Thomas Green the Rising Star at Dynamic

Thomas Green the rising star at Dynamic Displays, and Frank Davis, his boss at corporate headquarters certainly had convergent opinions about work styles while also having clashes in personalities and work expectations. Green's work style could be characterized as very "independent," even in his earliest work experience with washing cars and working in a warehouse while he earned his economics degree are telling of the type of work ethic that he has, a very much "to what needs to be done" to move forward mentality. That being said, when he started in his position at Dynamic Displays under Frank Davis, the foundation of his work ethic seemed to not concentrate on the minute details but rather the big picture, regardless of what his direct boss was telling him. The need to please his boss was lost on him as he believe that he was doing what needed to be done for the well-being of the company, so details like updating his Outlook calendar and building charts for Davis were not important. That independent, free-spirit type of mentality clashed with Davis's work style that seems thorough and more "by the book" so speak, as working with people under him required organization and results. The more independent Green and the most corporate mentality of Davis clearly added fuel to the fire, as their personalities along with their work styles clashed. Davis's expectation's of Green were clearly different than what Green expected of himself- it seems that Green had a difficult time transitioning out of his sales role and doing what needed to be done to sign a contract, as oppose to the more corporate mentality that was harbored by Davis. Green referred, according to an email by Davis, that the PowerPoint's that were supposed to be shown to clients were far "too political" and he did not want to show them- the expectations that Green has for himself were clearly in stark contrast to what Davis expected of how a corporate employee would perform.

Thomas Green, as Davis describes to McDonald, that Thomas is "an intelligent and capable young man, but…not making a strong effort." Green, although having the right goal in mind with trying to help the company move forward and providing his insight in meetings to ensure that the company is not targeting growth's that are unattainable are meant with good intentions, in the workplace dynamic that he is in, Green does not take the necessary steps to ensure that his opinions are perceived or discussed without them sounding scathing. Green is entering into the position not really wanted by Davis, as he wasn't his original choice, but armed with that information Green seems to take matters in his own hands and continues to work at his own pace with his own agenda while not seeking to please his direct superior or adapting to the new workplace requirements. By not doing simple things like keeping his boss updated of his whereabouts, or not showing the specific spreadsheet and PowerPoint's that Davis would like to be shown to clients, it causes a major rift between them, and at its essence, is a disrespectful gesture on behalf of Green. Now that Green works for somebody else in a role that is different from his previous one, it seems his job priorities need to shift. That being said, Green's underlying intentions and goals may be good but his overall job performance, including not answering questions or doing tasks that Davis's asks him to do, is not okay and tarnishes any type of creative ideas that he may bring to the table. Green's job is to work for his boss and, fundamentally, that is not being done.

Though the clash between Davis and McDonald may be bigger than just a convergence of personalities, work ethic and expectations as it may be that Davis and McDonald have underlying agendas that are in play. The reason why Green had been promoted was because of McDonald, as she commented that Green was "a bright and ambitious account executive" who also had a "great rapport" with his clients, and ultimately it was she that allowed the rather large corporate jump to Green. To that end, Green had not been Davis's choice, which may have cause tension from Davis towards McDonald. Davis's agenda likely includes, as Green has deduced, to get rid of him in order to hire someone that he did want; but, since McDonald was the one that promoted him and took the chance on Green, it does reflect poorly on her if her decision to promote him does not work out, as after all McDonald is the Division Vice President and ranked above Davis. McDonald's agenda is try to work out the relationship so to not reflect poorly on her own leadership skills and decisions while Davis's is to find a way to get rid of Green all together.