Imagine being part of a group with three other coworkers trying to make a decision about whether to discontinue funding an underperforming product. The group has been working together on the product line for three years , but the product is clearly a failure. When you start to question where the decision is headed you are called disloyal and told to go with the team and give the product more time . One of the team members calls for a final vote on the group's decision, which appears to be to continue funding a clearly awful and doomed-to-fail product. Watch the "Now What?" video and discuss the following questions:

• Is this decision a programmed or non-programmed decision and what is the basis for your answer?
• How is groupthink and stereotyping illustrated in these videos?
• Would a rational decision-making approach work? Why or why not
• As a manager, how else might you handle this situation? Please provide 1-2 examples to support your viewpoints that other learners will be able to assess and debate within our weekly discussion forum.

Imagine being part of a group with three other coworkers trying to make a decision about whether to discontinue funding an underperforming product. The group has been working together on the product line for three years , but the product is clearly a failure. When you start to question where the decision is headed you are called disloyal and told to go with the team and give the product more time . One of the team members calls for a final vote on the group's decision, which appears to be to continue funding a clearly awful and doomed-to-fail product. Watch the "Now What?" video and discuss the following questions:

• Is this decision a programmed or non-programmed decision and what is the basis for your answer?
• How is groupthink and stereotyping illustrated in these videos?
• Would a rational decision-making approach work? Why or why not
• As a manager, how else might you handle this situation? Please provide 1-2 examples to support your viewpoints that other learners will be able to assess and debate within our weekly discussion forum.

Transcript

Chapter 08: Now What? video

>> So we see the results for the Tighten Tie have been lower than anticipated. That black line is not going in the right direction. Amy asked us to decide whether to discontinue the product but I'm really not sure that we should.

>> Our pilot research suggested that there would be a huge demand for the Tighten Tie. Maybe the product just needs more time or a bigger marketing effort.

>> We were so sure that it would be a hit. I mean we've been working on it for three years. John in production thinks it's a lousy product but I love it.

>> What does John know? He's just a boring production guy. He doesn't know anything about marketing or product development. Just ignore him.

>> Well, maybe we should take a step back though just to see what the situation is. I mean the sales numbers are pretty low.

>> Stop being disloyal, Alex.

>> Well, I'm not. It's just that the sales numbers --

>> Come on, Alex, just go with the team here. We worked really hard on this and I think it just needs more time.

>> I agree.

>> Me too.

>> So should I tell Amy we decided to keep the product and ask for a bigger marketing budget?

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

>> Okay, I guess let's ask for more time and for more resources.

>> Great.

>> I really think this product's going to take off.

>> Me too.

>> Yeah, I'm not too sure.

>> Great. I'll let Amy know.

>> Good.

>> Sheesh, the Tighten Tie is really bombing.

>> Yeah, the boss is furious.

>> Well, it's understandable. She said the additional money that she gave us for marketing came out of the funds for a better product and now that's being undermined by [inaudible] toys product.

>> That's why she said my bonus was going to be so low this year.

>> All of ours. It's pretty clear now that we should have discontinued the Tighten and used the money for more promising products.

>> We should think about setting up a more consistent process for evaluating when to cut off a product. We didn't see this coming but maybe we should have.

>> Good idea.

>> Well, I'm not going to vote on this one.

>> Oh, come on Alex. Get with the program.

>> Lame.

>> I'll tell Amy we think the product just needs more of a marketing investment. I mean I still think we have a winner here.

>> Sounds good.

[ Laughter ]

>> I can't believe you got fired for the Tighten Tie's performance.

>> Yeah, it wasn't your fault that the product bombed.

>> Thanks guys but the product failure really did cost the company a bundle. When Amy went over the decision making process I used as product manager, I really couldn't disagree that I should have seen this coming.

>> I still don't think you should have been fired over this.

>> Well, thanks. I'll sure miss working with you guys.

>> You know what? I think that we're too close to this. I think we should bring in another manager that's not involved with the Tighten Tie and assess the situation, give us their opinion.

>> This is one of our favorite products.

>> Yeah.

>> Let's just give it a little more time and a better marketing push.

>> Wait a minute, Ryan, maybe Alex is right. We poured a lot of money into the Tighten already and we don't have any good explanation for its poor performance. Maybe an outside opinion would be helpful.

