Dick Spencer Research Paper

Dick Spencer led a long career as first a salesman, then a troubleshooter, which led into a managerial role. While the role of salesman was one that Spencer succeeded at, he felt his interest was in a different career path within his company, Tri-American Corporation. It was in his role of manager that he encountered incidents that tested his skills and reactions as a leader. This paper will analyze how Dick Spencer was able to succeed in his role as a salesman, as well as deal with conflict and tribulations as a manager. It will look at how each of these factors either contributed to Spencer’s success or failures within each of these roles. In addition to this, different recommendations will be made as to how Spencer could have approached certain situations differently.

Critical Analysis of Issues

Success as a Salesman As a salesman, Spencer showed great achievement as a young graduate entering the business world. He achieved high numbers and was considered an “up-and-comer” in the sales department of the Tri-American Company (Fenn, n.d.). There were of number of factors that can be said to have contributed to this success. The

Spencer is described as ranging “far and wide in his sales territory,” describing his wide travel and extensive work within his sales region (Zenn, n.d.). According to Gill and Mathur (2007), there is a relationship, almost an understanding between an employee and its company, that dedication can lead to desirable results. Spencer’s dedication to his work is highlighted by the fact that it was a contributing factor to the dissolution of his first marriage (Zenn, n.d.). While obviously a less than happy moment in his life, Spencer recognized that his job was dependent of his dedication and ability to work when necessary. This dedication is what allowed him to cover his sales territory to ascertain large contracts (Zenn,