Case Study on Coalition Forming

More implicitly should Nate form a coalition, and with whom should he form it? My instincts work with Joquin, and keep a professional distance from Alysa.

Organizational structure:

President
Responsible for all executive-level decision-making for Gallant Publishing Company.
Position held by Joaquin Aguero
Joaquin grew up in cosmopolitan Caracas, Venezuela. He attended boarding school in the United States, and after receiving a B.A. in economics from Romaine University and an M.B.A. from United University, Joaquin returned to his native country and began his career as director of sales at his father's book publishing company. Following a promotion to vice president of sales at his father's firm, he received a lucrative offer from Gallant to join its team as managing director. Joaquin quickly became president of Gallant, and for the past 10 years he has led Gallant through many challenges and successes.

Vice President of Sales
Responsible for all sales decision-making and staffing, and ultimately, the fulfillment of sales goals for each magazine. Creates the annual budget for the sales department. Reports to the president.
Position held by Alyssa Lah
Alyssa has been with Gallant Publishing for only a year, but she has been in the magazine publishing industry for 22 years. Previously, she was publisher of a major international business magazine. Alyssa is a very motivated, strong, and busy person, and she has little patience for incompetence. She is formidable and uncompromising.

Editorial Director
Responsible for all editorial staffing and decision-making, including style, design, and content, for each magazine. Creates the annual budget for the editorial department. Reports to the president.
Position held by Nate Demolick
Nate, who was previously editor of Heritage Remodeler for 11 years, is new to the position of editorial director. Because his promotion is recent, many of the editors?and Nate himself, for that matter?are having difficulty adjusting to his new role as their leader. His difficulties are exacerbated by the fact that he is by nature a disorganized and grumpy fellow.

Floor plan for Editorial Department before relocation

Floor Plan Sales Department Before Relocation

Floor Plan Sales & Editorial Department after Allocation

Notes: Email to Nate and Alyssa
Gallant Publishing Company
Nate Demolick, Gallant Publishing Company
To: Alyssa Lah, Gallant Publishing Company
From: Joaquin Aguero, Gallant Publishing Company
Subject: Follow up
Nate and Alyssa,
I know I dropped a bit of a bomb on you earlier today. I just want to stress to you that I am committed to the three of us finding a solution that works for everyone. It will make it very difficult to bring in the new guys if the three of us cannot come to an amicable agreement. In fact, given that the attitude we take will set the tone for the whole company, it will be impossible. That said, you know that this is very important both to me and to Gallant as a business. I am confident that this magazine will be a tremendous success, and as a result, in a couple of years I know we'll be able to move into a new facility three times larger than what we have now. This is only a temporary situation.
I know we can do this professionally and to the satisfaction of all. We have just survived a rocky period at Gallant. This project is in its beginning phases, and it is going to be an uphill battle the whole way to launch it. I cannot do it without you, and we have to keep everyone's spirits up. And, after all, we are only talking about space for just three people here (who are moving from Venezuela to be join us, I might add).
Let's make this work,
Joaquin
Joaquin Aguero
President
Gallant Publishing Company
Alyssa email to Nate
To: Nate Demolick, Gallant Publishing Company
From: Alyssa Lah, Gallant Publishing Company
Subject: !!!!!
Who does Joaquin think he is? This is starting to really annoy me.
The more I think about this, the more I realize that there is no way we're going to be able to make more space, even if it is "just three people." He does not seem to comprehend that there isn't enough space for the people we already have! He is fantasizing if he thinks there's room in this office?and in this budget, for that matter?for three more people. Furthermore, I'm sure he's going to be paying these people far more than any of us make! After all, they're friends of his and they are moving here from Venezuela! He'd have to be making them a pretty good deal for them to come here. I'll bet we're covering their moving costs as well!
Everyone was finally happy with the arrangement we had made. I know you'll agree that everything's been great these past six months. Now Joaquin is ruining the balance we created and undermining all of our hard work and cooperation with this pet project of his! Remember when we eliminated one of the administrative assistants? I gave you that space, and the assistant editors were able to move into it. I think you and I work well together and have established good rapport that is good for the company. Joaquin's latest edict even threatens our working relationship!
Also, I assume that like last time, Joaquin's office is excluded from the available space to be reallocated. Maybe we should suggest that two or three people could easily share his generous office!
Anyway, we need to work together if this is going to turn out fairly for either of us. Let's talk and figure something out. I have no space to give, but I'd rather give it to you than these new guys.
Alyssa
Alyssa Lah

