The Lumen and Absorb Teams
at Crutchfield
Chemical Engineering
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Lumen and Absorb
3. Problem & Solutions
4. Reviewing Data
5. Conclusion and Discussion
Overview
• CCE has 3 Corporate Technology Development
departments
• Polymers department has 5 project teams,
averaging 6 members
• One team, Lumen, performing well
• Another team, Absorb, performing poorly
• Based on daily diary information for 14 days, try
to figure out why teams performing differently,
and what to do about it
Crutchfield Chemical Engineering
• A large international chemicals and fiber
manufactures.
• CCE was a U.S. subsidiary of PPQ
Worldwide Industries.
• A $29 billion conglomerate headquarter
outside Geneva
• The mission of CTD was to explore new
technologies and product categories that
might not fall under the purview of any
particular business unit.
Burke’s polymers Department
• Burke’s polymers Department was one of
the three in CTD
• His departments had currently 5 project
teams
• Team size ranged from 4-11
• Average of 6
Lumen : the project and the team
•
•
•
•
•
Develop multilayer sheets of crystals
Customer was Cyrenea
Team leader Max Cooper
5 full time members.
$50 million - $100 millions business for CCE.
Lumen Team Member Background Information
Absorb: The project and the Team
• Develop a hybrid organic – inorganic
fiberboard with superior heat absorption
properties
• Team Leader Chip Wendall
• 6 full time members.
Absorb Team Member Background Information
Problems & Solutions
Result from annual HR Study
: Bad news on employment motivation
• Of the 5 R&D teams in Burke’s department
Lumen – high level of motivation
• Three were intermediate
• Absorb was quite low
Appointed consultant Joanna Mckinty.
: Collecting diaries every day over 2 weeks
from everyone on the team via email
Reviewing the Data
Lumen Team Chronological Summary
 Day 1: That morning, go over Max's (leader's) patent
application draft
 →Lots of positive feedback, excellent suggestions
 → Max has second draft by end of day
 → Others are inspired by Max, stay late to review
revision
 The team was eager to submit the application
 Despite working late and hard-and getting fruitful
results-how does team feel?
 Good Team Work and Open Communication
contributed to a great result
Lumen Tam Chronological Summary
 Days 4-8: Customer(Cyrenea) complaint regarding
product performance and future pricing
 Team response? Let customer know that they will
bend over backwards to please them
 Max (leader) creates list of what's needed to be
done, and who is best equipped to do it
 Team deals with temporary rescheduling
 Pitch in to help overwhelmed teammate
 How does that make teammate feel?
 Customer responded with Total understanding;
in partnership with Lumen
 Good team work can easily solve the problem
Lumen Tam Chronological Summary
 Max goes to bat for team to get more staff, despite
small chance of getting it
 What effect does this have on team?
 Team solves both of customer's problems
 Celebratory lunch/ Lots of pats on backs
 “Whale Done”
 Days 9-10: Potential customer's needs changed, but
impressed by team and will keep in touch and them
in mind
 Productivity, efficiency, and success lead to free time
to explore new avenues
 Everybody wins…
Absorb Tam Chronological Summary
 Days 1-2: Little mention of work; write about
frustration with Chip (team leader)
 Members spending significant time discussion issue
with each other
 Hector runs experiments on new material samples
with considerable success
 Hector's response? Discouragement.
→ Why? Chip says "far from perfect“
 Discourgement kills any motivation → Creativity ?
Absorb Tam Chronological Summary
 Jim & Ying determine that potential customer not good
prospect
 Chip's response? Continue pursuing for political
reasons
 How do Jim & Ying feel? "Big waste of time and
energy"
 In subsequent visit to this customer, Jim & Ying just go
through motions
 Will customer be impressed by Absorb?
 Jim & Ying also have to modify report for political
reasons; takes long time
 Also have to modify (and remodify) presentation
 How are Jim & Ying feeling?
Absorb Tam Chronological Summary
 Days 7-8: Team unsure about goals, how to spend
time
 Chip is away. Doing what? Meeting about "political"
project with no value
 Hector, not knowing what to do, runs experiments
with interesting results
 What does he do with the results?
 Nothing. Doesn't think anyone will care
 Lack of Leadership led into trap
 They went their own way not same way.
Absorb Tam Chronological Summary
 Days 9-10: Not surprisingly, one member (Dave)
voluntarily leaving
 Hector told that he will be taking on new
responsibilities
 Hector not happy, Chip doesn't understand why
 Hector asks Helen about who is leaving.
Helen, who should have been told, wasn't aware that
anyone was leaving
 How does Helen respond to this?
 Bad Team Work and Close Communication caused
to make a bad result
 Everyone loses…
Conclusion and Discussion
• What might be affecting the motivation and
creativity of the two teams?
•
How were these effects playing out within the
teams?
•
Most importantly, what might Burke do in the
short term and the long term to improve the
situation in the Absorb team?
Conclusion and Discussion
• What might be affecting the motivation and
creativity of the two teams?
• How were these effects playing out within the
teams?
• Most importantly, what might Burke do in the
short term and the long term to improve the
situation in the Absorb team?
Conclusion and Discussion
How could he ensure that the Lumen team’s
motivation and creativity would continue to climb?
And how might he apply these lessons insetting up
the next round of project teams, choosing and
training the teams, and establishing a work
environment that would foster ongoing intrinsic
motivation and creativity?