Answer the two following questions :

1. What should Grant consider as she makes her decision?
2. What should Grant do about Feeny?

Case study : HowDoYouSolvea ProblemLikeMarcus?

Heather Grant spent all week preparing for her new job.1She had just been appointed manager of theStaunton, Virginia, branch of Loom & Ferris, a midsized call center that specialized in printing, branding, andlogosforlargeorsmallcorporateclients.Shewouldbestartinginaweekandwantedtomakesurethathertransitionintotheteamwentasseamlesslyaspossible.Thiswasherfirstbigpromotiontoaheadposition,and after working her way up the ladder for 15 years, she finally thought she had turned her life around.When Grant was young, she had fallen in with the wrong crowd and ended up incarcerated for shoplifting. Atthat time she knew her life could have gone either all the way down or nowhere but up. She couldn't help butrememberthedayswhenshethoughteveryoneinherlifehadforsakenheruntilherfirstbossMarie,asalonowner,hadgivenherachance.FromthereGranthadpulledherselfupbythebootstraps,slowlymakingherwayupfrom hersecretarial job.

OnceshewasemployedbyLoom&Ferris,sheworkedhard,oftenstayinglatetoreviewsalesreports,and striving to keep clients happy. She listened to business strategies at meetings, volunteered to helpcompanymanagers,andovertimelearnedtheinsandoutsofthecompany'sbusiness.Finallythetimeandworksheputinpaidoffwithapromotion,andnowshewasinapositiontohelpshapeotherpeople'slivesaswell.

She looked over the employee roster. It was her job to increase morale among the workers, and toimprovesalesandproductivity.Shewasalsoadvisedtolayoffemployeestostreamline,ifandwhenshesawfit to do so. She spent a long time looking over some of the most popular merchandise at Loom & Ferris:theirbestsellerswerepenswithcompanylogos,cups,T-shirts,andstationery.Bylookingoverthebusinessreports,Grantcouldreviewthesalesrecordsofindividualemployees,seethecompany'ssalesfiguresofthelasttwoyears,andtrackthesalesprojectionsfornextyear.Althoughshehadthoughtofdifferentstrategiesand methods before she started working at Loom & Ferris, Grant knew that first meeting the sales team inpersonwouldgiveherabettersenseofhowtoproceed.Shemadealistoftheemployeeswhohadmadethemost sales and those who weren't doing as well. She wanted to build on each of their unique talents anddecrease their weaknesses. She was eager to meet everyone and make a plan of action on how to moveforward.

On her first day at the job, everyone gathered in the conference room to greet Grant with a "WelcomeHeather!" cake. Grant looked around at their bright faces and felt inspired as they introduced themselves. SheknewthatLoom&Ferrisemployedalotofmenandwomenwhowereformerlyincarcerated,andthe companywasabigbelieveringivingsecondchances.Grant'syoungerbrotherhadalsofallenintotheGrantfamily's vicious cycle of bad decisions, and was currently in prison for grand theft auto. There was not muchshe could do to help him now, and even when he was out, she could only help him if he wanted to helphimself.Inanycase,Granthadspecificallyappliedforajobatthiscompanybecausesheunderstoodalltoowell that a person's mistakes didn't define them. As the employees all clapped and welcomed Grant, shenoticedthattheemployeeshewasmosteagertomeetwasmissing.Sherememberedhisnamebecausehissalesfiguresweresoimpressive:MarcusFeeny.Wherewashe?

AsGrantwasmakingherfirstspeechtotheteamencouragingthemto"Goandsellsomemerchandise!"there was a loud crash by the elevator, and then the sound of someone loudly shoutingobscenities.Itsoundedlikehewasonhiscellphone.Noneofthesalesteamseemedshockedorsurprisedbywhat was happening offstage but Grant was uncomfortable. After a minute or so, a young man sauntered intothe conference room, red-eyed, hair disheveled, pants rumpled, and tie loosened. So this was Feeny, Grantthought. She welcomed him, and Feeny only nodded at her and raised his hand halfway to gesture hello.Grantwastakenabackbutcontinuedherspeech.Aseveryonelistened,Feenywalkedtothetable,cuthimselfasliceofcake,andthenleanedagainstthebackwalloftheconferenceroom.Grantwatchedhimeatthecakeasshefinishedtalkingandthensenteveryonebacktowork.

