Five-Year Plan Confusion

The five-year plan of a major pharmaceutical company created the need to fill several high-level executive positions. It was decided that the internal talent pool did not contain the experience required to function at the high-level executive positions created, and a recruiting program to bring in executives from outside of the company was initiated.

After five years, a review of the growth plan indicated that a majority of the executives hired from outside of the company resigned after three years. They all had the same reason for leaving. The company had pressured them to change their management styles to fit the culture of the company. They were not given the opportunity to “do their thing”.

At the same time, it was noticed that a large number of the internal talent pool had left the company because there was no opportunity for advancement to higher executive positions. The company had lost a great deal of money on the outside executive hunt, and weakened the internal talent pool!

ANALYZE THE EXAMPLE

* What were the dynamics?

* Which supports and barriers were in play?

* Who, or what, won the Tug-Of-War? Why?

* Discuss the outcome with your friends and family.

* Use Post #4 as a reference for the dynamics and the relationships between supports and barriers.