Fear seemed to be prevalent throughout the company. The
board was afraid of the CEO, the CEO was afraid of the board, and the management
teams were afraid of both. Some individual site managers were afraid too; many were
frustrated, disconsolate, or angry.
Customers were perplexed by the company's poor showing. It
had a great product, the public need was as strong as ever, but consumption
was down.
Recognizing that some top level response was needed, the CEO
and the board issued a series of memos. The memos did not address the issues actually
responsible for the decline. Instead they cited employees for failing to follow
the policy handbook or they reiterated policies that had proved ineffective for
decades.
One memo insisted that employees in their official business
capacity should use a style of language which was awkward and in some cases
simply odd.
Many managers, employees, and even some customers tried to
understand and implement the company directives. Some responded half-heartedly.
Some walked away.
The owner of the business showed remarkable restraint. He
waited patiently for the fear to dissipate, for the board to review its
mission, for the customers to return. He never gave up, but sometimes the
customers and the site managers, the supervisors and the management team
members wondered, "Where is he? When will he step in and do something about
the business he so deeply loves?"
