When Maggie Lance took over Air-Tech’s packaging and shipping (P & S) department, it was notorious within the company as a dead-end, high-stress, uncomfortable place to work. Internal politics, territoriality, negativity, and conflict were the rule rather than the exception in the P & S department. Other employees joked, “P & S” stands for “push and shove.” The best word Maggie could find to describe the work environment in her new department was toxic. Turnover is high, morale is low, productivity is sub-standard, and quality is a joke. Clearly, Maggie has her work cut out for her.
• Put yourself in her place, as a manager in a new area that is clearly toxic. Provide and outline of where she should start-what are her responsibilities in quashing this conflict?
• Should it include training for her department? If so-ongoing training with assessments?
• Outline how she should proceed in order to overcome the negativity? Does it seem as if this conflict is just in her area, i.e. the “silo” affect?
• What should be the key elements in her turn-around plan? Could this be implemented company wide?
• Discuss a plan that would help the company in developing leadership skills in Maggie that will be needed to propose and implement quality skills into her new department within the organization. Should this be internal or external training?
• In this case–what seems to be the motivations for the internal conflict and can it be viewed as all negative in regards to outcomes?