The tale of the slow and of the good business
When business is slow:
- Salesmen complain about the wrong products being developed
- Salesmen say Marketing is taking the wrong actions for lead generation
- Development blames Product Management for designing complex products with no demand requiring long development cycles.
- Development blames Company management for the high pressure to deliver the products faster.
- Quality Control is under such pressure of Management they don’t dare to stop the release of a product.
- Product Management reproaches Marketing for spending money on non effective events.
- Support is overwhelmed by the number of support call due to faulty products, incomplete manuals and the lacking Quality Control.
- Customer Service complains about the number of customer problems or guarantee.
Company management wants to take action and fires a few people in Sales and limits the budgets for Marketing.
They try hiring a few hot shots salesmen, but it could take ages before they close their first deals.
Meanwhile people get laid-off in Development, Administration, Customer service, HR, … the remaining people get too stressed because they have to take on the extra work and they are afraid to get fired too. The good people will seek interesting opportunities elsewhere and leave… until only the slackers remain.
When the market changes and business is growing:
- Salesmen close deals frequently and earn big commissions
- Marketing gets big budgets to spend for acquiring an even bigger market share
- Product management releases just the products needed as there is no pressure for more products
- Development has ample time and resources to create fine products
- Quality Control only releases fully tested products
- Support can easily handle the few and interesting support calls from happy customers
- Customer service is happy with the happy customers
Company Management gets more bonuses, stock options and cash in on their older stock options as the stock has increased in value.
Why should we blame our colleagues and co-workers in bad times?
When in good times the same people are all cheering together and the spirits are high.
Don’t blame it on sunshine
Don’t blame it on moonlight
Don’t blame it on good times
Blame it on the boogie
