Organizational leaders should use their competencies to solve emerging challenges and implement appropriate models that can drive business performance. The authors of the article, “Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis”, explore how power and office politics can affect the success of junior employees. The paper below discusses the issues Thomas Green is facing as the newly-recruited Senior Market Specialist for Dynamic Displays and how to address them.
Frank Davis and Thomas Green: Work Styles, Personalities, and Expectations
The studied article reveals that existing office politics are making it impossible for Thomas Green to pursue his career objectives. It is evident that Frank Davis is unhappy with his appointment. The existing rivalry eventually exposes the distinctive personalities, work styles, and expectations of these two leaders (Sasser & Beckham, 2018). A proper understanding of such differences can guide Shannon McDonald to resolve the current stalemate.
The first issue to consider is that Green and Davis have different work styles. It is evident that Frank Davis is a leader who focuses on a formal approach whenever doing things. For instance, he advises Green to plan before making any business call. He is also autocratic since he expects his subordinates to report every activity, objective, or strategy to him (Sasser & Beckham, 2018). He guides Green to update his Outlook calendar and learn to remain professional. The article goes further to portray a different work style for Thomas Green. It is notable that he is charismatic and considers a less formal approach whenever dealing with different clients.
The two individuals appear to have diverse personalities. According to the studied case study, Green has a sanguine individuality since he is talkative, ambitious, active, and enthusiastic. He remains extroverted and focuses on actions that can deliver positive results within a short time. This is the reason why he is able to complete most of his marketing roles, meet clients, look for a house, and meet his girlfriend within the same period (Sasser & Beckham, 2018). David can be described as a choleric individual. The reason for this is that he appears to be independent and ambitious. He remains introverted and pursues ideas that can make him dominant and results-oriented.
From the presented case, the reader realizes that Thomas Green and Frank Davis have different personal and careers expectations. For instance, Green appears to be ambitious and expects to achieve most of his goals within the shortest time people. He always pursues new goals and addresses emerging challenges. However, he remains practical since he knows when he might not realize specific goals or expectations within the specified time.
This is the reason why he confronts Davis for proposing a 10 percent annual growth for his segment (Sasser & Beckham, 2018). Green does not expect his boss to monitor or control his initiatives since he understands his roles. The case goes further to indicate that Davis is a leader who demands loyalty from his followers. A good example is when he identifies and requires Green to work on his weaknesses. He also focuses on unrealistic goals or outcomes for the company. Additionally, Davis might be planning to replace Green with a person who possesses his leadership traits.
Thomas Green’s Actions and Job Performance: Next Actions
The studied case study portrays Thomas Green as a charismatic, hardworking, and ambitious young man whose actions resonate with the targeted objectives and personal goals. He focuses on the most appropriate initiatives and ideas that will make Dynamic Displays successful. He also understands that the Internet is posing a major challenge to this company’s future performance. From his personal perspective, Green appears convinced that his actions are capable of driving the organization to the next level (Sasser & Beckham, 2018). Since he belongs to a different generation, he always remains open to new ideas and does not follow formal approaches to doing business.
In terms of job performance, it is acknowledgeable that Green is positive about his roles and goals. He understands that the best trick is to maximize sales by meeting clients and customers who have the potential to purchase the company’s products. The untimely frustration from Davis eventually discourages him from remaining focused and doing what it right (Sasser & Beckham, 2018). He also remains sensible since he understands that the economic meltdown of 2008 is capable of affecting the company’s projected revenues. Consequently, he is no longer excited about his position at this organization.
From this analysis, it would be appropriate for Green to inform McDonald that Davis is unhappy with his current position at the company. He should also explain why he believes that the outlined projections for 2008 are unrealistic or inflated. The leader can go further to highlight the trends in the industry that Davis appears to ignore (Sasser & Beckham, 2018). These attributes or approaches will guide the company’s top management to make effective decisions or conclusions.
Conclusion
The above discussion has indicated that office politics and dynamics are issues that leaders should not take for granted. The case of Thomas Green reveals that some individuals might use their positions to frustrate others. These aspects explain why there is a need for Green to inform his bosses about the existing problems and encourage them to present the most appropriate solution.
Reference
Sasser, W. E., & Beckham, H. (2018). Thomas Green: Power, office politics, and a career in crisis. HBS No. 2095. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School.