#476  from Innovative Leader Volume 9, Number 6          June 2000

FORUM—from our readers

A Test of What’s Important

I bet Innovative Leader’s readers will appreciate this story.  My company recently received a very important patent on a process that was discovered by one of our scientists.  When the discovery was disclosed in a publication last year, both the technical and popular press wrote about it.  The idea that led to the discovery was absolutely brilliant.  “Ruth,” the researcher who had the idea, was held in awe, not only by others in our company, but by academic and industrial scientists around the world.

I’m not in Ruth’s division; however, I recommended to our CEO that she be nominated for a national annual award that is given in her field.  Why not take advantage of her contribution and also get some good PR for the company?  I felt she had a pretty good chance of winning.

The CEO was supportive and I agreed to write the nominating documents.  However, about a week later, I received a memo from the CEO in which he stated, “Upon further consideration, we should not nominate Ruth as it could cause problems within her department.”  I contacted the director of her division to find out what was going on.  He said that, if she won the award it would exacerbate jealousy problems among her coworkers.  Furthermore, the director said, Ruth’s supervisor is the kind of person who would feel uncomfortable managing her if she received the award. 

Then I spoke with Ruth’s supervisor.  It seemed clear that he needed to feel superior, not just in his place along the administrative ladder, but also had to feel superior in his technical knowledge.  The award could make Ruth “cocky” and could undermine his control over the rest of his people.  At least, that’s what I perceived to be the problem.

Somehow, Ruth heard that she was under consideration for nomination, and she learned why the company didn’t pursue it.  Fortunately, her supervisor, her division director, and the CEO can now relax as Ruth is no longer with the company.  She left to work for our biggest competitor.

Anonymous