challenges might require the introduction of experienced individuals to the startup team, conducting industry and operational workshops, fostering a conducive work atmosphere like promoting teamwork or attempting to eliminate problematic individuals. Optimal solutions should be timely, budget-friendly, and provide a long-term resolution. However, the operational workshop and the removal of troublesome individuals may not be effective for GMCT and would only provide a temporary fix.
For Peterson's recommendations: in order to avoid any issues that might lead to a delay in the second activation deadline, it is crucial to take active involvement and ensure that all issues are resolved before the deadline by leveraging my authority. Furthermore, ensuring team leaders like Hardy, Knight, Dash and Jenkins are actively participating in progress and decisions is equally important. I should arrange a daily hour-long meeting on start-up issue matrix with GMCL’s heads, Hardy, Dash and a weekly meeting with Jenkins prior to the activation date. All issues should be reported systematically with information regarding their priority status, person responsible, target resolution date and current status.
The purpose of the meeting is to monitor developments and address daily issues with the relevant department heads. The model for a methodical issue matrix report for the launch of operations may look like this; The participation of HQ and Jenkins is vital at this stage in order to achieve the second activation target date. It is my responsibility to engage Hardy in conversation and spearhead efforts to resolve all current high-priority issues. With the engagement of HQ and Jenkins, the team leaders at GMCT will exhibit increased proactivity in troubleshooting within the target deadline
to meet the activation date.
Before the meeting with Knight, Dash, and Jenkins, it would be beneficial to provide them with a report outlining progress, challenges, and suggestions related to the second deadline for the turn-on date. This would help them understand GMCT’s current status more clearly. Additionally, I should take the initiative to ask for participation in daily meetings and recruit experienced personnel to assist the GMCT team before their visit. Their visit to the headquarter, including Jenkins', presents an opportunity to bolster my credibility.
My presentation will cover the advancement of the project, critical concerns that require their support, key milestones and measures of success. An invitation will be extended for an hour-long daily meeting where the leaders of my team can discuss their progress, hurdles, and solutions. Along with establishing my credibility, it's vital for my GMCT team to demonstrate a strong sense of collaboration and reliability to both the head office and Jerkin. My proactive approach towards the head office and Jerkin should also encourage Hardy to take a more active role in decision-making within his jurisdiction.
The majority of my essential role employees lack experience in initiating system operations. I need to solicit skilled personnel from CelluComm to collaborate with GMCT's teams. This exchange of experiences will advance my team's technical proficiency, benefiting the organization in the long term. Additionally, we should implement continuous technical and interpersonal skills training for GMTC's employees. This will not only enhance our human resources in their respective roles but also open doors for job rotation for high-performing employees.
Moreover, fostering a spirit of teamwork by stimulating cooperative work and rewarding team accomplishments is vital to minimizing intra and
inter-team disagreements. Finally, enhancing my personal knowledge about the industry, its workings, and startups is essential as GMTC's general manager. This implies proactively seeking guidance from individuals experienced in startup operations to ensure precise problem-solving and effective direction-providing.
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