LEADERSHIP & TEAM MANAGEMENT
When your star performer can’t manage...
Siddhant : Good morning everyone. We’d like to talk about a very interesting case today,
named, “When your star performer can’t manage...”. We hope that you’ve read up on the case,
as was expected of you. So we won’t spend any time on the introduction but plunge straight into
a small skit, which is set after the events in the case.
SCENE - I : Verity Hinde & Vic
(Vic sitting at a desk. Verity walks in)
Verity Hinde: Hey Vic, did you call me?
Vic: Yeah Verity. What’s going on with our new line of rollerskates? We are launching them
soon and I have not received any updates since last week. I know Carver has had a heart attack
and won’t be back until a month. But it’s as though you people took a vacation since then!
Verity Hinde: What do you expect us to do, exactly? We don’t have a clue what Carver has
been working on.
Vic: What do you mean?
Verity Hinde: Carver never keeps us in the loop about anything. He does all of the work
himself, and always says that he doesn’t need any help.
Vic: Hang on, you’re all in the same team. You’re supposed to work together. How come you
don’t know what Carver’s been working on? I didn’t expect this from you, Verity.
Verity Hinde: (laughing out loud) What sort of a team is this where the leader doesn’t allow
others to work? Even you know about his attitude. I’ve warned you so many times. You always
say that Carver does the work of the entire department on his own. But he doesn’t allow others
to contribute. Now in a crisis, you expect me and Janet to step up all of a sudden.
Vic: You’ll receive more manpower soon. Interviews for new product designers are scheduled
this week.
Verity Hinde: Again, it’s Carver who was supposed to interview his heavy hitting candidates. I
and Janet haven’t been allowed to interfere. It’s a complete mess. I thought you’d understand
when Steve resigned a couple of months ago. But you don’t seem to care.
Vic: (indignantly) I did ask Carver to undergo managerial coaching.
Verity Hinde: He met the coach just once, and continuously postponed further sessions. You
gave him far too much freedom, and didn’t pay attention when the situation was developing.
Never mind. I and Janet will deal with this crisis for now.
(Verity walks out of room. Vic holds his head in his hands.)
SCENE - II : Verity Hinde & Linus Carver
(Linus Carver walks into the room, sits down and picks up the folder)
Linus Carver: What are these awful designs? I certainly didn’t make them! Verity, what has
happened in my absence?
Verity Hinde: I and Janet saved the day for you. Otherwise the rollerskates wouldn’t have hit
the market and you’d have lost your job.
Linus Carver: Excuse me?! These designs won’t be successful in the market. I need to act
quickly before the skates hit the shelves.
Verity Hinde: (angrily) I t’s always been like this. You only push your own ideas. Other ideas
don’t matter at all.
Linus Carver: (scornfully) You won’t understand these things. I’ll speak to Vic directly.
SCENE - III : Linus Carver & Vic
(Linus Carver barges into Vic’s cabin)
Linus Carver: What is this, Vic? I am gone for a month and all my designs are changed. How
could you let them do that? I would have come back soon if you had told me about it.
Vic: Sit down, Linus. We need to talk. First of all, shouldn’t you take more care of your health? I
have told you so many times.
Linus Carver: (grimacing) Well, the demands of the job, and the competitive market, means
that I neglected my health a bit. It won’t happen again, though.
Vic: Indeed, Linus, it’s my responsibility to ensure that won’t happen again. I have thought about
it long and hard during the past month. And I’d like to offer you a promotion. Specially for you,
considering your valuable service to the company over the years.
Linus Carver: (excitedly) Really?
Vic: Yes. I offer you the post of Special Design Engineer, which will allow you complete
independence in the product development team. You can work on your own ideas, and bring
them to reality with the help of your own dedicated staff. Your work will be reviewed by me and
other senior executives directly, and you won’t have to perform small managerial tasks which
I’m sure have been very exhausting for you. You’ll be able to relax and spend more time with
your family as well.
Linus Carver: (smiling) This is great to hear. Managing these junior designers is a very
tiresome task. I’m happy that I can now focus on the design part, which I enjoy.
Vic: That’s great. Verity will now head the product development team and take care of the junior
designers. Your work will also pass through her.
Linus Carver: Verity? Come on. Even you know that I’m a much better designer than her.
Vic: Indeed, and that’s why I’m giving you the independence you deserve. However, I expect
that you will desist from improving other’s ideas in the future, as you did to Steve’s idea, or I
may have to reconsider this offer.
Linus Carver: (shocked) Of course, I won’t do such a thing! Thanks for the promotion, Vic!
(gets up and shakes Vic’s hand and walks away)
(After scene 3)
(Just proposing my ideas…..open to changes)
Vidya: ***Talk about the main problem portrayed in the play saying that if nothing is done, the
company is going to face the problems and tell why it is not sustainable.
Umar Alam and Siddhant: Continue with the solution proposed in the slides