The team was small. There were five of us, from the three organizations that would be responsible for implementation of the case should it be approved.
My boss attended our first meeting to introduce me to the other members. Three of them had worked on the previous two attempts. My boss presented me as being able to provide solid analysis, careful thinking, and, most important, being able to play well with others. I appreciated the kind words and I could see their impact on the other team members.
My responsibility on the team was to develop, analyze and present the required primary market research and to present the competitive landscape.
We worked long hours, meeting and discussing and debating, and then dispersing to gather additional information, make contacts, ferret out critical data, and then we would come back together to work through the complexities and complications and implications of it all.
Simply put, the team clicked. It became obvious that we were all working toward the ultimate goal of approval. There were no “team building” exercises or off-sites. There were no therapy sessions. We learned that we could count on each other to provide our respective pieces and to pull our own weight on the team.
As the time to begin the march up the managerial levels approached, where we would present to each stakeholder individually, we brainstormed each presentation. We sought counsel on how to best present the story to each one, ascertaining what might be the pitfalls, what each might question, what might be important to each one, and we worked the appropriate information into each customized presentation.
Part 3 to follow.
Comments welcome.
Dr. Bob
