The following is an excerpt from a monthly ‘performance’ one-on-one meeting. Regular communication, teamwork, and individual motivation are important factors in the success of internal marketing. Review the following discussion. Who do you think is at fault? How can this situation be improved for the future?
ACTIVITY/TASK
Jackie:
Hi John, as you know I’m here for your monthly performance assessment.
John:
Good, because there some issues that I would like to discuss.
Jackie:
Well that suits both of us, because I would like to discuss a number of concerns I have with your performance last month.
John:
What do you mean?
Jackie:
First of all, in week one, your store’s sales were 50% below target.
John:
That’s because purchasing didn’t organize the weekly deliveries. Therefore our sales were down because our biggest selling items were out of stock.
Jackie:
So what did you do about it?
John:
I rang purchasing EVERY day. They said they were very busy and would chase it up when they got a chance, which apparently took a week.
Jackie:
OK then, another concern I have is that your daily report hasn’t been emailed to me for more than a week.
John:
That’s an IT problem. Our email is down. I’ve rung them twice about it. All they said is that they are working on a project and don’t have spare resources to fix it.
QUESTIONS
- Who/what is to ‘blame’ in this situation/s? Why?
- Does it really matter who is mostly at fault?
- How can this problem/s be fixed for the future?
- Should Jackie and John try to adopt a more of a ‘partnership’ working arrangement?
- Discuss why and how the marketing function should be involved in these kind of issues.
