Knowlton Case

Bob Knowlton was appointed as project leader for the Photon Correlator project at the Simmons Laboratories. He felt quite comfortable in his role until the unanticipated arrival of a technical specialist, Simon Fester. Dr. Jerrold neglected to inform Knowlton and the rest of the project team about the role of Fester in the Programme Office. This was only the start of a series of problems to follow.

Knowlton appeared threatened by Fester's grasp of technical concepts widely used in the project. He appears to be the kind of character that needs a degree of continual ego stroking. He was quite happy to muddle along with the perception that as long as the project produced results, his career and progression in the ranks would be secure. Knowlton had an early opportunity to ring-fence Festers involvement on his project when Dr. Jerrold loosely spoke to him about where Fester would ultimately land. At that time he did not raise any concerns.

Fester quickly struck up an alliance not only with Jerrold, but with Link, the project mathematician, who he saw as something of a kindred spirit and someone he could share ideas and solutions with on the basis of mutual background and skill. At the same time he dismissed the rest of the project team as being almost inconsequential.

Knowlton became distracted by whatever activities Fester undertook, however unassuming they may have been. Knowlton's leadership style was by choice a participative one, which is not something that necessarily suits a weak leader especially when a new, strong personality enters the team. Fester on the other hand was probably even less of a leader and certainly had no apparent underhand ideals of taking over the team.

Knowltons alliances were weak in that he did nothing to reinforce his own understanding of his position with Dr. Jerrold and he only briefly addressed Davenport and Oliver about the presence and relationship with Fester on the project. He also excluded Link from these discussions assuming him to be totally aligned to Fester.

At the time of the six-monthly presentation on progress, Knowlton weakly demurred to Fester presenting his findings to the stakeholders. In his typical non-confrontational manner, Knowlton decided that looking for and accepting a position at another laboratory was a better solution than trying to assert his own position where he was. To this end he let down the team, the project and Simmons Laboratories as a whole. In the meantime, Fester went on to head up a completely separate project and the leadership of the photon correlator project was handed over to Link.

While Knowlton is clearly a weak and indecisive leader at best, the blame for the misfortunes at Simmons Laboratories should rest clearly on Dr. Jerrold's shoulders. Had he set a clear direction for the key players and an understanding of the ultimate transition of Fester onto a new project in the future, most of what happened