One of Peterson’s major problems was managing GMCT’s public relations in its operating area. These problems began when local residents opposed the construction of GMCT’s “ugly” towers and Petersen feared the coveted local fire department communication tower would be denied for GMCT use. Embracing his role as a manager, Peterson acted pragmatically and promised free cellular service to the police, fire and emergency departments in the area in exchange for securing the fire department´s tower. Unfortunately, he was unable to convince Hardy to sign the agreement and failed to fulfill his promise. This jeopardized the public´s perception of GMCT. In addition, when working through the site acquisition needed to build the cell towers, he stepped aside to let Cantor and Green handle the interactions with the communities throughout the negotiation process. Peterson´s pragmatic actions offered quick solutions to continue toward the end goal, even when he was forced to act without complete certainty. Peterson exhibited this important strength early on in his management career. Nevertheless, Peterson had plenty of areas of opportunity. Working to instill trust in his superiors and build a mutually influential relationship would have helped his direct manager, Hardy, feel comfortable enough to grant Peterson the autonomy to make critical decisions. This would have allowed Peterson to uphold his agreements with the local civic leaders. To further develop rapport with the residents, Peterson´s direct involvement in Cantor and Green´s negotiations and conversations with local attorneys would help to prove his commitment to the local community. Peterson’s overall performance in managing the public relations aspect of GMCT was not very good because he failed to build the necessary rapport with the community. He created a situation that ended up being more difficult than it needed to be to accomplish GMCT’s goals.
Operation and Equipment Problems