Page from Nates Journal
Journal of Nate Demolick
It's been a tumultuous day. I don't know what to do. Alyssa is courting me to join forces with her against Joaquin and the new people who will be working on the Spanish-language magazine. She seems to perceive them as a real threat, but I don't think so. Perhaps that works to my favor in this situation. She's so paranoid about these new guys that maybe if I take her side she will be grateful enough to give up space to editorial for a change.
But can I really trust Alyssa this time? That's the question. So many times before, she has left me high and dry if it was to her benefit. For all I know she could side with Joaquin in the end if it meant her keeping more space!
Of course, more recently she has been somewhat flexible. She did give me April DeShields's space when April left us for another job, and because of it Gisele and Dan didn't quit. And lately there have been a few other occasions that she showed some benevolence toward me (of course, I can't name any now that I think about it, but I'm sure there have been some occasions). And maybe this will be a good alliance to have. Alyssa is definitely powerful person to have on your side.
If I choose to work with Joaquin and the new people, I can certainly see some positive opportunities for me and for my staff. Joaquin must certainly know by now that I have always been a team player and have always made the choices that may be tough for my staff but are best for the financial health of this company. If this initiative is successful, I think that he'll do the right thing and finally reward editorial when it comes time for space allocation in our new facility?and perhaps generous new raises! Well, at least new suitable space. Point is if we're all patient, it could pay off in the long term. Not to mention this seems to mean a lot to Joaquin, maybe it would be a mistake not to back him. But on the other hand, three years is a long time to wait for enough space to work in
Alyssa made a suggestion that Joaquin could share his office. Of course, I think she was being sarcastic, but I think perhaps I'll mention this to Joaquin. It might be a good way to test Joaquin's commitment to this.
Space Allocation File: January 2002-Present
July 25
We negotiate the space for the new hires tomorrow. This time I want to stick up for my people more. They work hard and they deserve the best. Well, better than what they have now, at least.
July 6
Joaquin notified us that he's bringing in three colleagues (and friends, it seems) from Venezuela to introduce a new Spanish-language magazine. Of course, he needs us to find some space for these people, since we're already squeezed in as tight as we can be! I am a little put off that Joaquin would even included me in his request for space for the new people, because I certainly don't have any space to give. He should really just ask Alyssa?she's got more than I have.
June 13
At last! Alyssa tried to bully Joaquin again, and finally he stood up to her! It was the usual confrontation?she insisted that she couldn't possibly bring in revenue unless she got more of this or that. So Joaquin stared at her for a moment and then said, "Well, then at the next shareholders' meeting, you can tell them that you're the reason why revenue is down." That stopped her complaining immediately! It's about time!
May 15
Alyssa stopped by at the end of the day to let me know that she'll be "donating" a space to me (I suppose that was my cue to thank her profusely). One of her employees is leaving this month. I believe that I'll squeeze the assistant editors on Gisele and Dan's magazines into that space and allow them to have private cubicles. It's certainly not fair to Elizabeth, who will still have to share with Quentin Bell, but she and Quentin get along well, and unlike Gisele and Dan, she hasn't threatened that she'll quit otherwise.
April 1
Alyssa confronted Joaquin today about the file cabinet space allotted to her staff, and I couldn't believe how quickly he agreed to her demands! Within five minutes she'd gotten exactly what she wanted, and of course that means I have to give up 25 percent of the space I'd been previously allocated.
March 2
Today, for the thousandth time, I am having doubts about my decision to acquiesce to Alyssa's demands for space. Gisele Weatherstone and Dan Rubens came to me to tell me how unhappy they are that the situation is continuing without improvement. Frankly, I can't blame them. At least I have a private office with a door! They have to share space with their assistant editors and don't have any privacy at all.
