Chapter 6

Old Paradigms and New Formats

What If the World Really Isn’t Flat?

In 2010, a large European telecom operator sought to expand its production capacity, improve service quality and customer relations, and implement a new vision for human resources. It named its new strategic plan “Conquest.”

The operations department, which employed 25,000 people including 2,000 middle managers, had a key role to play. Its 28 “support teams” were responsible for network construction and maintenance, including work on customers’ premises, so they would be at the forefront of the drive to raise customer satisfaction.

Oliver, the company’s Operations Director, had to ensure his staff were up to the challenge. Together with his teams, he designed and ...

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