Growing Pain Essay

So by the end of 1992, stream had begun selling its own line of compact, inexpensive, high-impact plastic kayaks. Within one quarter, Maher had cognize that the move had been a smart one. Almost all of Waterways existing canoe customers mostly wholesalers who then sold to liveries and sporting goods storeshad located sizable kayak orders. A number of private-label entities had also inquired about Waterway, and Maher was considering producing privatelabel kayaks for those companies on a limited basis. For the most part, the staff had adjusted easily to the come withs faster pace.The expanded problem hadnt changed Waterways informal work style, and people seemed to appreciate that. Maher knew that most of his employees were avid exterior types who viewed their jobs as a means to an end, and he respected that perspective. On mean solar days when the weather was particularly good, he knew that the building would be pretty change by 4 P. M. exclusively he also knew that his empl oyees liked their jobs. wrick was al shipway completed on cadence, and people were outspoken with new ideas and with suggestions for up(a) current creations and processes. There was no mistaking the genuine camaraderie.Maher walked through the design room, stopping to talk with one of the two designers and to admire the latest drawings. because he headed for the administrative suite. His thoughts returned to the companys recent history. Until 1990, Waterways sales and r eventideues had increased with the mart, and Maher hadnt been motivated to push any harder. But when he had decided to venture into kayaking, he also had thought he should gear up marketing get ready for the big arch if it came. Until then, there had never been a formal, structured marketing department at Waterway. He had thought it was time.Thats why he had hired downwind Carter. Carter had gotten her M. B. A. when she was 31. To do so, she had left a fast-track position in sales at Waterways major competitor in the canoe market to devote her full attention to her studies. Finch, who was something of a mentor for Carter, had told her that she would hit the crown too early in her career if she didnt have the credential to compete in her field. In her final term at business school, which had included a full course load plus a demanding internship with the Small Business Administration, Carter had interviewed ith Waterway. Finch had called to introduce her, but once Maher had met her and she had begun to outline the ways in which she could improve the companys sales and marketing efforts, Maher had needful no other references. He had thought from the start that Carter might be the right person to nurture the companys interest in the growing kayaking business and to run with it if the sports popularity really took off. When it had, he was proved right. True, the market was extremely favorable, but Carter had brought in more orders than even Maher had thought possible.Fortunately, the com pany had been able to keep up by detection with other manufacturing companies for more product. Waterway had been extremely effective in belongings inventory in line with customer demand. Maher was impressed with Carters performance. From day one, she had been completely focused. She traveled constantly worked so hard that she barely had time to get to acknowledge the staff. She came in on weekends to catch up with paperwork. along with two of her direct reports, she had even missed the annual Waterway pleasure trip the three had been on the road, nailing down a large order.It was a fealtya level of energythat Maher had never seen before, and he liked what it give tongue to about his company. Back in his office, Maher found that he couldnt slim down on the product development report in front of him. That number of conversation he had over comprehend outside Carters office was troubling. He for sure knew about the lucrative packages that were being offered in the sporting go ods industryeven in Waterways niche. Hed even heard that some sales managers were commanding a quarter of a billion dollars or more.He had read enough of the annual reports of his publicly traded competitors to know that larger organizations created all sorts of elaborate systemssupplemental retirement packages, golden handcuffs, personal credit line options, deferred compensation arrangements to hold on to their top performers. harvard business review july grand 1996 page 2 Growing Pains HBR C AS E S TUDY The business could stand to pay more, Maher said, but I trust to avoid the habit of paying now for results down the road. Maher wanted to roll in the hay Carters contribution.