Thomas-Green-Power-Office-Politics--and-a-Career-i

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________HBSProfessorW.EarlSasserandHeatherBeckhampreparedthiscasesolelyasabasisforclassdiscussionandnotasanendorsement,asourceofprimarydata,oranillustrationofeffectiveorineffectivemanagement.Thiscase,thoughbasedonrealevents,isfictionalized,andanyresemblancetoactualpersonsorentitiesiscoincidental.Thereareoccasionalreferencestoactualcompaniesinthenarration.Copyright©2008HarvardBusinessSchoolPublishing.Toordercopiesorrequestpermissiontoreproducematerials,call1-800-545-7685,writeHarvardBusinessPublishing,Boston,MA02163,orgoto—electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise—withoutthepermissionofHarvardBusinessPublishing.HarvardBusinessPublishingisanaffiliateofHarvardBusinessSchool.W.EARLSASSERHEATHERBECKHAMThomasGreen:Power,OfficePolitics,andaCareerinCrisisAnotherlongdayattheofficehaddrawntoaclose.ThomasGreenfeltthepulsinginhistemplesthatusuallyprecededamigraine.AshesteppedoutsideDynamicDisplays’corporateheadquartersinBoston,thebriskairmadehimcatchhisbreath.ItwasnowFebruary5,2008.Greencouldnotbelievethatinfiveshortmonthshisdreampromotionhadturnedintoadisaster.WhenGreenhadbeenpromotedtohisnewpositioninSeptember,hewasarisingstar.Now,hewouldbeluckytocelebratehisone-yearanniversarywiththecompany.Hisboss,FrankDavis,hadsentthedivisionvicepresident,ShannonMcDonald,twoscathingemailscriticizingGreen’sperformance.GreenandDavishadyettoseeeyetoeyeonworkstylesormarkettrends.TensionhadalsorisenwhenGreendidnotenthusiasticallyendorsethesalesforecastsmadebyDavis.Greenfelttheforecastswereeitheroverlyoptimisticoroutrightfabrications.Beforeheleftfortheday,GreenhadrereadtheseriesofemailsregardinghisperformanceandwascertainthatDaviswassettinghimuptobedismissed.Davis’smostrecentemailhadmadeitcleartoGreenthathispositionasaseniormarketspecialistwasinjeopardy.Hedidnothavemuchtimetorectifythesituation.McDonaldhademailedaformalrequesttohimthatafternoon,askingforhisperspectiveonhisperformanceandhowhewasgoingtoimprovethesituation.Withthisinmind,Greenstartedhiscommutehomeandbegantoanalyzewhatwentwrongandwhathecoulddotosavehisjob.CompanyandIndustryBackgroundDynamicDisplayswasfoundedin1990asaproviderofself-serviceoptionstobanksviaAutomatedTellerMachines(ATMs).In1994,DynamicDisplayslaunchedanewdivisionaimedatthetravelandhospitalityindustry,anddeployedtheirfirstself-servicecheck-inkioskforDiscoverAirlines.In2007,DynamicDisplays’TravelandHospitalityDivisionhad60%marketsharewithover1,500self-servicekiosksinuseatmorethan75airports.Customersincludedregional,national,andinternationalairlinecarriers,aswellasvarioushotelsandcar-rentalagencies.EightypercentoftheTravelandHospitalityDivision’s2007revenuecamefromairlinecarrierclients,15%fromhotels,2095MAY1,2008PurchasedbyAshleyOliver([e-mail])onOctober25,20112095|ThomasGreen:Power,OfficePolitics,andaCareerinCrisis2BRIEFCASES|HARVARDBUSINESSPUBLISHINGand5%fromcar-rentalagencies.Thecompanywasafullserviceprovider,offeringhardware,software,engineering,andmaintenancesupport.Kioskswereanattractiveoptionforairlinestoquicklyandeasilycheckinpassengerswhilereducingprocessingcosts.DynamicDisplays’kiosksnotonlyreducedcostsbutalsoimprovedcustomerservice,shortenedpassengerwaittimes,andprovidedvaluableinformationtothesetravelers.In2006,ForresterResearchestimatedtheaveragecostforanairlinepassengertocheckinthroughanagentwas$3.02,versusarangeof$0.14to$0.32forkioskcheck-in.1Thisimpressivesavingswasrealizedbyallowingtherepetitivetasksofselectingorchangingseatassignmentsandprintinganddistributingboardingpassestobehandledbythepassengersthemselves.Airlinesreducedheadcountorassignedtheagentstomorevalue-addedtasks,suchassolvingcomplexcustomerserviceissuesandensuringcompliancewithsafetyandsecuritystandards.Thecostsavingswereparticularlyimportantfortheairlineindustryduringaperiodwhenmarginswererazorthinandfuelcostswerecontinuingtoclimb.Airlineswerealsoaggressivelypromotinganotherself-serviceoptionfortravelers.Webcheck-inallowedpassengerstocompletetheentirecheck-inprocessviatheinternetfromaremotelocation,utilizingtheirpersonalorofficecomputer.Costsavingsusingonlinecheck-inwasofevengreaterbenefitbecausetheairlinedidnothavetopurchaseandinstallakiosk,andpassengersprintedtheirownboardingpassesusingtheirownpaper.Accordingtoa2006Forresterreport,airportkioskswereamatureapplicationwith75%ofU.S.leisurepassengersusingkioskin2006.Webcheck-inontheotherhand,wasstillexperiencingdramaticgrowth,increasingfromlessthan45%ofU.S.leisurepassengersin2005to64%in2006.2ThomasGreen:PathtoSeniorMarketSpecialistThomasGreenwasbornin1979inBrunswick,Georgia,thesonofapostmanandaschoolsecretary.AttheUniversityofGeorgia,heworkedinawarehouseandwashedcarswhileearningabachelor’sdegreeinEconomics.Hisfirstfull-timejobwasinsalesforNationalBusinessSolutionsinAtlanta.GreenenjoyedimpressivesuccessintheBanking