GrantknewthatFeeny'ssalesfiguresmorethantripledthoseofthesecond-bestsalespersonatLoom&Ferris. So to say that Feeny was not what Grant had expected was an understatement. Still, before Grantmadeanyjudgment,sheconcludedhemustbehavingabadday,andshespentthefirstdayjustobserving,walkingthroughthecallcenter,occasionallymonitoringsalescalls.ShenoticedthatFeenyidledaroundthekitchenforabouthalfanhourbeforehebeganhiscalls,andGrantcouldseethatalmostanhour'sworthofhiscallsthatdaywerepersonal.Shewonderedifhewasgoingtobeaproblemheseemedtoeitherignorehiscolleaguesentirely,orhewasropingthemenintoarowdyconversationonworktime.EverytimeGrantwentbytheywouldquietdown,exceptforFeenywhokeptonquietlylaughing,askingherifshewantedtohearajoke.Attheendoftheday,Feenyagainhadthemostsales.Whateverhewasdoing,itwasworking,Grantconceded.

She decided to check Feeny's HR file. There seemed to be more than a few reports. Marcus Feeny isbrilliant but lazy,one report said. He is our hardest worker when he puts his mind to it, but mostly he dances to the beat ofhis own drum. However, this attitude is overshadowed by his performance in sales. "Our bestsalesperson" was statedagain and again on different reports. "Renew employee's contract?" one file asked. Someone had marked"Yes." There were complaints in there as well. One anonymous employee reported that Feeny had beenstealing his colleagues' labelled food from the refrigerator. Feeny was also marked as frequently late. The finalreport,writtenbyEddieThompson,thepreviousmanager,describedagainhowFeenyhadbeenoutperforming individual sales performance targets at Loom & Ferris. "Recommend this employee forpromotion?"thefileasked.Andtheboxwaschecked"No."

By the second day on the job, Grant learned she had earned the nickname of "boss lady." Her quietobservational style of managing was off-putting to some of the employees, but unlike most of them, she knewthecompanywasflounderinginsales,andshehadsomebigdecisionsandchangestomake.Realizingthatshe had to be careful and absolutely sure about what she did next, she decided she would take a week toobserve the workplace dynamics as well as individual salespersons before decidingwhat her initial report onthe branch's future would be. Then, as the days went on, she noticed her yogurt started to go missing andsometimes half her sandwich. She got an anonymous note from another employee complaining that Feenyhad taken their food. At noon the next day, there was a loud scream from the kitchen. Grant ran in to findeveryonegatheredinhorroraroundsomethingshecouldn'timmediatelymakeout.Shemovedcloserandsawafrozenfakeratinthefreezerwithanotepinnedonitmarked"RAT"inboldsharpie.JustthenGrantsworesheheardFeenychuckle.Orwassheonlyimaginingit?Therehadbeenalotofaccusationswithoutproof.

Anyoneintheofficecould haveplayedthisprank.True,Feenywasrowdyandunfiltered.Hedidshowuplate three days out of five, was often disheveled, and sometimes wore sneakers to work, but he was stillshattering the sales day after day. Should his behavior and appearance matter, taking his sales record intoconsideration?

Granthadtobecarefulthatshewasn'tseenasplayingfavorites,soshetoldFeenyprivatelythathehadtobedressedprofessionally.Shealsoaskedhimaboutthefakerat,andhelaughedbutdeniedit."Thatwasagood one though," he said. Grant couldn't tell if he was angry that she seemed to be accusing him, but shemade sure to congratulate him on his sales records as well. Grant sent an office-wide email remindingeveryone of proper workplace conduct (no pranks), and repeating the suggested dress code for the office. ShenoticedthatFeenystartedcomplyingwiththedresscode,althoughhalfwaythroughthedayhistiewouldbegone and his shirt unbuttoned. By mid-week there was a loud disagreement between Feeny and anotheremployee:Feenywashoggingthecopier,accordingtoCarlo,whosaidhehadbeenwaitinganhourtouseit,whenthingsgotintoaheatedshoutingmatch,andheclaimedthatFeenyhadshovedhim.

After speaking to Carlo, Grant called Feeny into her office to try to straighten things out. Feeny, whocame unwillingly, sat in the chair across from her, clearly still upset. He told Grant his version of the incident:Hehadbeenmakingcopiesforwork,andsincehehadmoreclientsthaneveryone,hehadmorecopyingtodo. After Carlo asked to use the copier, Feeny turned to leave, said "Excuse me," and nudged his way pastCarlo, who was blocking the doorway on purpose. Grant knew there would be differing versions of the story,andFeeny'sreason,ifitwastrue,seemedlikeavalidexcusetoher.Hedidhaveamuchheavierclientloadthan most. But since she had arrived at Loom & Ferris, she had observed several points of tension in theoffice,andFeenyseemedtobethecommonproblematicthreadamongallofthem.Nowashesatslumpedover in the chair listening to her, she noticed that he had loosened his belt and his pants were slacking. Hewore atough guy face.

