Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley
The key issue at hand is the difference between the culture that is currently instilled at Morgan Stanley, and the opposing personality that Rob Parson brings as a senior executive. President John Mack has created a vision plan for the company that puts the franchise above the individual at all times. “We would like to maximize business, but we would not like to maximize it at the expense of our culture, teamwork, and the integrity of the process.” Rob Parson is viewed by his colleagues as a very strong contributor who at times lacks the proper concern for company values. Rob himself noted that he did not feel like a good fit with Morgan Stanley, but Paul ...view middle of the document...
As a Principal he did meet and exceed the requirements in terms of production, increasing market share from 2% to 12% in one year. It is notable that many have tried to reach these numbers in the past and failed. He is adept at establishing deep relationships with clients and uncovering unknown needs of businesses through conversation which results in revenue that would have been missed. The position does require an aggressive person and no downward feedback has been given to modify this behavior. There is no doubt that Rob Parson has provided a substantial benefit to the company from a bottom line perspective.
The difficulty I see in promoting Rob Parson is within the message it would send throughout the company, that someone who does not follow the values and culture of the firm can achieve one of the highest positions within that same firm. In order for a company culture to exist it needs to be fostered from the top down, starting with the CEO and branching out from the executive level all the way down to entry level positions. Only then can you achieve an environment where those espoused values actually become enacted values. If Morgan Stanley wishes to maintain their current mission statement of “creating an environment that fosters teamwork and innovation by treating each other with dignity and...