Jack in the Office

Jacob Robinson

As a foreman for a large municipality, for 8 years Jack was a dominant personality with all of the necessary skills to get the job done.  When the opportunity arose to apply for a supervisor position, he was a shoe-in. He was well respected by his team, was a diligent worker, possessed ample knowledge about the trade, and his track record spoke for itself.  Unfortunately, in his new supervisor position, Jack had to spend a lot of time behind the desk.  This frustrated him more than he thought it would, since he had always been a hands-on, get stuff done kind of employee, but the pay raise was substantial and was life-changing for his family.  Between meetings and reviewing memos, Jack itched to get out in the field as much as possible.  Naturally, he knew the job sites around town like the back of his weathered working hand, and it nearly drove him to insanity knowing that in his new position he wasn’t technically supposed to even pick up a tool on any job sites.  

When Jack’s boss asked for a report on the field tasks, Jack responded to a site where he knew the crews were working with multiple agencies on a high-risk, time-sensitive project. Much to his dismay, even before he had gotten out of his truck he witnessed activities that would have been deemed unacceptable by the Safety Director.  He disapproved of the means by which certain tasks were being performed, and he witnessed his employees using equipment in a manner different from the way he would have, in their position.

Jack approached the site with a tone in his voice that startled everybody on site. He called out individuals for the shortcomings he had witnessed as he arrived on scene and then he actually stepped in, personally handling the equipment to complete the tasks at hand.  Although this was not only frowned upon but not actually allowed, Jack’s innate response was to get the job done in the most efficient manner possible.  By stepping in, he was able to avoid several write-ups and worksite injuries, but he left his crew with a poor taste in their mouths. Jack’s attempt at creating a safer, more effective work environment resulted in the people on site dispersing and ultimately losing respect for the way he handled the situation.  

Ultimately, the job was completed without incident, as is Jack’s goal. He was able to deliver a positive report to his boss, earning a pat on the back for a job well done.  Conversely, what few ‘friends’ Jack had left in the lower echelons of the department were now completely turned off by the way he was unable to respectfully delegate tasks .  

In order to be an effective leader, Jack must reconcile his task-driven, “get stuff done” approach and his difficulty with interpersonal skills.

Discussion

1. In what way could Jack have behaved differently on the job site to demonstrate a relationship-oriented approach to his followers?
2. What skills in Jack’s possession could he utilize to foster better relationships in the workplace?
3. Could Jack’s response be considered appropriate when taking into account the urgency of the situation (potential safety hazards, time sensitivity)? If so, why?

License

This case study is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.