Reflex Systems Case Study: Managing Stress and Leadership

Introduction: The Reflex Systems Scenario

The scenario presented in the case study titled Reflex Systems concerns an all too common managerial dilemma encountered by Henry Rankin, a project leader in the company's information technology (IT) department responsible for overseeing the implementation of an upgraded customer relationship management (CRM) software system. With a national sales force of 310 employees and major regional sales offices in both Los Angeles and Chicago, Reflex Systems is a viable enterprise within the wider exercise equipment industry, but the company's inability to provide effective customer service had significantly reduced the rate of follow-up sales.

Rankin was directed to achieve full adoption of the new CRM technology within a ten-week timeframe by Nicole Dyer — Senior Vice President for Information Technology and Rankin's direct superior — while the company's CEO ordered the system be installed as promptly as possible. Due to a variety of unforeseen contingencies, however, the project has fallen behind schedule. The case study positions Rankin as exceedingly competent in his capacity as an IT project manager, noting that "he had always been a top performer by driving himself hard… (and) he loved studying, analyzing and solving technical problems" (Daft & Marcic, 2011). These attributes make his inability to guide the CRM implementation to a successful conclusion all the more vexing.

The following analysis of Reflex Systems applies various tenets of managerial theory — including personality type testing and effective communication methods — to Henry Rankin's unique set of organizational obstacles and project requirements, in an attempt to formulate viable recommendations for improving his management style.

Analysis of Rankin's Management Failures

After careful review of the variables that have conspired to limit Rankin's progress in overseeing Reflex Systems' CRM software conversion, it is clear that internal limitations created by his personal management style have compounded the effect of external risk factors and organizational obstacles. Throughout the case study's review of the project's history, evidence of Rankin's inability — or unwillingness — to communicate effectively with his team members is consistently presented. As Chapter 14 of the course text demonstrates, genuine leadership in the managerial setting requires the ability to inspire, influence, and motivate one's subordinates.

For example, when the case study reveals how Rankin "requested that team members work evenings and weekends because there was no extra money in the budget to fill a vacant position… (and) they agreed to put in the hours though they did not seem enthusiastic" (Daft & Marcic, 2011), Rankin reflects on this aspect of the project as if it represents a success rather than a warning sign. He mistakenly believes that his willingness to ask team members to compensate for a recently departed colleague is evidence of his commitment and dedication.

In actuality, the loss of Sally Phillips — and her daily contributions to project objectives — was precipitated largely by Rankin's own lack of empathy. When Phillips confided that she had received an offer from a competing firm, Rankin was presented with an opportunity to use common sense and communication skills to allay her fears about job insecurity. He could have reassured her that she was a valued member of the company with a bright future. Whether or not that description was entirely accurate should have been of secondary concern; his priority was to retain a fully-equipped project team in order to meet his ten-week deadline. Instead, Rankin chose to denigrate her education and competency, telling Phillips that "she was not as technically gifted as some on the team," reducing her value to a pure need for manpower. Not surprisingly, "two weeks later, she turned in her letter of resignation" (Daft & Marcic, 2011).

Decades of empirical research on leadership in management has conclusively demonstrated that "good managers must be acute observers and empathetic listeners… (and) when they sense an employee is distressed, they don't ignore him or her" (Hymowitz, 2007). Rankin's insistence on maintaining his Type-A approach left him both incapable of empathizing with Phillips' concerns and indifferent toward the potential loss of a key team member.

References

Daft, R. L., & Marcic, D. (2011). Understanding management. Cengage Learning.

Goudreau, J. (2007, August 5). Dispatches from the war on stress. Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.

Hymowitz, C. (2007, April 23). Bosses have to learn how to confront troubled employees. The Wall Street Journal.