7-3-1 Milestone Three: Company and Key Personnel - Starbucks Alcoholic Drink / Adult Beverages

In Module Three, you will turn your attention

toward the company and the key personnel for your idea

or concept. Each of the modules in this course link together to form one cohesive business

implementation plan. Key people are one of the most important elements of the business

implementation plan.

M

ost concepts or ideas require a number of talented people to effectively implement the plan. This

module helps you assemble the team necessary. Gilinsky, Lopez, Santini, and Eyler (2007) argue that

there needs to be a good fit between the idea or concept a

nd the people implementing the idea or

concept.

One of the challenges associated with selecting key people for a concept or idea is that without the right

fit between the people and the idea, the project may have lower return on investment and it might ev

en

fail (Gilinsky et al., 2007). The people implementing your idea or concept need to understand your idea

or concept and what it is you wish to accomplish to obtain buy

-

in for the idea or concept. Selecting key

people for your idea or concept includes ide

ntifying the essential roles involved in implementing your

plan.

One of the first people to identify is the project manager. Project managers lead the overall project by

creating the project schedule and identifying the critical path to success. Laufer, H

offman, Russell, and

Cameron (2015) indicate that some of the best project managers concentrate on four main activities:

creating a collaborative environment, instituting formal review and improvement processes, averting

significant problems, and keeping t

he project moving. Given the importance of the project manager to

the overall effort, selecting the project manager early in implementation planning and then bringing this

person deeply into the project is essential for success.

For instance, if your idea

or concept involves a physical good, you will likely need someone familiar with

manufacturing or sourcing so that you can obtain the physical good. Additionally, you will probably need

team members who understand budgeting and accounting so that these tea

m members can help

effectively manage the financial resources for the plan. The project may also require people who

understand markets and how to build a comprehensive market plan. Depending on the exact situation,

one person might be able to manage both t

he sales and marketing aspect, but these functions may need

to be split for other concepts or ideas.

Some projects also involve members such as an executive sponsor, who provides necessary executive

-

level oversight for the project. The project may also re

quire a legal team member who understands

applicable statutes, regulation, and other legal elements. Many other projects may need specialists who

might only apply to a specific idea or concept (such as repair, aftermarket service, support, and so on).

The

important element of selecting key people for your idea or concept is to think comprehensively

about the project to ensure that you have all the necessary team members to successfully implement it.

In addition to key people, this module also addresses the

company. An important element of the

company is to ensure that the organizational culture encompasses the necessary leadership

competencies your idea or concept requires. Battilana, Gilmartin, Segul, Pache, and Alexander (2010)

indicate that the leadershi

p literature often characterizes leadership as having “task

-

oriented and

person

-

oriented behaviors” (p. 423). Within this framework, company leadership requires the skills to

effectively create structures to implement tasks according to an idea or concept,

and company

leadership also needs to have the necessary skills to enable and motivate team members toward

accomplishing organizational objectives.

In Module Three, you will turn your attention toward the company and the key personnel for your idea

or concept. Each of the modules in this course link together to form one cohesive business

implementation plan. Key people are one of the most important elements of the business

implementation plan.

Most concepts or ideas require a number of talented people to effectively implement the plan. This

module helps you assemble the team necessary. Gilinsky, Lopez, Santini, and Eyler (2007) argue that

there needs to be a good fit between the idea or concept and the people implementing the idea or

concept.

One of the challenges associated with selecting key people for a concept or idea is that without the right

fit between the people and the idea, the project may have lower return on investment and it might even

fail (Gilinsky et al., 2007). The people implementing your idea or concept need to understand your idea

or concept and what it is you wish to accomplish to obtain buy-in for the idea or concept. Selecting key

people for your idea or concept includes identifying the essential roles involved in implementing your

plan.

One of the first people to identify is the project manager. Project managers lead the overall project by

creating the project schedule and identifying the critical path to success. Laufer, Hoffman, Russell, and

Cameron (2015) indicate that some of the best project managers concentrate on four main activities:

creating a collaborative environment, instituting formal review and improvement processes, averting

significant problems, and keeping the project moving. Given the importance of the project manager to

the overall effort, selecting the project manager early in implementation planning and then bringing this

person deeply into the project is essential for success.

For instance, if your idea or concept involves a physical good, you will likely need someone familiar with

manufacturing or sourcing so that you can obtain the physical good. Additionally, you will probably need

team members who understand budgeting and accounting so that these team members can help

effectively manage the financial resources for the plan. The project may also require people who

understand markets and how to build a comprehensive market plan. Depending on the exact situation,

one person might be able to manage both the sales and marketing aspect, but these functions may need

to be split for other concepts or ideas.

Some projects also involve members such as an executive sponsor, who provides necessary executive-

level oversight for the project. The project may also require a legal team member who understands

applicable statutes, regulation, and other legal elements. Many other projects may need specialists who

might only apply to a specific idea or concept (such as repair, aftermarket service, support, and so on).

The important element of selecting key people for your idea or concept is to think comprehensively

about the project to ensure that you have all the necessary team members to successfully implement it.

In addition to key people, this module also addresses the company. An important element of the

company is to ensure that the organizational culture encompasses the necessary leadership

competencies your idea or concept requires. Battilana, Gilmartin, Segul, Pache, and Alexander (2010)

indicate that the leadership literature often characterizes leadership as having “task-oriented and

person-oriented behaviors” (p. 423). Within this framework, company leadership requires the skills to

effectively create structures to implement tasks according to an idea or concept, and company

leadership also needs to have the necessary skills to enable and motivate team members toward

accomplishing organizational objectives.