In Part 1 of this blog, I began a discussion of Chris Anderson’s new book Free and told of encountering an aspect of free in the world of market research.
I had worked for a high-growth business with a manager that I found difficult to deal with and vice-versa. As is wont to happen, the business began to mature and senior management shuffled. My new manager and I did not see eye-to-eye and that’s putting it mildly. Whatever the reasons, we did not get along. And nothing I did was right. My reports would come back marked up with red pencil. My best advice flatlined. I couldn’t seem to do anything right.
Eventually I accepted a voluntary package when the company when through a downsizing. The agreement stated that the firm could not or would not use me as a consultant for at least one year. Some time after the year passed, the market research group called me to conduct a qualitative project using focus groups.
I worked closely with one of the researchers and after carefully reviewing the videos and analyzing the results I prepared a robust report draft which I presented with some trepidation to the market research manager who then passed it on for review to my former boss.
A few days later the market research manager called me and we sat down over coffee to discuss the report. To my utter amazement, he told me that his boss (my former boss) was positively raving about the report. Said it was one of the best reports he had read.
The manager laughed when he saw the obvious surprise (and relief) on my face and joked that if the boss had wondered why I hadn’t done such great work while I was at the company.
It was my turn to laugh—for I had been conducting focus groups and writing reports for the same boss when I reported directly to him. And I had done no more and no less of a thorough job on this report.
To be continued shortly.
Dr. Bob
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