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Essay on David Fletcher Case

Decent Essays

This case explores the problems managers face when assembling a team. David Fletcher, is an overworked portfolio manager of the Emerging Growth Fund at Jenkins, Fletcher Partners (JFP), an investment management firm in New York. As an individual, his superior performance throughout his career has earned him an outstanding reputation. Starting out as a clerk, he rose through the ranks of Wall Street to eventually manage the two most aggressive mutual funds at a major investment firm. Success at this firm only added to his reputation and lead to his current role at JFP, a smaller firm with an informal culture. At JFP, Fletcher is challenged with the new responsibility of managing a team, in addition to managing his portfolio.

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Though Fletcher has enjoyed long-term success as a portfolio manager, he stumbles as a team manager. One example is in his relationship with Stephanie Whitney. Though he described is as a “mentor-protégé” relationship, he admits to having little time to train her. While he provided her with general career guidance, he explains that it was her own resourcefulness and initiative that allowed her to ascend from an administrative assistant position to the role of analyst. This transition, as noted by one of her colleagues, was difficult for Whitney and she struggled with establishing her identity as an aspiring portfolio manager. Because of Fletcher’s hands-off approach to managing people, Whitney’s growth was stifled under his management, which was a contributing factor to her eventual resignation.

Hiring Brian Doyle without considering how he would get along with Whitney was another mistake Fletcher made in assembling his team. A seasoned financial consultant to high-technology firms in Silicon Valley, Doyle had frequent contact with Fletcher over the years and offered valuable industry knowledge. However, he did not meet Whitney prior to joining the team and it soon became evident to Fletcher that tension existed between the two. It isn’t surprising that Fletcher failed to consider their compatibility. Being a task-oriented person, he only values a person’s performance; getting

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