Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

Please read the case study Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis. Please
submit to Sakai a Word document to answer the following questions:
1. Please evaluate the performance of Frank Davis in the Five Management Roles:
A. Frank Davis was a decent communicator. He did not communicate a lot with his
employees though he preferred to get updates from them often and details.
He wanted to receive emails, power points and schedules from Davis. This what he preferred.
B.
Communicator: Procedures, project info, scheduled meetings, team obj., employee perf.
Listening, speaking/presentations/writing/reading
Verbal vocal visual
Email
Style of communiucation preferred by mangager, verbal sv. Written, detail vs.
simple
Two way street
More information is good
2 scatihing emails criticizing Greens Performance
- Didnt see eye to eye on work styles or market trends
- Green did not enthusiastically endorse sales forecasts made by davis.
- EGO
- Green felt forecasts were opitimistiv and sometimes wrong
- Less expericne 28, 125,000,
Frank Davis didnt get to pick and wouldnt have picked Green. Be careful
- Davis tells him what he did well, then suggests improvement area
- Sets expectations
- Green thinks expectationstoo high, sales goals unrealistic
- Expresses concern against bosses expectations in meeting
o Said it was impossible
o Felt as only one
- Frank Davis stops him in hall and talks one on one about the opportunities
o Green listens politely, but doubts
- Davis didnt like meeting challenge!
o Diddnt like negative attitude eof green
Negative for team
o Davis lists valid reasons for expectations and positive outlook
Feels Green is too conservative in outlook
Feels he is thinking like and account exec, and not like a senior market
specialist
Difference?
They think outside the box and develop strategies to capture
aggressive target
- Green goes for evaluation, he was not worried
o HE WAS SURPRISED
List of things Davis had problems!!

Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

WHY DIDNT DAVIS COMMUNICATE EARLIER?

o Green stayed out of touch with boss, and when changes occurred didnt
communicate with him
o Didnt do things the boss asked for
o Toid the boss things were unnecessary
Green tells a manager outside his group that Frank Davis doesnt like him because he
challenged his projections and forecasts
Davis mails McDonald with points covered with green.

Green likes talking issues out face to face, while clients ask for data
- hE is very charismatic and sells people!
Greeen avoided boss, Davis
- Kept telling People outside he didnt agree with Davis projectins
- He says he doesnt see growth, He steers clear of davis, his mood is terrible, the
excitement is gone from work, Finds support from other managers at company,
- Another meeting with Davis, he lets him know of of defecienies in work and attitude
- Davis sends another mail to McDonald, doesnt CC green this time!
o Green however gets it
- Mcdonald meets with Davis.
o Says hes disappointed in Greens work, intelligent and capable, but not
making a strong effort
o MCdonald sends emailt o green asking for his view!!
o Green TELLS A CLOSE FRIEND
Its clear Davis wants to get rid of me, and is making an argument
together

C. Delegator
Davis delegated chunks of projections by region to different people. We did not receive
too much information about Davis delegating a lot of tasks other than the big task of
meeting the sales projections.
D. Coach( guide, discuss, and encourage others on their journey)
Set goals,
1. Dream with a deadline
2. Clarify roles
3. Provide direction
4. SMART -> specific, measurable, attainable, releveant, timen boudn

Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

support and encourage
Emphasize team success
Quickly asses talents of team memebers
Provide feedback
Inspire team members
Create environment for success
Make time for team members
Explain why
1. Context and visions
Transfer knowledge and perspective
Bea sounding board
Obtain needed resources
Offer a helping hand
Encourage !!!

Davis was not the greatest as a coach. It did not seem, from the case study, that Davis
provided direction to Green on how to attain a tough goal. He did set goals for his
employees though. One thing he did do well is provide very good feedback to Green in
his emails. He explained things to Green, but didn't really support him or encourage him
in any special way.
E. Mentor

F. Leader
Moving past core managemenet skills
BUILD TREUST
1. empathy
Show compassion
Confidence
Optimism/ inspire hope
Drive action
Touch of paranoia
1. Scan for competitive threats!

Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

Positive outlook
1. Future is always better
Sure of themselves
1. Can accomplish any task
Ability to influence others
Fight complacency
Communicate
Open, honest environment
Clear roadblocks provide support
Unlock employees potential
Integrity
1. Ethical behavior
2. Values
3. Sense of fair play
Decisiveness
1. Good decisions rapidly
Organization and efficiency a given
1. Barely table stakes
Constant change
1. Driven by all
Decisions not black and whie
Flexibility
Demonstrate visions
Shape strategy
Think globally
Aligning with organization
Apply financial acuamen
Inspiring and empowering
Negotiating
Attracting talent & developing
Foster teamwork& collaboration
Build relationshiaps
Effective communication
Sound judgement
Driving execution
Continuous improvemetns
Work;ing cross-functinoality
Adapt
Courageous
Stakeholder success

1.

Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

2. What was Thomas Greens dominant personality/behavioral style (based on the DISC
model)? Please provide supporting analysis?
Thomas Greens dominant personality/behavioral style would have to be the socializer.
He was good at gaining approval. We get the first glimpse of this when he is able to get such
a high-level position at just 28, when the average age for such a position was in the forties.
He networked, spoke and persuaded McDonald to give him the position. She was clearly
persuaded because, though she offered him the job, he did not exactly fit the level of
experience they were looking for. He had to be very good at gaining approval.
In the third from last paragraph on Page 5 one of the marketing specialists who
accompanied Green to several meetings described him as very charismatic, great at selling
clients on his ideas, a person who thinks quickly on his feet, and someone who prefers to talk
the issues face to face rather than providing specific details and data.
So, Thomas Green is charismatic, a person who prefers focusing on the big picture rather
than the details. He is strongly driven by his intuition when he refuses to accept Frank Davis
projections, he is capable of influencing people, and he is amazing at persuading them to
believe his ideas. Thomas Green is definitely a socializer based on the DISC model.
3. What was Frank Daviss dominant personality/behavioral style (based on the DISC model)?
Please provide supporting analysis?
I would argue that Frank Davis dominant style was director.
He was a Director because, he was decisive, strong, exhibited practicality, demanded
better performance from Green, was very structured ( a glimpse of this is in his emails), and
is the type of person who would not like time-wasters (eg. Complaint in email to McDonald
regarding Green not keeping him updated on his schedule). One can see all of these attributes
of Davis in his emails to McDonald. Davis was demanding, and expected Green to make
focused calls, which clearly meant he expected him to be specific, brief, and to stick to
business. Another example perhaps is when Davis' judgment was challenged at the meeting,
he did not feel good about that.
Davis was definitely not a socializer. He did not express any signs of extraordinary
creativity or charisma. He sure was not light-hearted. His focus enough on details that it was
clear he was not a socializer. Davis was here to get work done. Quickly.
Davis was did not overly cautious, extraordinarily thoughtful or bottled up, so he could
not have been a thinker.
Lastly, he was not warm or fuzzy. He did not really care at all about Green's feelings or
values. He simply wanted him to perform better. When he did not do so, he bluntly stated
everything that was going wrong, and exactly how to fix it.

Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

Frank Davis was a task oriented, fast paced person. He was clearly a director.
4. What was Frank Daviss dominant managerial style(s) (based on Hay/McBer management
styles) in managing Thomas Green? Please provide explanation.
I strongly feel that Frank Davis' dominant managerial style was Authoritative in
managing Thomas Green.
I think this because, when Green raised issues in the projections meeting, Davis stopped
him after the meeting and told Green about the big opportunities in the market. Davis was
upset that Green had challenged him at the meeting, this indicates that Davis is the type of
person who lays out his expectations as a manager based on his best knowledge, and then
wants you to see why this the case.
Had he been coercive, he would not have taken time after the meeting to explain to Green
that were a lot of opportunities in the market. Davis did not show any signs of being an
affiliative style manager, since the case study did not tell us about any cases where he felt
that Green's emotions or his comfort with the team was more important than the goals that
had been set. Davis was also not democratic, since he did not seek consensus at the
projections meeting (though I am sure he worked closely with his employees to make make
good decisions). He did not fully trust Green to make correct plans and decisions, because
Davis trusted his own and knowledge and experience more. There was no indication either of
a Pace Setting environment. Lastly Davis did not coach Green, by giving him directions as
to how to accomplish the tough goals that had been set. He simply expected him to meet
them.
This leaves us with only the Authoritative style. This was Frank Davis' managerial style.
5. How effective was Green in understanding his boss (Frank Davis) and his bosss style? What
did he need to do to interact effectively with his boss?
Green was terrible at understanding his boss and his style. Frank Davis wanted to be
updated on things at all times, such progress, schedules, and so on. He wanted brief yet
specific details on things that were happening. He probably did not care much for niceties, he
wanted work to get done, and that is all.
The first mistake Green made was that he did not communicate with Davis often. Davis is
the type of person who likes to be in the loop.
Secondly, Green started avoiding Davis altogether, and this only made it worse for him.
Davis wanted details about targets and goals, without that he felt unsure and insecure.
Green on the other hand probably hated to document and jot down little details about things
such as his marketing approaches. He may have been very creative and probably had great
marketing ideas, but having not documented them, made Davis feel as if Green either did not
know what to do, or that Green did not have any motivation. Davis never got a

Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

chance to feel that Green was working effectively, and this solely Green's fault. He should
have been sending those emails updating Davis, making a simple presentation on what his
strategies were going to be. Instead, he chose to keep Davis out of the loop. This the biggest
mistake he made in understanding his boss.
6. Did Green exhibit any of the six deadly sins of leadership, and if yes, please provide
examples.
He wasnt a team player, by calling out his boss in public meetings with a negative
perspective on some optimistic goals the team needed to accomplish. It spread a very
negative vibe within the team.
He was on the fast track way too fast. He was 28, while his peers at similar positions
were in their forties. He lacked experience and it clearly showed. He was supposed to be a
leader, think outside the box to attain tough goals, yet he reverted back to tackling a really
tough challenge by thinking it impossible. He was promoted too early.
His ego was definitely in the way of his work. He cared more about his own intuition and
feeling and challenged the boss a little too much. If he actually let his ego slide, he would
have had a better time cooperating with Frank Davis.
He never really worked on developing others who were under him. This statement may
also be wrong because, the case study did not give us all of the details necessary to know get
the complete picture.
Thomas Green also did not seek feedback as often as one should have in his position. He
was too young, too inexperienced, McDonald had advised him to seek advice, but simply did
not seek as much feedback from Frank Davis. At least when he did found out Davis was
unhappy with him, he should have not let his ego get in the way and avoid Frank Davis, but
rather see him more often to improve and correct his mistakes. He should have been in
contact with Davis all the time, asking for advice and feedback. Despite all of this, had he
taken some time by himself to reflect on himself as a leader, he would have realized that he
was really coming short. He failed himself.
Thomas Green committed nearly all of the six deadly signs of leadership.
7. What would you do if you were Green ?
I am similar to Thomas Green if you were to look at the DISC model, but the comparison
ends there.
If I was Greene, I would have never called my Boss out so vehemently in a sales
projections meeting, when I had never been exposed to the planning and forecasting process.
I would have always sought feedback, instead of assuming I am smarter or better than the
more experienced person who is leading me. I would argue my concerns, but in a one on one
setting with the Frank Davis, with an open mind to learn where his experience knows better
than my intuition. I would have communicated to Frank Davis, that I found it difficult and

Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

uncomfortable to deal with small details such as updating my outlook page. Instead I would
try my level best to meet with Frank Davis in person, the way I best communicate, as often as
I could because, I needed to learn a lot in this new position.
Moving forward from his last situation, I would do a lot of things I were Green. First and
foremost, I would pull up my socks and let my ego go. I would work very closely seeking his
advice and coaching at every turn. I would be on top of my work, so that when I meet with
Davis, I am direct and brief about what I need from him, or about what he needs to know. If
and when I do feel I will not be able to meet some expectation Davis set for me, I will go to
him in person and ask him for help and guidance. Throughout, my approach will be that of a
learner. It would be inappropriate to act any other way. I would mold the ways I work most
effectively to suit those that Davis requires. I will use my creativity to come and persuasive
skills to secure more sales and meet Davis' projections. I will delegate my trivial detailed
oriented tasks to someone who works under me, so that I do not have to go through it, and so
that Davis is still updated on everything. For example, I would have someone who works
under me update my schedule and send that information to Davis. Green is probably brilliant
at what he does, he simply lacks some discipline that Davis would prefer to have. I would
focus on being more disciplined by delegating, and by asking my co workers to check on me
from time to time. In general, I would seek feedback from everybody I work with. At least
until I am accustomed with my new position.