Explain How You Would Respond If You Were Palmer

Explain how you would respond if you were Palmer at the end of the case.

Based on the scenario, it is completely obvious that everyone wanted their team to be powerful and for everything to work in their favor. Ideally, this happens in the business world. The situation between Palmer and Crosby could have been handled differently based on the experience needed in order to complete projects on both ends. In addition, the parties involved could have handled things differently in order to maximize time and resources while maintaining a healthy and productive work environment. At the end of the case I believe that Palmer felt as if he was cheated because he did not receive the full potential of Olds. However, this issue could have been avoided with the project screening process, which should have been assessed when Sands was delegating team members based on their credentials and responsibilities (Gray, 2008).

Based on Olds credentials it was evident that his skills were definitely in demand for those particular projects. In fact, it was obvious that his talent was quite possibly the best that the Moss and McAdams Accounting Firm had. In this case Ruby Sands had the role of functional manager and therefore ultimately made a decision that affected Palmer’s account. Initially her job encompassed the responsibility of the project manager which is to balance the project type, risk and resource demand, if expertise individuals were to be used (Hobbs, 1993). Once Palmer was presented with the issue of sharing, he should have addressed the issue and requested that Sands find him another individual with credential similar to Olds.

As Palmer, I would have been dismayed by the decision of management; however, I would have accepted the decision and understood that valuable employees leave projects for varies reasons. In result of this situation the only reasonable thing to do is find a suitable replacement and continue on with the project. Nevertheless, Palmer should address his concerns regarding the situation on a whole to include Crosby’s unwillingness to be a team player as a way to avoid similar situations happening in the firm’s future. Lastly, as a project manager, it was Palmer’s responsibility to handle all aspects of the project, including communication, which was vital in this situation. With an effective communication plan, would have maybe lead to a different outcome.

Discuss what Palmer could do, if anything, to avoid losing Olds.

Palmer could have gone to management at the beginning of the decision to use Olds in both jobs and indicated the potential problem. By voicing concerns to management about Olds’ priorities and ability to work two jobs at once, management might have assigned Olds to only one project because of his other responsibilities (e.g home). Since project management involves the understanding