MBA 699 - Module 2 - Milestone One

MBA 699 Employee Personas

The first step in putting together the kind of team that can direct a change effort is to find the right members. Characteristics of effective guiding coalition members are:

• A combination of management and leadership skills to develop both plans and vision • Position power • Expertise (discipline, work experience, decision-making ability) • Credibility (good reputation with the firm, in the industry, or both)

The VP of the life sciences organization you are working for has identified the following employees who might be suitable for inclusion in the guiding coalition:

Name Job Role Characterization Past

Experience

With M&A

Span of

Control

Time at

the

Organizati

on (Years)

Job

Satisfactio

n

(1=low,

4=high)

Years

Since

Last

Promoti

on

Juanita Business

Developmen

t Manager

(your

counterpart)

Extremely

intelligent,

motivated, and

productive, she has

been struggling

lately with

managing her time

and commitments

since returning from

maternity leave.

Juanita has

never been

involved in a

merger or an

acquisition,

but she

worked at a

firm during its

complete

reorganization

.

Individual

contributor

(niece of one

of the firm’s

owners)

2 2

n/a

Stan Human

Resources

Manager

Often characterized

as “a complacent

member of human

resources,” Stan is

usually the point of

contact who is

assigned to

company-wide

committees.

Formerly

involved in a

workforce

deployment

change

initiative, he

has familiarity

with what

works (and

doesn’t work)

in a guiding

coalition.

Individual

contributor

8 1 7

Name Job Role Characterization Past

Experience

With M&A

Span of

Control

Time at

the

Organizati

on (Years)

Job

Satisfactio

n

(1=low,

4=high)

Years

Since

Last

Promoti

on

Omar Manufacturi

ng Director

Highly successful

director,

responsible for

opening up the

company’s supply

chain in the Middle

East. Although he

sometimes “rubs

people the wrong

way,” he has proven

effective.

Omar came to

the firm

through an

acquisition

and has been

pleased with

how the

integration

has gone so

far.

Manages 12

manufacturin

g plants

comprising

580 hourly

workers

3 4 n/a

John Research

Director

John is responsible

for the scientific

research behind the

company’s flagship

oncology drug, and

“doesn’t stop until

the job is done.”

A member of

the firm’s

founding

team, he has

seen more

mergers fail

than succeed.

Oversees the

company’s

research labs

in three

countries,

including

more than

100 scientists

22 4 15

Leslie Sales Rep During her tenure

with the firm, Leslie

has consistently met

her sales targets,

exceeding her

quotas every

quarter.

Leslie has

been through

more change

in her career

than most

sales reps.

Individual

contributor

14 2 8

Elaine Acting

Director

Although she has a

reputation for being

difficult to work

with, Elaine is

known for

appreciating

complementary

strengths in others

and is often called

“a true visionary.”

Elaine is a

strong leader

when it comes

to adapting to

changing

situations.

Manages 18

senior

managers

(direct

reports)

10 3 2

Chris Sales

Executive

Known for

“micromanaging,”

Chris has a realistic

sense of his

weaknesses and

limitations.

Chris led the

integration of

two prior

acquisitions

while at

another

company.

Oversees

more than

150 sales

reps around

the world

10 2 4