CASE ANALYSIS: MANAGING UP (A): GRACE

Submitted by: GROUP 9

Introduction:
The case is about two employees Grace and her manager, Landon
Washington from 8SK (A Consultancy Firm) where they face a challenge of
dealing with their own leaders effectively. The case also brings out the
concept of power and politics in an organization and reiterates how
employees have to be dependent on each other due to the degree of power
one exerts on the other.
When Grace joined the organization 15 months back as a junior hire, Landon
mentored and supported her during her initial days. Now, Grace wishes to
make it big in the organization where she sees a lot of potential for career
growth. She thinks of various ways in which she can make a major
contribution and highlight it to Landon that she is ready to climb up the
management ladder.
Grace, in her desperate attempt to find out an issue with current set of
things comes across a genuine issue faced by the employees regarding the
project management software the company is currently having. She brings it
up with and suggests a software change. Landon overturns her idea by
correctly stating that only the IT Department has the right to make these
types of changes. This makes her feel cornered and neglected. She feels
Landon wants to keep her in her current position and decides to discuss her
idea with his boss, Bill Michaels (VP).
Grace successfully communicates her idea to Bill at an informal meeting
where she is appreciated by him on her thoughts. Surpassing the hierarchy,
she quickly mails her new idea and aspiration to be on a major upcoming
project to Bill. After getting to know about the emails from Bill, Landon gets a
set back and calls her for a meeting where things get quickly heated up.
Grace is about shoot off another mail to Bill but is in conflict, whether to do it
or not.
Our Analysis:
Landon as her boss has the power due to his position but Grace has garnered
power by mobilizing employees in the division and getting Bills appreciation.
Graces actions and going out of line to reach Bill will challenge Landons
authority as it makes him look bad in Bills eyes. While Landon has been
sincere in his job, he has not been able to gauge her aspirations and
personal goals nor has Grace ever discussed her career plans with him.

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CASE ANALYSIS: MANAGING UP (A): GRACE

Submitted by: GROUP 9

Graces actions are now turning into politics. Her personality is low on
agreeableness as she exhibits distrust in Landon. Grace also lacks emotional
stability as she appears to be highly insecure and nervous. Grace also makes
a fundamental attribution error when she blames Landon for blocking her
plans of leading a software upgrade. She displays selective perception as she
interprets the situation on the basis of her own interests only. This single
perception left a halo effect on Grace and she started to see Landon only as
a roadblock to her career growth.
In terms of career stages, Grace has established herself with the help of
Landons mentorship and now he must provide her with challenges to take
her to the Advancement stage of her career.
Our Solution:
Grace must not send this mail to Bill and wait for the next meeting with
Landon. In this meeting, Landon and Grace must openly communicate to
each other their personal goals and reach a consensus about how to go
about their goals. Most importantly Landon must tell her the vision he has for
her career instead of just saying that your time will come.
The solution for the current situation can be that Landon can arrange a
meeting between Grace and the IT Team. If the team approves it then, he
can himself present the proposal to Bill. By this way, Grace can also make a
valuable contribution as she intends and Landon would be able to channel
her enthusiasm and efforts in the right direction.
Grace must not violate any rules and norms and believe in her own
abilities. Her frustration is valid but as said by Landon, she should wait for
her time. Landon is known to be a well-connected man in the organization
and has been supportive towards her right from the start. She should try
analyzing the situation from Landons perspective and use the right channel
for communication.

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