Introduction
Rob Miranda has been a fountain of ideas since he took the role of chief executive officer (CEO) of Growing Places. For example, he created areas for women to breastfeed their babies during work breaks and put Video cameras in schools for parents to “visit” their children from their workstations (Burrell, 2006). The CEO’s operational expertise and entrepreneurship vision have enabled the company to grow profitably. The problem is that Miranda has a bad tendency of putting his foot in his mouth. Breyer, the company’s chairman, hopes Miranda will learn how to avoid using inappropriate language, and he even sets up a meeting between Miranda and a coach.
However, as Breyer finishes off an amenities tour for a possible business benefactor of a scholarship project, Miranda makes an unsuitable statement about nursing in front of the guests, one of whom is a journalist. The local daily prints a critical editorial the next day. A few days later, when presenting the preschool curriculum at a seminar, he says it again and makes the implication that the teachers are lazy. The firm’s stock price has dramatically decreased as a result. Miranda seems to have no intention of changing, and many committee members are contemplating firing him. The goal of this essay is to assess all of the data presented, take on the role of the company’s founder, and determine whether Miranda should quit or continue as CEO of Growing Places.
Should Miranda Leave Growing Places
Miranda ought to resign as Growing Places’ CEO in light of all the available facts. Miranda has a unique way of speaking that is not diplomatic but rather assertive and aggressive in tone. Aggressive communicators ignore the sentiments of others in favor of what they want or need (Tripathy, 2018). They speak in obtrusive tones and employ domineering gestures and “you” comments (Rubin et al., 2020). Moreover, the director has a goal-oriented communication style, talks clearly, makes snap judgments, lacks empathy, and is constantly on the go.
Miranda’s communication style, whether it is described as confrontational or direct, made others feel devalued. According to Lake et al. (2019), this communication style is helpful for swift dispute resolution, but it has a negative impact on team morale. An assertive communication style is defined as expressing one’s opinions and views without hurting the sentiments of others—even if they are forceful in their delivery (Sims, 2017). Rob expresses himself clearly and without regard for his audience or the people around him. He does not seem to be aware of how aggressive his words are. Rob might not have the emotional intelligence to understand that his behavior is not forceful but aggressive.
Additionally, Miranda was excellent at streamlining procedures and challenging employees to their limits, but in actuality, the organization needs a skilled communicator and a marketer for the next step. Someone who can market the novel concepts already in place and showcase them. The following section includes three further arguments to back up this conclusion, as well as a description of the recommendations of four experts in the matter who are all part of the case given by Burrel (2006).
Verbal Gaffes
Miranda revealed, while a reporter was listening, during a talk about infant nursing with a possible sponsor for a scholarship program: “What gets me, though, is how long some of these kids nurse. If they are old enough to ask for a Coke, it is time to move on” (Burrell, 2006, p. 36). Furthermore, during a conference where Miranda was the main speaker, someone stated that highly tailored teaching for preschool is crucial in inspiring children to strive but is not always realistic to implement. In response, Miranda states: “If you all got off your rear ends and did a little prep work, there would not be a problem. Grade schoolteachers do it all the time; pre-K should not be any different. I am not saying it is all on you, of course. Administrators need to pony up, too, and provide some guidelines” (Burrell, 2006, p. 39). As a result, 50 instructors, most of whom were highly experienced, threatened to resign.
These are only a few instances of Miranda’s poor judgment and lack of humility in his verbal slip-ups. At this stage, it is presumable that Miranda is leading ineffectively, failing to effectively manage her team’s communications. Hubris can be encouraged when there is leadership without management which can seriously lower employee motivation (Gosling & Mintzberg, 2017). Additionally, Miranda’s reputation is tarnished as a result of these views both within the firm and in the media, which harms Growing Places’ brand.
Torie Clarke suggests two primary strategies to address Miranda’s poor communication. More staff employees should receive communications training, but at the same time, a new position in public communications should be created to support Miranda (Burrell, 2006). Growing Places might need more communicators, but in actuality, the fundamental 7 C’s of communication—courtesy—are essential for a CEO to carry out his duties successfully (Al-Refai et al., 2022). As per Cleary et al. (2019), the organization’s spokesperson should take additional care in their public communications because of the organization’s target audience (parents with children), sponsor ties, and anticipated staff recruiting power. Similar to how Roger Brown feels that childcare demands a special humane and compassionate management style more than any other business.
