Jeff Bowling at the Delta Companies: From Baseball Coach to CEO
Case discussion questions
1. Jeff described himself as an "accidental entrepreneur." Was he correct? Why?
2. What process did Jeff use in deciding to grow when he decided to "put this thing on steroids"?
3. What process should he have used?
4. Jeff called you today and, based on your knowledge of this case, asked you to prepare a talk entitled "Do As I Say, Not As I Did" for him to give to an entrepreneurship class on build¬ing a business. What should be the key points in his talk?
5. How did Jeff infuse his culture into new hires? Did you like his "cultural deposits"? Why?
6. How did Jeff manage his direct reports? Would you like to be managed his way? Why?
7. Is Jeff a CEO or a Coach? Why? What is the difference?
Trilogy Health Services, LLC: Building a Great Service Company
Case discussion questions
1. What is Trilogy's differentiating customer value proposition?
2. What is necessary in order for Trilogy to execute and defend this customer value proposition?
3. Why does Trilogy support the proposition that "growth is much more than just a strategy"?
4. How did Trilogy achieve high employee engagement and low turnover?
5. How did Trilogy manage the risk of growth diluting its culture?
6. What hiring and on-boarding processes did Trilogy use to promote high employee engagement?
7. How did Trilogy's leadership combat elitism and arrogance?
8. What do you think are the critical factors in this business model that limit growth?
Mellace Family Brands, Inc.: Building a Socially Responsible Enterprise
Case discussion questions
1. What role did serendipity play in this company's start and success?
2. Describe the values and culture of Mellace Family Brands, Inc. (MFB).
3. Describe Menace's supplier relationships and how those relationships helped create the business.
4. What were two critical inflection points in the growth of this business?
5. Does the business maximize shareholder value? Should it?
6. What does the Mania Cares Foundation do? How is it funded?
7. What were Menace's key growth challenges?
8. How did Menace's leadership manage the pace of growth?
9. Should they have outsourced manufacturing? Why?
10. How did Mike Mellace grow as a leader?
11. With its social policies, can Mellace be a public company?
12. Put yourself in the shoes of Menace's leadership. You truly care about your unique business model of making money and doing good, yet you have investors. What would happen to your company and model if you receive a purchase offer from a big public food company at a high price of 20 times EBITDA? Because you have outside shareholders and employee shareholders, do you have to sell? Do you think the public company will continue the work of your Foundation?