Belby - State the Thesis and Identify the Most Important Facts Surrounding Case

Case Study #2

State the Thesis and Identify the most important facts surrounding case

                Southfield Packaging is a company that provides packaging services to manufacturers of medical devices. Southfield employed 500 full-time employees and is divided into five U.S. areas. Each area has a vice president of account services and Mark Sanders is the VP for the Midwest region.  Sanders is the youngest vice president in the company and today he's meeting with Frank Belby who is a 48 years old regional manager for Southfield. The pair are meeting today to discuss Belby's annual performance review.  Belby is upset with the review Sanders gave him. Sanders gave Belby a review score of six out of ten based off Frank’s lack of respect for company’s protocol and an inability to problem solve conflicts on a managerial level. The thesis of this case is that: in order for a manager to have success in a company he or she must be able to balance the needs of their team and the clients needs while following company protocol. The author wrote this paper to show the readers the importance of following company protocol and to always accept criticism well. Criticism is nothing to take personal but opportunities to grow as a worker.

Key issues

1.          Sanders picked the wrong place and time to discuss the annual review. Southfield protocol is that an "SPR typically lasts two hours and provide an undisturbed opportunity for a manager to communicate directly with the subordinate about their level performance". ( 2013 p.7) Meeting in a cafe for less than an hour is not the proper place or time to discuss a performance review.
2.         Sanders doesn't give Belby his undivided attention to discuss his annual review. This can make an subordinates feel unappreciated and unimportant. Belby drove over an hour to attend the meeting and his feelings were never addressed. Sanders assumed what he was going to say about his actions and gave a response dismissing his thoughts. How can an employees feel appreciated if they can't be heard? Belby leaves the meeting thinking that his boss does not care about his feelings. “He cut me off a few times and interrupted me twice to glance at his cell phone messages that's something I never do when I'm in a meeting no matter who I'm with maybe it's the younger generation.” (2013 p. 2)
3.         Sanders shows a lack of preparation for communication. "Belby sat in his car and watched Sanders pull out of the parking lot. He had driven an hour to see Sanders at roadside restaurant because he didn't want his performance review to be rescheduled for the third time." (2013 p.2) An important meeting like an annual performance review should not be rescheduled multiple times this was purely sloppy management done by Sanders.
4.         Knowing your audience is crucial when relaying a message. Sanders did not know his audience. Belby is 48 years old and has worked his way up the company starting out on the production line. There has to be a certain level of respect and he has to communicate the way Belby's generation would respond well to.
5.         Sanders is not staying on top of company protocol. Frank's last annual review was done 3 years ago by another manager. Sanders is not staying on top of protocol and he is being hypocritical. Sanders wants Belby to be there for his team but Sanders is not there for him. Plus, Sanders is not being a good communicator and that's the same issue he says that Belby struggles with. Belby can't help but feel that his superior is giving a double standard. Sanders said that “the performance review process wasn't completely full of corporate malarkey.” (2013 p.3) He also made fun of the term “personal development.” (2013 p.2) If Sanders doesn't take the corporate policy seriously then how can he expect his employees to do the same?
6.         Belby first issue was not taking his boss's advice seriously. Sanders had recommended to him that it would be wise if he took managerial courses on the University level. He also recommended that he become cross-trained in other departments so he can understand the company procedures better. By not taking Sanders advice seriously stalled his progress in the company.
7.         Belby is a pillar in his church and community, but he doesn't do anything physical to boost his energy level. An energetic worker is an active worker. By not taking responsibility for his own physical health speaks volumes when it comes to his responsibilities at work. If he's not responsible for his own body how can He be a responsible leader at work?
8.         Belby has to be patience when correcting junior members of faculty. His outburst in the client meeting was totally unacceptable and he has a history of being overly emotional dealing with employees. The bottom line is that Frank actions can be reckless and embarrassing for Southfield.
9.         Belby has a negative mindset towards learning new things. He said "I am 48 now and at this point in my life I don't think I have the skills to start over in another industry." (2013 p.5) if you have a negative mindset in the corporate world you are already defeated. How can you learn new procedures when you already convinced that you don't have room to grow? Belby wants to continue to use old work principles to solve new business problems.
10.         Frank is easily frustrated by company process and his previous manager brought it up in his last review 3 years ago. Furthermore, he reaches out to former employees across the company to get answers and that doesn't follow company protocol.
11.         Belby needs to find a balance between following company protocol and being there for his team. Frank put his focus too much on pleasing clients and not supporting his company. Frank must understand the hard work that the others do in the company. He is totally oblivious that his boss starts work three hours earlier than he does. His focus should shift from getting promoted to promoting the company. Belby does not motivate subordinates Sanders said that he " lambasted a newly-hired junior sales associate during not after a client meeting" (2013 p. 8) and this cause that junior sales associate to leave the company. That action caused the company to lose money.
12.         Frank takes professional guidance personal and can't handle constructive criticism. He has the ability to over react emotionally and distance himself from management when he doesn't like the feedback. He has nearly cause a client to cancel their contracts with Southfield because these characteristics.
13.         Lastly, Belby time management is an issue. If he wants to get promoted he has to come to work early and not stay out late entertaining clients. He has to be more efficient when he's communicating. Constantly, his boss has to tell him to get to the point when relaying important issues to him.

 Alternative courses of action

Sanders

        Sanders alternative course of action should have been to set proper time aside every year and have an annual performance review. This would help him to be clear with his employees and his employees can be clear with him. He could relay the goals of the company and how their personal success is intertwined with the company's. He also can't be hypocritical when it comes to company protocol. He has to practice and believe in the company’s protocol. He can’t ask workers to follow protocol if he not doing it himself. Sanders must balance the role of being a leader of his team and focusing on the company’s bottom line before he can ask his team to do the same. If I was Sanders I wouldn't have scheduled a meeting before Frank normal business hours. This would give him dedicated time to hear Frank’s issues and at the same time it would show Belby how many hours he actually puts in at work. In the meeting, he needs to address fully that Frank's emotions being erratic will not be tolerated in the office. In fact, I would have suspended him for two weeks without pay for his actions. Belby needs to learn that boss can’t walk on eggshell when relay feedback to him. Lastly, it is important to him to openly and clearly relate to Frank that if he wants to get promoted, he must take managerial courses and do some cross training at Southfield. So when they do have the review these matters would not be a surprise to him.