1 Management Lessons from Movies_Group 17_Up in the Air

VINOD GUPTA SCHOOL OF

MANAGEMENT IIT KHARAGPUR

Report on
MANAGEMENT LESSONS FROM MOVIES
(MLM) Subject Code: BM63097
Submitted by:

Group - 17
Name Roll No.

Abhishek Padhy 20BM63002

Chandan Behera 20BM63024

Raj Raushan 20BM63072

Satyajeet Sahoo 20BM63080

Sriparna Patra 20BM63091

2 Management Lessons from Movies_Group 17_Up in the Air

UP IN THE AIR

SYNOPSIS

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a corporate downsizer and one of the 24 termination
engineers tasked for terminating an employee on behalf of the client. His business provides
'employee termination support.' These termination engineers travel the world, taking on the role
of 'outplacement counselling' professionals to make bosses' life easier. Natalie Keener (Anna
Kendrick), Ryan's millennial apprentice, presents a digital solution to the company's increasing
spending on termination engineers' travel, food, and lodging.
3 Management Lessons from Movies_Group 17_Up in the Air

She uses video conferencing to terminate staff instead of the traditional in-person firing method
that the organisation has been using. This is, in Ryan's opinion, a fundamentally superior strategy.
From here, the film takes an unexpected turn, highlighting the main contrasts between the two
systems and how one performs better than the other.

MANAGEMENT LESSONS

LISTENING TO THE CUSTOMERS/EMPLOYEES

Natalie, the trainee, joins Ryan for her first fire session. They dismiss an employee who exhibits
suicide thoughts after learning of his or her suspension. Natalie is concerned about the
employee's behaviour, but Ryan reassures her and tells her not to worry. Natalie is so angry that
she quits her work after the same employee commits suicide a few weeks later.

The fact that Ryan simply brushed off suicidal tendencies is concerning. If he had raised the alarm
or attempted to assist the employee, the employee's life could have been saved. Because he was
so used to firing individuals, it didn't even occur to him that he should personally listen to the
employee in question. The business world is no different. Businesses have to strive to listen to
their customers/employees, no matter how large the number, to best serve them.

PEOPLE RESPONDING TO PEOPLE

It's critical to determine which company tasks can be digitised and which cannot in the age
of artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Natalie creates a remote system of terminating
employees to cut company costs by 85 percent in the film, and her supervisor approves of
her strategy as well.

However, in retrospect, the redesigned model faces numerous risks, including client
lawsuits, customer loss, fired staff committing suicide, and so on. Why? Individuals respond
to other people. Firing employees in person rather than on a computer screen is a far more
human approach. People would be upset and vulnerable when they were fired, and firing
them from afar would not satisfy their emotional demands.

The business lesson here is that technology will never be able to completely replace human
connections. It has the ability to raise the business experience to new heights, but it may
also be the cause of a company's demise. The storey of a female HR professional from Tech
Mahindra terminating another employee over a phone call, which went viral and was widely
denounced by the industry, is a current and highly relatable example. The inhumane method
in which the firing procedure was carried out, with no comprehensive explanation as to why
or how the employee was abruptly requested to leave, exemplifies the corporate world's
loss of personal touch.
4 Management Lessons from Movies_Group 17_Up in the Air

IMPLEMENTING THOUGHTFUL SOLUTIONS

Implementing solutions based on gut instinct and hearsay rather than thorough data -driven
research is certain to fail in the long term. Natalie skips the study and tries to terminate an
employee using the remote technique in the movie. This was a mistake on her part because
she lacked a thorough understanding of the company's employees and how they would think
and respond in certain situations. As a result, the answer had to be irrelevant.

The conclusion here is that corporations should practise empathy to comprehend what
others see, feel, and experience before considering suggesting a solution.

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS THAT ARE CUSTOMIZED

During a normal firing session, Ryan and Natalie attempt to soothe a sacked employee, 'Bob,'
who has worked for the company for a long time. Natalie tries to take a more pragmatic
approach by focusing on the positive aspects of the situation, such as how it will ultimately
help Bob raise children who are better at coping with trauma and who apply themselves well
academically.

Bob was not in the correct frame of mind, thus her attempt at rational reasoning with him
failed. Ryan intervenes to help Bob and suggests that perhaps this is a wake -up call or that
now is the time to pursue his ambition of becoming a professional chef (because Bob's
résumé stated that he minored in French culinary arts). Ryan cleverly appeals to Bob's
emotional state of mind, which is currently active, and advises him to seize this opportunity
to set a good example for his children.

The ability to learn here comes from Ryan, who was so good at timing that he knew just
when to hit the correct cord and say exactly what he wanted to say, all because he had
done some prior study on Bob and tailored his speech accordingly. Instead of offering a
one-size-fits-all, pre-cooked solution, businesses could offer customised solutions.
Personalization is essential when dealing with staff or consumer complaints.

The film 'Up in the Air' contains some amazing business principles that, if implemented in
practise, can greatly improve overall corporate procedures.

KEYWORDS:

Customized, thoughtful, solutions, corporate, business, people