>> Exactly and if the Tighten Tie is -- if their opinion about the Tighten Tie is favorable, we can keep it going.

>> Yeah.

>> That makes sense to me. I mean there's only so much money in Happy Times' marketing budget and I would hate to take the resources away from a higher potential product.

>> I can see where you're coming from. I'll ask Amy to let us ask another manager to do an audit.

>> Sounds good.

>> Yeah.

>> I'm really going to miss the Tighten Tie.

>> Yeah, it was a lot of fun. The audit sure put an end to it though. It was hard to argue with their analysis.

>> It's just as well. We have so many promising products in development right now, it will be good to invest a little more in them instead of hoping that Tighten sales improve.

>> Yeah.

>> A final toast.

>> To the Tighten Tie.

[ Laughter ]

Transcript

Chapter 08: Now What? video

>> So we see the results for the Tighten Tie have been lower than anticipated. That black line is not going in the right direction. Amy asked us to decide whether to discontinue the product but I'm really not sure that we should.

>> Our pilot research suggested that there would be a huge demand for the Tighten Tie. Maybe the product just needs more time or a bigger marketing effort.

>> We were so sure that it would be a hit. I mean we've been working on it for three years. John in production thinks it's a lousy product but I love it.

>> What does John know? He's just a boring production guy. He doesn't know anything about marketing or product development. Just ignore him.

>> Well, maybe we should take a step back though just to see what the situation is. I mean the sales numbers are pretty low.

>> Stop being disloyal, Alex.

>> Well, I'm not. It's just that the sales numbers --

>> Come on, Alex, just go with the team here. We worked really hard on this and I think it just needs more time.

>> I agree.

>> Me too.

>> So should I tell Amy we decided to keep the product and ask for a bigger marketing budget?

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

>> Okay, I guess let's ask for more time and for more resources.

>> Great.

>> I really think this product's going to take off.

>> Me too.

>> Yeah, I'm not too sure.

>> Great. I'll let Amy know.

>> Good.

>> Sheesh, the Tighten Tie is really bombing.

>> Yeah, the boss is furious.

>> Well, it's understandable. She said the additional money that she gave us for marketing came out of the funds for a better product and now that's being undermined by [inaudible] toys product.

>> That's why she said my bonus was going to be so low this year.

>> All of ours. It's pretty clear now that we should have discontinued the Tighten and used the money for more promising products.

>> We should think about setting up a more consistent process for evaluating when to cut off a product. We didn't see this coming but maybe we should have.

>> Good idea.

>> Well, I'm not going to vote on this one.

>> Oh, come on Alex. Get with the program.

>> Lame.

>> I'll tell Amy we think the product just needs more of a marketing investment. I mean I still think we have a winner here.

>> Sounds good.

[ Laughter ]

>> I can't believe you got fired for the Tighten Tie's performance.

>> Yeah, it wasn't your fault that the product bombed.

>> Thanks guys but the product failure really did cost the company a bundle. When Amy went over the decision making process I used as product manager, I really couldn't disagree that I should have seen this coming.

>> I still don't think you should have been fired over this.

>> Well, thanks. I'll sure miss working with you guys.

>> You know what? I think that we're too close to this. I think we should bring in another manager that's not involved with the Tighten Tie and assess the situation, give us their opinion.

>> This is one of our favorite products.

>> Yeah.

>> Let's just give it a little more time and a better marketing push.

>> Wait a minute, Ryan, maybe Alex is right. We poured a lot of money into the Tighten already and we don't have any good explanation for its poor performance. Maybe an outside opinion would be helpful.

>> Exactly and if the Tighten Tie is -- if their opinion about the Tighten Tie is favorable, we can keep it going.

>> Yeah.

>> That makes sense to me. I mean there's only so much money in Happy Times' marketing budget and I would hate to take the resources away from a higher potential product.

>> I can see where you're coming from. I'll ask Amy to let us ask another manager to audit.

>> Sounds good.

>> Yeah.

>> I'm really going to miss the Tighten Tie.

>> Yeah, it was a lot of fun. The audit sure put an end to it though. It was hard to argue with their analysis.

>> It's just as well. We have so many promising products in development right now, it will be good to invest a little more in them instead of hoping that Tighten sales improve.

>> Yeah.

>> A final toast.

>> To the Tighten Tie.

[ Laughter ]