Jackie Woods (a)

Abstract

In this two-part case series, Jackie Woods and her family are planning a trip to Europe when she is appointed to a key task force at Ameritech. Her colleagues are canceling their vacations to participate in the task force, but Jackie's family has been looking forward to this time together. At the same time, she and her husband have been wondering what future they have at Ameritech. See also the B case (UVA-BP-0331). A teaching note is available for registered faculty, along with video supplements to enhance student learning.

Excerpt

UVA-BP-0330

Rev. Feb. 1, 2011

JACKIE WOODS (A)

Jackie is like the first firecracker lit in a package of firecrackers...there is this constant energy, this constant edge. Once she is lit, she lights everything else around her. It becomes contagious, just like a package of firecrackers; one right after the other, they just start to go. Once she has accomplished something, there is this huge explosion around it.

In May 1992, Jackie Woods, vice president of business marketing for Ameritech Services, was walking down the hall in the east wing of the new Ameritech office building in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Jackie had recently been asked to participate on a task force of 100 senior managers from throughout Ameritech charged with exploring significant strategic issues facing the company, including how the company should be organized to face the next century. The task force also had the responsibility of designing a structure that would allow Ameritech to reduce the layers of supervision for its 70,000-person work force. The duties of the task force were expected to span a period of at least six months. To be included in such a significant task force was a source of deep satisfaction to Jackie and signaled just how favorably she was viewed by Ameritech executives. As Jackie turned a corner, she bumped into Bob Brown, a colleague on the reorganization task force.

Bob: So, Jackie, when are you going to tell the family?

. . .

Keywords: career management, leadership, diversity case, women in business