First Founder-CEO Succession
After Breyer, the company’s creator, Miranda has served as the organization’s first designated CEO for the past four years. This succession is an example of how a founder executes a brilliant idea, and once they step down, the firm must make a significant effort to change its organizational culture. Other organizations have several outstanding instances. For instance, Bob Meers left behind a significant inventory problem and a disillusioned workforce when he resigned as CEO of Lululemon (Baalbaki, Gilliard & Hoffman, 2019). Similar to how Microsoft’s stock plummeted significantly after Steve Ballmer succeeded Bill Gates a few years earlier (Ramachandran, 2018). Ramachandran (2018) further states that although there was no cultural fit between the new CEO and the company’s initial objective in either instance, the necessity for development and transition sufficed to motivate a new CEO. Growing Places’ growth plan requires a completely fresh approach with a reframed vision after a few years to overcome challenges.
Emotional Intelligence Coach Tried with No Success
Due to certain linguistic blunders and his aggressive demeanor, which disregarded social norms, Miranda has been put in a precarious position numerous times. The problem immediately worsened after a staff retreat discussion on how to ensure that adopted children wouldn’t feel different from their colleagues. Miranda stated: “The point will be moot if China follows through on its adoption policy and keeps lesbian couples from snapping up its girl babies” (Burrell, 2006, p. 38). After the retreat, Miranda started working with an Emotional Intelligence coach that human resources (HR) had recommended, as per Breyer’s recommendation and Miranda’s suggestion. Nevertheless, Miranda continued to make mistakes in speech after these training sessions, indicating that she was not improving. According to Ronald A. Heifetz, it is possible that the CEO did not bond with the coach and that’s why he never acknowledged the issue, thus switching coaches would be helpful. He adds that a CEO with excellent communication skills will therefore have trouble coming up with and presenting novel ideas.
In contrast, Growing Places’ existing financial status implies that creative concepts are already existent and that, to advance the organization, an ambitious marketing plan and a fresh approach to sponsor relationships are mostly required (Xiao & O’Neill, 2018). Furthermore, Arslanagic-Kalajdzic et al. (2020) asserts that while a new coach may be beneficial, Miranda’s present character and lack of development during the coaching meetings places him in jeopardy. This is a good enough reason for a company of Growing Places’ size to modify its approach and make a shift since it cannot continue to make the same mistakes.
Other perspectives on this issue emphasize the necessity for Breyer, the chairman, to hire a trainer instead of Miranda since it appears he is having difficulty providing constructive criticism. John H. Biggs is a strong supporter and believer of this strategy (Burrell, 2006). This goes against the consensus inside the sector, where it is believed to be challenging to provide negative feedback (Shannon, 2017). In reality, one of the main issues with performance management is the reluctance to conduct difficult feedback discussions (Eggers & Suh, 2019). Even if constructive criticism is offered, it will be ineffective if the recipient is unable to respond (Cleary, Lees & Sayers, 2019). Miranda does not respond well to criticism and mostly gets upset when criticized.
Miranda’s activities do not appear to be those of a person dedicated to growth. Miranda was questioned about his way of providing directives to workers as an illustration of this. He says, “I can’t deal with people whose feelings bruise so easily. Are we grown-ups or babies who need coddling?” (Burrell, 2006, p. 39). Investing emotion into a relationship builds trust and long-lasting commitments (Arslanagic-Kalajdzic et al., 2020). Repressing emotions may be hazardous to the company in general (Thomson, 2021). Emotions not only create an unpleasant work atmosphere but cause employees to internalize and externalize unfavorable thoughts about the corporation (Honari, 2018). As a result, emotions tend to disrupt and interrupt employee performance.
Conditions under which the CEO should leave
Given the advice Miranda has received over the years, it is clear that he should be familiar with the problem, and a transformation plan should really not come as a surprise to him. Nonetheless, because is a high rank with significant repercussions, it is critical to be completely aware of the issue and act in the most humane manner possible (Gosling & Mintzberg, 2017). First and foremost, the board must approve this choice. It is advised that the chairman suggest the change to the committee because he is the primary source of unfavorable input concerning the CEO. It will include a termination payment for Miranda, which might be a lot of money, therefore, the board must assess Growing Places’ present financial situation.
