Mentor Graphics

March 17, 2013

Introduction Vision can be complicated. There are many perspectives. There are also organizational factors to consider when creating or modifying a vision, such as management strengths and weaknesses, and staff morale. Vision should provide inspiration to employees and customers. It should also paint an image of a bright and promising future. All visions should be created with caution and careful planning so they do not promise or offer something far from what is attainable. Affective Visions Vision was not used effectively at Mentor Graphics. Presence of competing visions existed and it continued to change for several years while the management tried to get a hold on their fear of failure. Their initial vision "Build Something That People Will Buy" was not a motivating for the employees but did send the message to the customer that they would get what they want. Mentor Graphics experienced all three of the debates of linking vision to change. Their first vision drove change as it did provide intent, however it lacked specific strategy. Their second vision ("Beat Daisy"), emerged during change and was driven by the need to get back on top of the market after Daisy Systems out sold Mentor Graphics. Their final vision in the early 1990's also emerged during change. Mentor Graphics vision, early on, helped their change, but once they began to feel like they were losing business to Daisy Systems, they changed the vision and it was then a hindrance to change. Their revolving vision weakened the company and eventually affected the staff morale. Despite growing revenues in 1985 Mentor Graphics product quality declined and coordination within the company was lacking. Mentor Graphics started with a vision that spoke an attainable goal, but it was very abstract. It lacked specific attainable goals for the staff. The vision "Beat Daisy" was also to abstract. It lacked what they were striving to beat Daisy for and why. There was also no process involved in this vision. "Six Boxes" failed because one of the businesses failed to thrive, changing six boxes to five boxes. This change mandated a new vision because now that there were only five boxes the meaning of the vision did not match up with the focus. It made it difficult for the staff to take management seriously. Another vision that Mentor Graphics attempted was the “10X Imperative”. This vision was vague and lacked any description regarding direction or creativity. It failed to recognize current obstacles and motivate or inspire. Vision content is one significant method of constructing a good vision. When using the “desirable elements of a vision” (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009), it is possible to ensure its success. Mentor Graphics began with and ended with visions that lacked key elements such as why the change was needed and highlighting what needed to be done. The only vision that existed that managed to mention the future was their last vision that was a modification of the first vision. “Beat Daisy” did provide imagery but lacked in other elements such as perspiration and actionability. A second method of constructing a good vision is context. This method includes consideration for organizational and cultural factors. A vision that provides meaning to an organization in one country may not provide the same meaning in another country. Mentor Graphics staff was accepting of the need for a new vision, as they were the ones that approached management. Based on this, Mentor Graphics would be characterized as a bold organization. Acceptance was high but resources were low. In their case, the staff recognized the trigger for a new vision because their current one did not fit. Conclusion Director, Navigator, Caretaker, Coach, Interpreter, and Nurturer are the six images of managing change. Mentor Graphics definitely fell into the Nurturer image as their organization continued to be chaotic for several years while competing for the top position in the market. The Navigator image also applies to Mentor Graphics vision crisis. Competing visions created disconnect among the employees and the customers. The vision was important but lacked an achievable goal. Vision is an attribute of a successful organization. The organizations as a team are what make a well-constructed vision attainable. It is important to take the time and consider the resources when implementing an organization vision. The impact of a good or bad vision can be the rise or fall of an organization. There is no guarantee that a vision will succeed, but there are methods for minimizing its failure.

References
Case Study (n.d.).Role of Vision at Mentor Graphics. From https://csuglobal.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-393259-dt-content-rid-38909_2/courses/KEY_MGT351/MGT351_MentorGraphics.pdf Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Akin, G. (2009). Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple
Perspectives Approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.