Going It Alone or Making It a Team Effort at Timberland
He introduces himself as a New Hampshire boot maker, but Timberland CEO Jeffrey B. Swartz is much more. Although he heads a fastrising company that produces boots and sportswear, he is strongly committed to civic responsibility and employee involvement. Fortune magazine consistently ranks Timberland as one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. With the zeal of a missionary, the enthusiastic, fast-talking Swartz travels extensively, preaching the power of volunteerism among the 200 Timberland stores and factories.
Task. Let's say that you work for Timberland, and Swartz asks you to organize an extensive volunteer program using Timberland employees.
The program involves much planning and cooperation to be successful. You are flattered that he respects you and thinks that you are capable of completing the task. But you think that a team could do a better job than an individual. What arguments would you use to convince him that a team could work better than a single person?