The CEO Who Couldn’t Keep His Foot out of His Mouth

Company: Growing Places CEO: Rob Miranda (Four years duration till date)

Chairman: Evan BreyerEvan Breyer founded the company seven years ago.?? He always got a kick out of seeing the children??

Vice President of Corporate affairs: Judy SnowEvan had asked Judy to arrange a walkabout to woo

a potential sponsor for a new program ‘Corporate Scholarship for Kids’.

Sponsor: Thrivand, a maker of infants formulas, cereals, and beginner’s foods. The company does aggressive marketing of infant formulas, a practice that’s detrimental to mother and child.

Head or PR Thrivand: Delores Dayton.

Delores and few of her colleagues came to Dublin, Ohio, to see Growing Places’ flagship facility

Judy asked Evan if she could invite a local reporter to tag along. If sponsor was pleased with good press, they could extend the program to other centers.

Rob: “What’d you think?” (wanted details)Delores: “It was lovely.”Rob: “What was lovely about it?” (asked with not a light

tone, wanted specifics)Delores: “The teachers – where did you find them?

They’re so seasoned. I expected to meet a bunch of kids right out of high school. There were a few, but most of your staff seem quite experienced.”

Rob: “We pay them.”Rob: “What else?”Delores: “The Lactation rooms Judy told us about are a

stroke of brilliance.”Rob: “The moms do like them.”Rob: “What gets me, though, is how long some of these

kids nurse. If they’re old enough to ask for a coke, it’s time to move on.”

The next day the Sentinel (Reporter) ran a raging editorial on Rob’s nursing comment.

# The Gorwing Places board, at Evans urging, had brought rob to infuse the business with some fresh thinking and to shake things up a bit. Even before rob was hired, though, Evan and the rest of the board had been well aware that Rob’s entrepreneurial vision came with an abrasive personality and some disregard for social convention. They’d expected him to cross a line or two #

One time(after lesbian adoption incident) Evan had told Rob that he needed to find a coach to help him with his emotional intelligence. Rob laughed but did begin seeing a coach recommended by Growing Places HR Chief.

Evan decided to talk with Alex Horowitz, a friend and fellow Board member, reason being had done it again, at a childhood education conference.

Rob comments to one of the Growing Places teacher had outraged Growing Places employees. In a matter of days 50 teachers, most of them experienced, threatened to quit. On top of that, a newswire reporter had been at the conference, so the story spread to media outlets in no time.

The board members have been informally caucusing, Gwen Larson a big shareholder was keen to pounce on the situation, The stock price had already taken a dip.

“KIDDIE CARE EXEC DEMANDS TOP QUALITY FROM HIS

SWEATSHOP TEAM”

Rob had saved the company at the right moment, but was his

time up?

CHANGES BROUGHT BY ROB: Sensory Stations – a cashew-shaped table Toy Chest Snacks Shelf Lactation rooms On-site care for client companies (first critical

change) Webcam Facility for parents (extra $50 for/out of

nothing)

EVAN BREYERChairman and founder of Growing Places.Everyone on the board respected and trusted his

strategic judgement. They’d have their say, but, ultimately they’d follow up his lead.

Under his command a lot of time was consumed by staff meetings where employees were given chance to voice their gripes.

Other leadership traits: Concern for people. (people oriented) Concern for company. (4,8) position on the managerial grid.

ROB MIRANDA

CEO of growing places since past four years.He generates great ideas and had a gift for putting

them in motion.Takes a certain pride in his approach to business and

the succes it had brought him in a touchy-feely industry.

He is a leader who wasn’t born and bred in the industry, but someone who had a different prespective on the challenges the company faced and could find creative ways to generate profitable growth.

His tack had been to focus and then refocus the company’s objectives, always targeting a new goal.

He is experimental, a little restless, and an entrepreneur at heart. Rob had a knack for knowing which service his clients really wanted.

Contd…Rob’s entrepreneurial vision came with an abrasive

personality and some disregard for social convention. Also he had put an end to gripe sessions, and argued that the time would be better spent improving the delivery of service.

Other leadership traits : Honest and direct person Self confident Risk taker Intelligent

Contd… Great thinker Highly ambitious Autocratic Outspoken Places task before subordinates, (9,1) position in

the managerial grid

Solution for : Make him realize about the current situation the

company is. Make Rob apologize to teachers. Make someone else company’s public face. Assign a top coach to work on Rob’s weakness and

strengthen them.

Solution against : Thought on companies reputation if they removed

Rob. Appoint a new CEO. Employees morale would go up.

RECOMMENDATIONS Retain Rob. Evan and other board members should give

another/one more chance to Rob. Make him realize the current situation. (the

problems he caused) A top class coach should be hired to give training

to Rob. Apology written statement to offended teachers. Beginning o employee gripe session again. (with

Rob attending all of them) Before any public conference making Rob aware of

all consequences if anything goes worng.

THANK YOU