Challenge the Boss or Stand Down Case Solution And Analysis, HBR Case Study Solution & Analysis of Harvard Case Studies

Challenge the Boss or Stand Down

Question 1:

Describe Frank's good and bad communication skills with Tom

Answer: Frank’s discussions with Tom were not in a sense of bad communication skills at all. However,he is the boss of Tom and has several years of professional experience in this field. Frank follows professional behavior and emailed the upper management against the bad behavior and communication skill and language used by the Tom and challenging him in front of public.

Good and Bad Comments and explanation:

At the beginning Frank came out to meet Tom and started their discussion courteously with Tom and told him to stay calm. However,Frank wanted Tom to stick to only one project, which is kiosk services development project and wanted him to work on new strategies as the next meeting will be held on next week.

When Frank presented the kiosk service development project’s target, he said it should be 15% of the airlines, hotels and car rental agencies combined. During this, Tom interrupted him and said it is impossible to achieve this target. Immediately Frank replied in a non-professional manner and the room was silent. Therefore, this is the point where the contradiction between both Frank and Tom started and led to start the bad communication skill between both of them. Although he did not want to replyhim in this manner however,the situation that Tom created over the last few days made him to reply in such manner.

However,after Frank explained the matter regarding achieving the growth rate of about 15% and told Tom that their clients made investment in a huge amount on these projects and they cannot simply pull out their investment from these projects as it also means pulling out their infrastructure, which companies will not do. Therefore, he advised Tom that he should simply focus on developing market strategies and do what he said. This behavior from Frank again tried to convince his point of view towards Tom in a little harsh manner according to the situation as Tom also replied him before that in a similar manner.

Moreover, when Tom met Frank, Frank told him that he emailed to Shannon and told her about his behavior in the last meeting which was totally of the box and if that if he ever did that again, then he will do more than this and they do not only require their smartness in job, but they also require his professional behavior in this job. Therefore,this reaction of Frank’s towards Tom clearly made Tom thinking about his job’s future and thought more about getting out of box and do what Frank wanted.

Frank also told him that from now on wards Tom should send him the updates on daily basis about the working related to kiosk services development project and also give explanation about his working and strategies development related to that task. Moreover, one thing which is more important is that Tom should take care of his attitude and maintain it in a positive manner in both outside and inside the company premises. Overall, Frank actually gave warning indirectly because he wanted to achieve the targets in his style, which Tom kept ignoring. Tom should follow the instructions of his boss and do his job in professional and ethical manner....................................

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