¶ … Malcolm is far too much focused on career progression that all his actions are geared towards promotion, as opposed to productivity. Although he remains a high performer, his somewhat ill-timed ambitions could get in the way of enhanced performance in areas that, in his opinion, fit poorly with his career ambitions. Root Causes

The most likely contributory factors in this case are poor career planning (on Malcolm's part), failure by the organization to assign mentors during the early stages of deployment, and poor feedback processes.

Possible Solutions

One possible solution is to ensure that Malcolm is properly mentored. Another solution is to ensure that the responsibilities Malcolm is assigned match with his competencies and career goals.

Advantages & Disadvantages

One key advantage of mentorship in this case could be enhancement of professional development. This could, from a general perspective, help in the reduction of employee turnover costs. The disadvantage...

On the downside, however, Malcolm could end up being a 'half baked' corporate executive who does not possess proper and sound understanding of certain critical corporate and organizational processes.
Final Recommendations

I recommend that the mentorship initiative be continued, but this time with greater emphasis being placed on assisting Malcolm in the development of knowledge and skills that will further enhance both his personal and professional growth. Mentorship should in this case be tailored to facilitate Malcolm's total development.

Questions from the Book

1. In what ways is this case about leadership development?

Lawson describes leadership development…