1. MANAGING UP (A): GRACE
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Subject: Perspective Management (JBIMS)
Assignment No. 1
Roll Number – H-200006 (MHRDM)
Name – Laksh Choudhary
Q1. In order to effectively manage up, what things should Grace understand about
herself?
Soln. 1. Grace should understand that Landon is not her employee, Landon is her boss
under whom she grew up in the company and the way she tries to communicate with
them will strongly affect the way they perceive her message. A reason Landon can be
holding back from Grace’s good ideas is because she seems very aggressive and
relentless to achieve her goals, and he might feel threatened by this aggressively. If
Grace understands that maybe she would communicate in a nicer manner by keeping
emotions aside. She should understand about herself that her emotions get in the way
of her goals and she should do her best to separate them whenever it comes to any
negative emotions.
Q2. In order to effectively manage up, what things should Grace understand about
Landon?
Soln. 2. Grace should understand that Landon is her manager and respect and loyalty
is the unit of measurement. Grace should involve Landon by asking him for inputs and
modifications to her idea and innovation, it will make idea better and Landon would
be supporting Grace as he did during her initial days in the company, it can be done
with correct use of emotional intelligence instead of outburst. Grace should
understand that Landon feels overthrown and disrespected whenever she contacts his
boss, Bill the VP, without even letting him know. Grace should also understand that
Landon being her manager she should see the problems that he wants to solve and
help him solve that in order for him to do the same with her. Grace is thinking too
hard about herself and how Landon can help her while she should be thinking about
how she can help him
Q3. Should Grace send that email to Bill? What would be likely impact on Landon?
Or on Grace?
Soln. 3. Definitely not, Grace should not send that email to Bill. The impact of
breaking organisational hierarchy would most probably destroy all the respect and
connection between Landon and Grace since the very meeting prior to that email
dissertation was about how Landon does not want her to communicate straight with
Bill since it’s his own job to communicate points across to the VP and filter anything
he deems necessary.
2. MANAGING UP (A): GRACE
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Q4. Imagine Grace has come up to you for help. Develop a plan for her to manage her
relationship with Landon in order to meet her career goals.
Soln. 4. She should recollect her harmonic and cordial relationship with her boss
during her initial days in the company before labelling her boss with remarks like
“holding back”. Grace needs to understand that Landon demonstrated administrative
skills as Landon communicated effectively to Grace privately instead public insult.
First of all I will recommend Grace to understand her limitations with assigned work
and reporting of that work to Landon not the emotions. She need to understand the
genuineness of Landon is getting angry. The way she wants to handle the situation is
quite disrespectful towards her boss Landon who told her that they would discuss
things later in a very professional manner. Working in confliction and hostile
environment is dangerous for any growth oriented progressive company, so I would
recommend her to approach HR in this matter. Where HR has to play it’s role to hear
out all the concerned parties and shall evolve an amicable resolution. HR should also
investigate that whether Grace has the problem with monotonous work being in the
same position for a longer period of time, for overall development she can be
transferred to any other department of the company so that she keep on working with
learning new things. Landon shall also exhibit his managerial skills under awkward
situation when he stepped in between the conversation during evening party, he also
should appreciate Grace in front of Bill Michaels (VP) and could ensure briefly the
VP that new ideas welcomed in his department and youngsters are encouraged by
helping them to achieve their career goals, otherwise Bill (VP) may get bad
impression of Landon of spying and discouraging his subordinates. But Grace should
have taken that into consideration instead of making impulsive decisions at the heat of
the moment “while the iron is still hot”.
Grace forgot a few important steps in problem solving. She identified the problem but
did not take the time to generate alternative solutions with proper managing skills. HR
may arrange a training for Grace on “perspective management, emotional intelligence
and managing interpersonal conflicts”. So that she can understand the importance of
being flexible and patient.
She is angry about how she feels Landon is ‘holding her back’ but she could be more
flexible and patient. A leader should also be open to feedback which she did not
handle too well when Landon told her how he felt about her approach.
Schematic Plan Layout:
3. MANAGING UP (A): GRACE
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ApproachHR
Personal
Counselling
Worked = Issue
resolved
If it does not work
Open meeting
with Grace and
Landon
Both Agrees to
respect each other
= Issue resolved
Meetting
mediatedby HR
with Open Mind
HR to Understand
the problem
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Open meeting with
Grace and Landon
Both Agrees to
respect each other =
Issue resolved
If mutual agreement
does not happen
HR to Plan Trainings
for Both (Grace &
Landon)
For Grace -
Emotional
Intelligence,
conflict
management
For Landon -
Perpespective
Management,
emotional
intelligence,conflict
management
HR to Plan for
transfer of
Grace to
another
suitable
department in
the company
where she can
perform better
with new
learnings
Meeting mediatedby
HR with Open Mind
