July 2002 Flash Points

Crash Course (p. 42)
FC Article

Jon McNeill is trying to bring consistency and integrity to the auto shop business. Should the auto repair industry become run by chains? Does it risk losing some of the individual character that people expect from their usual mechanic, or is the negative reputation of the industry in need of a corporate clean-up? What are the potential implication of an insurance company like Allstate owning body shops? What other industries do people in your group think could use a company like Sterling to shore up its reputation and efficiency?

Techno Recovery? (p. 69)
FC Article

Is technology helping or hurting your business during the downturn? What do you think its role will be in the recovery, or do you think tech deserves the blame? Discuss 'the next big thing.' Does your group see it being tech-driven, or the result of current or retro ideas and technology? What status quo tech could your business focus on rather than searching for techno improvements? Many of the business execs are talking about the inevitable recovery; what are you doing now to prepare yourself and your business? Is it a concensus in your group that recovery is inevitable or is that just mantra of CEOs?
Kazuo Hirai of Sony says 'entertainment is where the opportunity is now.' Survey your group members and map out how they spend their entertainment budget. Do movies and restaurants still dominate like they once did? Have members discuss where they've increased and decreased their spending. What new entertainment options are they looking forward to?
Bill O'Shea of Lucent says a telcome recovery is inevitable. Do you agree with this in light of the Worldcom meltdown? Were we too dependent on telecom the first time around? Where would you hedge your money and work opportunities for the recovery? What do you plan to do different?

The Road to Recovery (p. 82)
FC Article

In the sports age of sky-high salaries and player disloyalty, Pat Gillick seems to have made the Seattle Mariners a model for baseball management. Hold a group simulation on how you would redesign your local sports franchise in order to keep players and fans happy. Obtain the real salary and budget figures and try to reconcile them to eventually lead to a profitable franchise with notable players. See if the GM of the team will come talk to your group and lookover your proposal. Here his or her critique and then resubmit

Memo to Media Monopolists (p. 90)
FC Article

Seth Godin believes today's monopolists are going about it all wrong. What are the implications of media monopolies on how we receive content in an unregulated marketplace? Discuss the rise of Clear Channel and their reported pay-for-play deals with record labels and artists. Can this be stopped, should we even try to? What methods exist to subvert media conglomerate control? Analyze some of the monopolies that are protected by Congress, such as professional baseball. Is it time to move some of these off the protected list?

Daniel Richards contributed this month's Flash Points.

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