Second, if this decision is approved by the board, the chairman should inform Miranda of the conclusion in a one-on-one meeting. It is pointless to go into detail about why the board made this decision since it may lead to an unexpected discussion. Knowing how Breyer has avoided having similar conversations in the past, he must practice this dialogue in advance so that he is prepared to tackle many eventualities. The transfer plan, which includes timeframes and duties, as well as offering a public apology, must be considered (Gosling & Mintzberg, 2017). Miranda should also continue with the business for not less than four months to help in the training of his successor, which is crucial for that individual to be successful (Palmer, 2022). Breyer and the board can ultimately assist Miranda by commending him for the successes he accomplished while serving as a CEO to another organization that has problems comparable to those Growing Places faced when he took over.
Finally, when Miranda has been told, the search for a new CEO may start. To discover the next candidate who can fill this post, the board should utilize its networks to the fullest extent possible (Putra & Mulya, 2020). A CEO with strong fairness aptitudes may be advantageous given the very cooperative nature of the firm since they may help the company’s reputation for ethics (Putra & Mulya, 2020). To make this transfer as seamless as possible, the new candidate should begin working with Miranda and follow in his footsteps (Palmer, 2022). The Public Relations (PR) staff should then draft a formal apology on Miranda’s behalf that may be signed. The next section will cover this strategy.
Containing the Fallout
Rob Miranda does not owe his job at Growing Places. The firm is in a tough state, and while Miranda has given the organization fresh vitality, he has also introduced significant public and internal relations issues. The organization must examine what is beneficial for the organization as a whole. Growing Places must carefully assess the advantages and disadvantages of keeping Miranda. His most recent statements have caused stock prices to fall as a result of bad news attention. Miranda has failed to adjust despite receiving emotional intelligence coaching at the request of the Human Resources department.
As quickly as possible, the communication norm needs to be established. Miranda has not managed to keep his tone polite and diplomatic. The company’s culture and connections with external stakeholders are seriously at risk because of Miranda’s aggressive attitude and conduct. If Miranda is allowed to continue without being stopped, 50 instructors have vowed to resign, and the firm needs to recognize that. The business must hold Miranda responsible and be open about how it is doing so. The same expectations will need to be applied to every Growing Places employee.
Furthermore, the performance criteria ought to lay out some specific objectives for communication and operation. The repercussions of failing to fulfill the performance requirements should also be stated explicitly (Eggers & Suh, 2019). The Board of Directors will have to set aside any prior financial gains and insist that Miranda stop his conduct immediately. Miranda requires an aggressive approach from Evan Breyer. According to Eggers and Suh (2019), “Great managers do not merely tell employees what’s required of them and leave it at that; instead, they constantly interact with employees about their duties and success,” he should set up regular, formal meetings to offer feedback. If Rob does not live up to the expectations that have been set forth for him, the board should fire him right now. Meanwhile, Growing Places is ready to go on a long-term healing road now that Miranda has been told about the shift. In the meantime, the public apologies produced by PR would go a long way toward preventing additional media concerns. To avoid more disagreements and verbal gaffes, it is strongly advised to present the message in writing.
The case study clearly portrays the life envisaged in most corporations. Particularly, it portrays the life employees and customers go through at the hands of rowdy officials. Rob Miranda being in a senior position is expected to treat his accomplices in the right way possible since he is the face of the organization. It is a lesson to any individual in a senior position that customer rapport matters. Miranda’s verbal gaffes and unmeasured utterances have cost the company its stock and also the fear of resignation. Nonetheless, it is a lesson to any board that behavior and public image is more important than knowledge. It is better to employ an individual who is less skilled but with good customer rapport.
Conclusion
In conclusion, for a publicly traded company like Growing Places that wants to continue expanding and move on to the next stage of its lifecycle, years of improper communication are too much. Although Miranda’s character was considered a risk when he was hired, the consequences were worse than anticipated. Miranda was given several opportunities to absorb criticism and be encouraged to change, but when he grew defensive, the company’s brand suffered irreparable harm. There are many unknowable’s in the near future, hence it is strongly advised to simulate several possibilities before taking any decisions. But in the end, a smoothly handled transfer to a new CEO with new perspectives and a distinct personality would unquestionably boost the morale of Growing Places’ whole workforce.
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