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In both of these examples, the lessons of Organization Behavior and what has worked in the past have largely been ignored. The upper level management at these companies looked for ways to skip the critical ingredients needed for success in their vertical business and eventually paid the price of missed revenues, turnover, and ultimately failure in reaching their business goals. The good news is that the story does not have to stop there. Because organizational behavior affords the manager the ability to learn from actions, both these companies can revisit their methodologies and make changes. Essentially, this highlights the importance of the study of OB and how it can make a difference in today's business environment. .
The initial software company we looked at spent millions of dollars in product development while ignoring the soft, people skills needed to actually market the package. We can assume they brought in cycles of sales representatives but no one could effectively "paint the picture" to the marketplace on how this software package could help a potential client. Finally, a member of upper management stepped up and after reviewing the timeline and decisions made by the company, decided that changes needed to be made. They needed a way to combine the technical expertise already in-house with the required people-skills for revenue generation. He realized that the best product in the world will not sell unless someone can tell the story and get it out on the market. Likewise, once the limestone boulders were cut, the Pharaohs needed planners in place to direct the labor force. This critical ingredient cannot be ignored and by revaluating the methodology of management, this company's OB can be altered for success.
The second software company had visionaries at the helm. Dreamers who knew what others needed to succeed but they could not see what they needed themselves.
