The document discusses the case of Lisa Benton, who has been having difficulty with her immediate superiors. Generally, she appears to blame these leaders for the situation, and does not communicate any of her concerns to them. This results in several outbursts, which appeared professional on both sides. The main recommendation is that Lisa needs to recognize both her responsibility and ability to manage her work relationships more effectively.
Lisa Benton Case
Lisa Benton's case, including the difficulty she had with her superiors, is certainly familiar with many subordinates. It is, however, interesting that she placed loyalty to these same superiors above her own needs for work fulfilment, especially in the light of her previous performance success at Right-Away Stores. From the beginning, it appears that Lisa is afraid to stand up for herself, especially regarding the initial hostility of her two immediate superiors, apparently on the strength of no more than her possession of an MBA. Although she does assert, with great understanding for the opposing position, that she is neither presumptuous nor afraid of hard work as a result of her degree, I feel she could have done more in defense of her position.
As the conflicts rise throughout Lisa's months of work at Houseworld, she appears increasingly timid regarding her relationship with Linton and Scoville, even to the degree that she fails to voice opinions when she has them. For this reason, I do not think Linton is entirely unjustified in her assessment of Lisa's apparent inability to assert herself or to display confidence. Indeed, Lisa herself feels responsible for not displaying her "true self." This shows that she is aware of the fact that she had let her unfriendly superiors diminish her own drive to advance in her work the way she had anticipated.
The final paragraphs of the case show that Lisa is still unable to communicate honestly with and about her superiors. She is so afraid of showing any disloyalty or causing offense that she fails to communicate her concerns effectively. This is also the case in her interactions with Vernon, even though he shows positive sentiment and sympathy towards her. She is unable to honestly communicate her frustrations to those she feels are her superiors and who might construe her complaints negatively. While this feeling has been cultivated by managers like Linton and Scoville, I do not believe that being honest with Vernon should have been beyond Lisa's ability.
Lisa has been ineffective in influencing her boss, mainly as a result of misplaced loyalty and her concomitant inability to communicate with the honesty needed for such influence. Her initial reaction to Linton's statement that she disliked MBA holders is an example of effective communication, acknowledging Linton's position, but clearly asserting and supporting her own. She did not, however, maintain this mode of communication in the face of the hostility and difficult personalities of her superiors. She hid her own feelings in favor of her own conception of loyalty rather than cultivating respect by calmly standing up for herself when the problems began to show themselves. Instead, her frustration level became so deep that she lost her temper several times, with both her direct superiors. Effective and calm communication regarding what she should do in future situations would have mitigated the likelihood of unprofessional outbursts from either Lisa or her superiors.
In addition to ineffective communication strategies on Lisa's part is her related reluctance to voice her opinions and ideas, even though she felt frustrated by not doing so. According to Bossidy (2007, p. 60), people who generate ideas are highly valued. Linton's stated frustration at Lisa's apparent inability to do this with confidence is therefore a legitimate one in terms of management. Still, even after her intention to be her "true self," Lisa continues to let her frustrations overwhelm her. Her inability to communicate effectively therefore plays a direct part in her inability to recultivate the confidence she felt when arriving at Houseworld for the first time. Indeed, she is even hesitant to ask for a transfer to a different department where her talents would flourish more effectively.
In this, Lisa has failed to adhere to the first "law of managing up" (Leadership in the 21st Century, Lecture 2). This law requires the follower to recognize his or her own responsibility in managing an effective relationship with superiors. As seen above, Lisa is disappointed and bewildered by the attitudes of her immediate superiors to her. Rather than communicate these concerns directly to them, however, she makes subtle complaints to her friends and others she feels are more sympathetic towards her situation. Rather than recognizing her role in managing these relationships, Lisa continues to wait for Linton and Scoville to improve their attitudes. What she could have done differently in this case is, as said, a combination of communicating directly with those she wants a better relationship with and remaining true to her own self in terms of generating ideas.
A major concern for Lisa is Linton's claim that she lacks self-confidence in voicing ideas and opinions. Linton does, however, recognize her ability to work well with others and exude a sense of positive energy around the office. It is important that Lisa recognizes this as a form of recognizing confidence in herself and builds on that to improve her relationship with her boss (Leadership in the 21st Century, Lecture 1).
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