This case is aimed at helping executives understand the reasons why they may ‘derail’ when promoted to a new position or when they secure a new job that does not accord with their expectations of it.
Case A describes the situation Alessandro Riccombeni found himself in when, having seemingly secured his dream job with BigTech plc, he soon found himself at odds with the organisational culture in general, the sub-cultures within groups, and with colleagues and management.
This is a common scenario one for anyone switching jobs; in this case moving from academic research or industry to big tech. Alessandro soon discovered that such a transition is not straightforward and it can be difficult to find the right position in an organisation “where you are invaluable but not indispensable”.
His curiosity and desire to move things along ran into a culture that expected him to “keep to his lane”, leading to conflict with colleagues and senior executives and to great frustration with his situation.
In case B we see how, initially disenchanted to the point where he considered quitting, Alessandro acquired the skills and insight to recognise the pressures inherent in his new role and overcome the impediments to his making progress.