3 HURM - BOB KNOWLTON TO

SIMMON SECURITIES CASE

ANALYSIS
Problem Statement (Critical and urgent issue)
In what ways can Jerrold persuade Bob Knowlton to reassume the position of
project head for the Millennium Group.

Why Is This The Critical And Urgent Issue?

Jerrold has to take a decision as to who should assume the position of project
head for Millenium. Otherwise, the team may not produce and achieve the
desired results. Since a team cannot function effectively without a capable
project head for long, Jerrold must find a suitable project head soon.
The options he has for project head are Bob, Link or an outsider.
Bob is the best person to fill this position because
-

He already has sufficient experience with the team

His team members are comfortable with him
Fester wants to be part of the other project and has already started
working on it plus majority of the Millenium members arent comfortable
with him
An outsider wont be competent enough to head the Millenium team
effectively
Link, though a decent mathematician, may not be effective as a project
head

Solution Proposed
Jerrold should have a conversation with Bob and find out the real reason why
he left in the first place. Once he does this, he must assure Bob that
-

He (Jerrold) is open to any criticism or suggestions from Bob, thus

encouraging Bob to be more transparent with him
Jerrold can also offer assistance and flexible working hours and/or the
option of working from home (since Bob mentioned family issues) in order
to reassure Bob that Jerrold is ready to extend support in any way possible

Cause of the Problem

The problem arose mainly due to
-

the communication gap between Bob and Jerrold

Festers condescending nature

Communication gap was due to the actions/inactions of both Bob and Jerrold

Bob:
-

Did not voice his concerns to Jerrold

Bob believed that Jerrold would replace him with Fester because the sky is
the limit for a person who can produce and Fester produced more than
Bob

Jerrold:
-

Did not consult Bob and his team before inducting Fester into the team
Did not make an attempt to talk to Bob in spite of feeling aggrieved

Fester:
-

Did not consult any other person on the team other than Link
Complained to Jerrold directly about the incompetencies of two members
(Davenport and Oliver) on the team instead of talking about it to Bob who
was his direct superior

Conclusion
A subordinate (Bob) must not hesitate to bring out any areas of potential concern
with his superior (Jerrold) especially regarding issues that might jeopardise the
cohesiveness of the group. A new member must be imbibed with the team spirit
and must be reminded that the entire team must be equally involved irrespective
of their abilities. This way, the team will achieve more and this is in line with the
organisations motto of rewarding in level with the quantum of contribution.