"Look,Marcus,"Grantbegan,"Igetit.It'sthemachothing.It'swherewecomefrom.Youhavetoacttough to get by. But in a work place like this you can only get so far on that kind of attitude. What mattershereisbeingpolite,beingmindfulofyourfellowemployees.Teamworkmatters."

"But Ms. Grant, I haven't done anything wrong." Feeny was immediately on the defensive, his bodyvisiblytensinginthechair.

"Well, technically, you have," Grant said, pulling out a file from her desk. She proceeded to read some ofFeeny's past offenses to him. Although employees were only allowed to use their cellphones on their breaks,Feenyhadbeenrecordedviolatingtheserules."Youhavebeenlateanobsceneamountoftimes.Youusetheoffice phone for personal reasons, you take a lot of breaks, and there have been reports that you take foodthatdoesn't belongtoyoufromtherefrigerator."

Feenyhadaboredlookof"sowhat?"acrosshisfaceashelistenedtoGrantreadhisfile."NodisrespectMs. Grant, but everyone else hogs the copier, everyone here has been late, and makes personal calls.Everybody takes food. Everybody. My first week here every lunch I brought in they took from the fridge.Every single one. So that's the rule then. It might as well be a communal fridge. But why pick on me?Everybodyjustpickpickpick."

"Yes,but"Grantdidn'thavechancetotalk.

"SoIcan'ttakeabreak?"hecontinued."Ipaymyway.Youhavethenumbers.Youhavethesales.Ipaymyway.AskmewhatCarlodoesonhiscomputerbetween2:00and3:00.Askmeaboutwhat'sreallybeing stolen.AndIdon'tmeanfridgefood.AndIamthethug?JustbecauseIhaveafelonyrecorditmustbeme?Marcusisthe easiest target?"

"OkayMarcus,calmdownplease.I'msuretheothersarelistening."

"Wellletthemlisten!Pleasemakethemknowwhoisreallysellingyourpens.Makethemknow!"

Grant was reminded of her younger brother. Feeny was so indignant, so blind to his faults, so unaware ofthe etiquette or unspoken social rules in a workplace. He truly believed he was in the right. Was she beingunfair? Was she targeting him unnecessarily? She had seen everyone's files, and he was by far the employeewiththemostinfractionsandcomplaints.Everymorninghesaunteredin15-30minuteslatelikeheownedtheplace.Shehadoverheardemployeeswhisperingwhentheydidn'tknowshewasinearshot:"IfIcameinatthosekindsofhours,Iwouldbegone,"theyweresaying.Grantcouldn'thelpbutthinkofThompson,themanwhowasFeeny'sbossbeforeher.SomanytimesherenewedFeeny'scontractandkepthimon,foughtforhiminthereports;somanytimeshechosetogivehimanotherchance.ThompsonsawsomepotentialinFeenyandstuckhisneckoutforhim.Andthatmayhavecosthimhisjob.WhileThompsonchosetorenewFeeny's employment three years in a row, HR requested time and again for Feeny's termination. Grantwondered if Feeny knew how much a manager at Loom & Ferris would have to defend his actions to keephim employed. When she explained this to him, Feeny fell silent. As he listened to her now, his body languageseemedtosoften.Butwhenhelefthesaidnothing.

GranthadhopedthatwouldgiveFeenyawakeupcall.Shewantedtogivehimachance.Shemorethananyone believed in second (and third) chances. Yes, he was one of their best salespersons nationwide, andpart of Grant's job was to reach a daily sales goal and to motivate her team to make those sales, as well asattract new clients. Feeny could only do so much by himself. If the team thought Grant's authority wascompromised,andiftheythoughtshewasbeingunfairtothemortoothers,therewouldbenoharmony,noteamwork.Howwouldtheybemotivatedtoworkharder?Thenextday,Feenywasonlyfiveminuteslate.Progress,Grant thought.

Itwasnowtheendofherfirstweek,andGrantdeterminedthatsomeemployeeswouldhavetobeletgotokeepthebranchafloat.Shetookoutthefolders(Exhibit1)ofthosewiththeworstsales,thosewhomadetoo many personal calls, those who brought in no new clients, and those who lost hours of productivityfooling around on the computer. She arranged them by seniority. As she contemplated including Feeny'sfolder, she knew how much higher management put a heavy emphasis on sales. How would the companyperformwithouthim?Howwouldsheexplainthedipinsalesifshefiredhim?HowwouldFeeny'sclientstake it? She looked over the heavy folder marked Marcus Feeny, and considered what was best for thecompany.WhatwasthebestwayforGranttomoveforwardwithherjobofstreamlining?Whatshouldshedowiththisemployee?