Henderson & Platt

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get what they need from the translations group on time either. Joan is frustrated and she feels that Stan doesn’t understand her situation.

• Mark sent a voicemail to Joan saying he overheard people from the product development team talking about the memo and guidelines they received regarding the new translations group. They did not put much importance to it and the one of them even threw the memo in the waste basket.

• Joan e-mailed Maria, voicing out her frustrations with product development. She feels like they are blocking what her group is trying to achieve. They appear well intentioned but they clearly have other priorities and are completely disregarding the guidelines her team has sent. She stated that her group cannot succeed under these conditions and their global sales strategy is at stake. She said Stan is an impediment and she need Maria’s support.

• Stan also e-mailed Maria regarding what happened. He said the translations team are asking his team to change tried and true design processes that are key to remaining competitive in the domestic market. It seems like Joan is bent on sacrificing the company’s core business in order to grow the global business.

IV. Alternative Courses of Action

• Maria should meet with Stan and Joan separately at first to thoroughly discuss and understand the situation. Afterwards, analyze the problem and think of possible solutions.

• Schedule a meeting with Stan and Joan.

V. Recommendation

Maria should schedule a meeting with Joan and Stan to discuss the situation. She needs clearly define the company’s goals and strategies and make sure that both parties understand it. Both team should support one another and work towards achieving the company’s goals; which is to strengthen product features and expand the global market. Stan’s team should support translations in order to achieve this. Joan however, should not put on too much pressure on Stan’s team since they have processes in product development. They should not jeopardize the quality of the product just because they need to do things faster than usual. Also, Stan should be open to suggestions, especially if it will greatly improve the quality of the product. Both teams should set a defined timeline in order to work harmoniously.