Difficult Conversations (B)

Shikhar  Ghosh; Shweta  Bagai

Exercise | September 2019

Difficult Conversations (B)

by Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai

Abstract

The exercises can be used as a follow-up to the Yesware (A) case (#816-039), or in conjunction with any case that involves replacing a founding team member (and/or providing feedback to a top executive). This is a role-playing exercise, and has been carried out in the HBS elective course Founders’ Journey, taught in the second year of the MBA program. Timewise, the exercises can stretch over an entire 80-minute session. On the day before class, students are divided into two groups, and are given the role of either (A) CEO or (B) VP.

Keywords: firing; feedback; founders; culture; values; neuroscience; Business Startups; Organizational Culture; Resignation and Termination; Communication; Emotions; Trust; Human Resources; Entrepreneurship;

Language: English

Format: Print

4 pages

Purchase

Citation:

Ghosh, Shikhar, and Shweta Bagai. "Difficult Conversations (B)." Harvard Business School Exercise 820-056, September 2019.

Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2020

Truebird—An AlleyCorp Venture

Shikhar Ghosh, Shweta Bagai, Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai

In December 2018, Kevin Ryan and Wendy Tsu faced an important decision – to finalize the CEO candidate for Truebird, an innovative, automated coffee café concept. Like many of AlleyCorp and Ryan’s companies, Truebird started with the observation of an unmet need – an inability to get good coffee at a reasonable price without a wait. Ryan’s track record as a serial entrepreneur included companies such as MongoDB, Gilt Groupe, Zola, and Business Insider. The commonality across AlleyCorp’s diverse businesses was a systematic process to ideation, led by Wendy Tsu, and an emphasis on the early Co-founder/CEO. Over the years, Ryan had refined his process of identifying the most appropriate person to serve as CEO. Two strong candidates had been shortlisted for the CEO position at Truebird. Unlike traditional approaches that used the reference check as a safety net, Ryan and Tsu considered reference check interviews as a stronger indicator of on-the-job performance. How should they structure a reference check process that would allow a complete understanding of each candidate? What questions should they ask when they found people who had worked with, or for, each of the candidates?

Keywords: Startup; hiring; staffing; recruiting; Business Ventures; Finance; Leadership; Management Skills; Management Teams; Jobs and Positions; Job Interviews; Human Resources; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Technology Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States;