NMA LeaderLab
LEAD THE WAY TO
EFFECTIVE
OPERATIONS…
STARTUP SAGA
Figure out how to guide a new venture by
developing an appropriate vision, mission
and value set to ensure success…
FOCUS ON THE BIG PICTURE
DEFINE THE KEY GOALS
SPECIFY THE EXPECTATIONS
LeaderLab CEU Code 05004LL
.1 CEU
NMA…
THE Leadership Development Organization
2210 Arbor Blvd.
Dayton, OH 45349
937-294-0421
Web Site: http://www.nma1.org
Take charge of the situation!
Copyright © 2006, by National Management Association, Dayton, OH
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NMA LeaderLab
Scenario
LL #4
STARTUP SAGA
Theme
“Minding the Mission”
Scenario:
Your leadership team has been given the job of organizing a new joint venture by Boeing and Lockheed which will
merge all Delta and Atlas launch vehicle activities into a single United Launch Alliance (ULA) that will support all
future U.S. government launch requirements. This merger will significantly increase ULA efficiency and lower
launch-vehicle costs by combining engineering staff from both companies and consolidating all launch-vehicle
manufacturing in a single facility to enable lower production costs and more effective development engineering with
major attendant cost savings to the customer in the limited government launch market. However, implementation of
the merger requires relocation of over 2,000 Boeing and Lockheed employees to new locations (Denver, CO for
engineering and Decatur, AL for manufacturing), so the morale of the impacted employees is low….
Challenge:
Your job as the ULA leadership team is to come up with a compelling VISION, a rallying MISSION and effective
VALUES for the new company. The VISION here should be a one-sentence statement which best reflects how you
want ULA to be viewed by its customers and employees. The MISSION should be a statement of what approach
ULA should pursue to optimize its chances of success and customer acceptance; and the VALUES should consist
of a framework and ten characteristics which describe the expected behavior of ULA employees in pursuing this
approach. You have 20 minutes to come up with your answers….
Operations:
Before beginning, you must unanimously select a LEADER and OBSERVER. The leader will facilitate the team’s
discussion, will ensure that all three areas (VISION, MISSION and VALUES) are addressed in the allocated time,
and will report on the team’s results. The OBSERVER will take notes on and be prepared to briefly report on the
team’s process in coming up with its answers. It is important that your team come up with answers for each of the
three areas, so you should limit your discussion on each area accordingly to fit all three into the 20 minute time
allocation….
Reports:
Each team LEADER will be allocated 3 minutes to brief the team’s VISION, MISSION and VALUES; and each
observer will be allocated 2 minutes to summarize the associated team’s process. There will be a hard cutoff at the
end of 5 minutes.
Evaluation:
The facilitator will take the last 5 minutes to comment on each team’s end process and to cover the actual VISION,
MISSION and VALUES developed by ULA.
NMA…THE Leadership Development Organization, Dayton, Ohio
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NMA LeaderLab
Prizes
TBD
NMA…THE Leadership Development Organization, Dayton, Ohio
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NMA LeaderLab
Lessons
ULA VISION
One Team Launching the Quest for Knowledge, Peace and Freedom
ULA MISSION
ULA provides the best expendable launch systems and services to assure
access to space for our customers. Together, we protect our nation, explore
the universe and enable the commerce of space. We are a values-based
team and, building on our heritage, are committed to mission success,
continuous improvement and stakeholder satisfaction.
ULA VALUES
We achieve Mission Success, Performance Excellence, Business Excellence
and Employee Involvement through an unwavering commitment to our values.
Ethical behavior, our fundamental principle, guides the rest of our values:
Leadership, Customer Focus, Teamwork, Our People, Diversity and Inclusion,
Quality, Innovation, Continuous Improvement and Corporate Citizenship.
Things to consider in your work environment!
NMA…THE Leadership Development Organization, Dayton, Ohio
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NMA LeaderLab
ULA Vision, Mission and Values
NMA…THE Leadership Development Organization, Dayton, Ohio
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NMA LeaderLab
Facilitator Hints
Organize the participants into up to five groups of 4 or more participants each, and ask the local facilitators to distribute
hard copies of the first three pages of the LeaderLab material.
Go over the cover page and scenario, and briefly cover the prizes if used. Make sure each team elects a LEADER and
OBSERVER before the start of their discussion, and give them a heads-up on time-remaining every five minutes.
At the end of 20 minutes, have each team report on their results and process (5 minutes maximum per team). Use the
table below to grade their reports (Y or N on VISION, MISSION and VALUES) and make any associated notes.
TEAM #
Global Vision (Y/N)
Consistent Mission (Y/N)
Ten Effective Values (Y/N)
1
2
3
4
5
After all teams have given their reports, ask the local facilitators to pass out the rest of the LeaderLab material (pages 4 and
5 plus the Evaluation Form). Go over the actual ULA VISION, MISSION and VALUES (pages 4-5), then comment briefly on
the corresponding inputs developed by each team. Focus on completeness and consistency of their inputs, and on their
process and presentation approach.
At the end of the session, congratulate all teams on their originality and thank them for their participation. Hopefully, they’ve
learned some leadership lessons from this exercise and the associated team interaction.
Conclude by asking all team members to fill out their Evaluation Forms and to hand the completed forms to the local
facilitator as they leave.
NMA…THE Leadership Development Organization, Dayton, Ohio
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LeaderLab Evaluation Form
Your comments and suggestions are very important to us. Please take a few moments to reflect on your
experiences at the LeaderLab. Your input will help us to continue to provide professional quality services
and maximize learning during the future LeaderLabs.
PLEASE CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX
1.
The overall LeaderLab program
2.
Appropriate use of the materials that made learning easy and enjoyable
3.
Opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas with others
4.
Length of LeaderLab relative to its objectives and meeting your needs
5.
Applicability to your responsibilities, needs, and roles at home, work, and
elsewhere
6.
What is the most important thing you learned during the LeaderLab?
7.
Which part of the LeaderLab was of MOST VALUE to you? Why?
8.
Which part of the LeaderLab was of LEAST VALUE to you? Why?
9.
What suggestions for improvement do you have for future LeaderLabs?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Check one ─
Yes
No
Did the facilitator(s)…
Keep the sessions “moving and interesting”?
Speak at a level that could be easily heard and understood by everyone?
Keep the discussions constructive, crisp, and well controlled?
Practice “good facilitation skills”?
NMA…THE Leadership Development Organization, Dayton, Ohio
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