The CEO Puts Her Foot in Her Mouth
Jan Davis, Communications Manager for Kingfisher Retailers, was stunned. Megan Drake, president of Kingfisher had just announced during an employee teleconference broadcast by satellite to over forty stores that she believed Kingfisher was losing its competitive edge in the electronics market and would have to engage in significant restructuring. Jan knew, of course, that revenues for the last two quarters had not met expectations and that Megan was upset. But to announce her displeasure and hint a major changes without a plan in place was dangerous for Kingfisher and for Megan herself. At the end of the conference, Megan knew she had made a mistake. She told Jan she was tired and angry at the lack of action from her senior vice presidents. She knew she should not have announced her concerns to the employees but had done so in an uncharacteristic fit of temper. Megan asked Jan what she should do next.
Questions:
1. If you were Jan, what would you suggest?
2. What should Megan do next with regard to her senior leadership?
3. What happens when anger, fatigue, or a host of other circumstances contributes to individuals saying publicly something they immediately regret?
4. Should Megan hold another teleconference to put her concerns in context? Why? Why not?
