Page 92 - DMGT520_ORGANIZATION_CHANGE_AND_DEVELOPMENT

Unit 6: Components of OD – Operational and Maintenance

Notes
and the recent terrorist attacks, the stated goals appear impossible to achieve. While this
is disheartening initially, I personally feel a sense of urgency to work as hard and as
creatively as possible to bring in new business. I recognize that the process will be long
and arduous but we don’t have a choice.”
“How will the actions in Afghanistan affect our business? Will India be perceived by
ignorant US buyers as being “Middle Eastern” and hold a bias against doing business with
that part of the world? Will US companies feel safe putting their data and systems in that
part of the world?”
“How far will pricing go down and what final affect will this have on salaries?”
“Is the financial market being artificially propped up because of the federal interest cuts?
“On a personal front, the apprehensions are: is US going to be the same place it was? [In
terms of neutrality and equal opportunity?] Are we going to see racism becoming
predominant here...much like to the UK and other parts?”
“Is being *brown* going to have similar connotations as being *black*”
“Uncertainty of staying power: With so many companies going out of business and new
business hard to come by, do we have the staying power to ride out the storm and ride the
waves again.”
“Will companies continue to spend on ‘new software ‘development?”

“Many people are facing downturn for the first time. These same people — now in their
late 20s have been possibly the most pampered professionals in history. Everyone expected
to be able to have the ‘option’ to buy a Lexus by their mid 20s. Now not only is all that
history, they need to understand that if an economic Asst Professor at UCLA earns in the
70s, their is no reason that a Java programmer with 3 years experience should expect a 80K
salary. The market was allowing this behavior in the past, but no longer. And people will
have to become aware to the new reality. Where will Gold Smith be and what do we need
to do to ensure that our future is secure?”
“‘Keeping the Faith. Many people will question their careers, question the industry and
question the company. How does one deal with it?”
“Suddenly making money from the software business is not all that easy. What does one
do to change the dynamics so that one can again make profits?”
“How is all this affecting me? There is to some extent a sense of paralysis internally.
I wake up in the morning and do not know what is the best way to use my time. So I feel
that my productivity is much less that what it should be. In these times, one needs to be
even more productive not less.”
The management team assembled the leadership team in the New Jersey Office and talked
about each of these questions and issues. They spoke with passion, debated and let people
completely open up their hearts and minds. That was the first step.
In the days and months after 9/11, Gold Smith had to carefully manage a multiplicity of
emotions. No one was trained for something like this before. The key was honest, clear
and continuous communication with our people. This came naturally to the management
team.
Peter Drucker once said, “many problems cannot be solved – they have to be survived.”
He also said, “you do not solve problems, the only way to cope is to be ahead of them.”

Contd...

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