February 17
I've received an endless stream of e-mails and voice mails from every single one of my nine staff members complaining about the forced accommodations. I guess it's obvious now that my staff members are suffering as a result of my trying to be a team player. I still feel like I did the right thing though. I think everyone just needs to get used to it and then they will settle in. At least I hope they will.
Nates work log and notes
Space Allocation File: January 2002-Present
January 15
Today Alyssa and I turned in our space reallocation plan. I think everyone's going to be unhappy about this. Alyssa and I have private window offices, and she talked me into dedicating the other two to her "star performers," Rafael Arroyo and Roy Carey. Meanwhile, all my editors are forced to share space with their assistant editors. They're going to be furious. But I know I did the right thing for the company. We had to get it settled and I think Joaquin appreciates the sacrifices I made to do it quickly and efficiently.
July 25
We negotiate the space for the new hires tomorrow. This time I want to stick up for my people more. They work hard and they deserve the best. Well, better than what they have now, at least.
July 6
Joaquin notified us that he's bringing in three colleagues (and friends, it seems) from Venezuela to introduce a new Spanish-language magazine. Of course, he needs us to find some space for these people, since we're already squeezed in as tight as we can be! I am a little put off that Joaquin would even included me in his request for space for the new people, because I certainly don't have any space to give. He should really just ask Alyssa?she's got more than I have.
June 13
At last! Alyssa tried to bully Joaquin again, and finally he stood up to her! It was the usual confrontation?she insisted that she couldn't possibly bring in revenue unless she got more of this or that. So Joaquin stared at her for a moment and then said, "Well, then at the next shareholders' meeting, you can tell them that you're the reason why revenue is down." That stopped her complaining immediately! It's about time!
May 15
Alyssa stopped by at the end of the day to let me know that she'll be "donating" a space to me (I suppose that was my cue to thank her profusely). One of her employees is leaving this month. I believe that I'll squeeze the assistant editors on Gisele and Dan's magazines into that space and allow them to have private cubicles. It's certainly not fair to Elizabeth, who will still have to share with Quentin Bell, but she and Quentin get along well, and unlike Gisele and Dan, she hasn't threatened that she'll quit otherwise.
April 1
Alyssa confronted Joaquin today about the file cabinet space allotted to her staff, and I couldn't believe how quickly he agreed to her demands! Within five minutes she'd gotten exactly what she wanted, and of course that means I have to give up 25 percent of the space I'd been previously allocated.
March 2
Today, for the thousandth time, I am having doubts about my decision to acquiesce to Alyssa's demands for space. Gisele Weatherstone and Dan Rubens came to me to tell me how unhappy they are that the situation is continuing without improvement. Frankly, I can't blame them. At least I have a private office with a door! They have to share space with their assistant editors and don't have any privacy at all.
February 17
I've received an endless stream of e-mails and voice mails from every single one of my nine staff members complaining about the forced accommodations. I guess it's obvious now that my staff members are suffering as a result of my trying to be a team player. I still feel like I did the right thing though. I think everyone just needs to get used to it and then they will settle in. At least I hope they will.
January 15
Today Alyssa and I turned in our space reallocation plan. I think everyone's going to be unhappy about this. Alyssa and I have private window offices, and she talked me into dedicating the other two to her "star performers," Rafael Arroyo and Roy Carey. Meanwhile, all my editors are forced to share space with their assistant editors. They're going to be furious. But I know I did the right thing for the company. We had to get it settled and I think Joaquin appreciates the sacrifices I made to do it quickly and efficiently.