Class:
Internal Promotion/Budget
Objective:
To ease friction between two groups and generate a greater degree of team spirit.
Strategy and Execution:
To help
alleviate friction between two groups within an organization, humor
was used to lighten the atmosphere at a firm-wide three-day meeting
of approximately 500 senior staff personnel. The computer-oriented
group (referred to as "a bunch of nerds" by the other group) worked
with its specialty advertising counselor to create a "nerd kit" to
break the ice between the two factions. The specialties included an
old-style lunch kit with thermos, pocket protector with mechanical
pencil, white tube socks, dark sunglasses, and a beanie with
propeller. The company name and "Information Systems Group" was
imprinted on all items and decals on the kit identified it as an
"ISG Nerd Kit." Kits were placed at each individual's chair the
evening before the meeting with cards reading "We may be nerds, but
we know how to build Strategy-Driven Systems®...and how to have
fun!"
Results:
"We've seen
that the effectiveness of these items has truly achieved exactly
what we expected," said the company's administrator of information
services, adding that employees looked forward to each key point and
specialty.
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