Black Men in Public Space

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Case Study: Ben & Jerry’s Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is a company built around two guys who wanted to make the best ice cream possible. As the years past, the company grew with its products became popular. This particular company is different than most because there has always been certain values that were followed and considered. Though Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is successful company that has grown far from its humble origins, problems with the business aspect of the company are beginning to show through this success. As the OD professional, we are trying to tap into what is causing these inner conflicts within the company and how best to fix them. 1. The outside image of Ben & Jerry’s does not reflect the companies internal workings. It is often said that both Ben and Jerry are very lax with the business side of their company. It is mentioned that Fred Lager is more experienced with running a modern organization and he recommends that Ben and Jerry host a team building retreat with the Leadership team of the company. Team building can be very helpful way of creating a more unified feeling among co workers, as well as unearthing hidden conflict that may not have arisen yet. The goals and values that the company has been built on are still there. It is the business and communication side that is getting in the way, creating issues that need to be addressed. To address these problems I would recommend the mirroring process approach (McLean, 173). I personally like the way this approach is carried out. With the team being broken up into groups and expressing issues and concerns on a blank board without knowing exactly who said what. For instance, the members of the board of directors (BOD) have expressed concerns over the professionalism of the company’s founders. This mirroring approach may help Ben and Jerry to understand why the BOD feel

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