Maureen Frye at Quaker Steel and Alloy Corporation
What were the mistakes made by Maureen Frye?
Frye made several mistakes with respect to her initial attempt to implement change, however there are wider company issues beyond Frye’s immediate control that also contributed to the failure of her initiative.
Having seen her original memo attract criticism for its arbitrary nature, Frye failed to fully comprehend the reasons for the initial rejection of her proposal, when she proceeded with her January 1995 meeting with the DSMs. This is due to the fact that Frye did not properly understand the way in which the sales department worked. On page 7 it is mentioned that “Frye had not been able to spend as much time in…show more content… o The meetings between Frye and the salespeople should not be of a formal kind, but rather informal and friendly in order to properly develop a collaborative relationship.
o If we assume that meeting each and every salesperson is impossible, then she needs to select the people she meets with on a strategic basis by choosing those who exert most influence on their colleagues.
o She should clearly explain the rationale for her proposals in person and take account of any feedback provided and include in the implementation where possible. Feedback should not merely be point in time but should be ongoing.
o According to the case, there is already one senior salesperson that is convinced about the project and has implemented the project to some extent and believes in its future outcomes. Frye needs to make good use of this senior salesperson because as we know, “credibility, along other lines can be built or bought.”[4] He can serve as a good liaison between her and the other salespeople, showing evidence that the project works and emphasizing to his colleagues the benefits based on his first-hand experience.
o Given that monetary rewards are not a high priority Frye must emphasize that whilst they may have an initially fallow period in sales, the subsequent benefits from their time and effort will result in increased sales of a higher magnitude. Additionally she should emphasize that the
