What To Do About Tom Essay Research

What To Do About Tom. Essay, Research Paper

What Do I Do About Tom.

As the General Manager of the Orlando manufacturing plant of Blitz Computers, I am faced with a very serious legal and ethical dilemma. In the past I have always made decisions based on principles and ethical standards that I’ve acquired through personal experience, and guidance from successful leaders. I have read almost everything that has ever been published on effective leadership and ethical standards. I’ve attended numerous seminars and feel I have a good grasp of my leadership and decision making abilities. I guide myself primarily by what can only be described best by the following excerpts from “The Leader of the Future” By Peter Drucker.

All the effective leaders I have encountered-both those I worked with and those I merely watched-knew four things:

1. The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers. Some people are thinkers. Some are prophets. Both roles are important and badly needed. But without followers, there can be no leaders.

2. An effective leader is not someone who is loved or admired. He or she is someone whose followers do the right things. Popularity is not leadership. Results are.

3. Leaders are highly visible. They therefore set examples.

4. Leadership is not rank, privileges, titles, or money. It is responsibility.

Regardless of their almost limitless diversity with respect to personality, style, abilities, and interests, the effective leaders I have met, worked with, and observed also behaved much the same way:

1. They did not start out with the question, “What do I want.” They started out asking,

“What needs to be done.”

2. Then they asked, “What can and should I do to make a difference.” This has to be something that both needs to be done and fits the leaders strengths and the way she or he is most effective.

3. They constantly ask, “What are the organization’s mission and goals. What constitutes performance and results in this organization.”

4. They were extremely tolerant of diversity in people and did not look for carbon copies of themselves. It rarely even occurred to them to ask, “Do I like or dislike this person.” But they were totally-fiendishly-intolerant when it came to a person’s performance, standards, and values.

5. They were not afraid of strength in their associates. They gloried in it. Whether they heard of it or not, their motto was what Andrew Carnegie wanted to have put on his tombstone: “Here lies a man who attracted better people into his service than he was himself.”

6. One way or another, they submitted themselves to the “mirror test”- that is, they made sure that the person they saw in the mirror in the morning was the kind of person they wanted to be, respect, and believe in. This way they fortified themselves against the leaders greatest temptations-to do things that are popular rather than right and to do petty, mean, sleazy things.

“The Leader of the Future”, Peter Drucker, Jossey-Bass Publishers

There are many different ways to find an effective solution based on different philosophies and ethical decision models. In this case, I am going to apply a six-step strategy for ethical decision-making and offer my best analysis for an effective solution. This solution may be only one of an infinite number of solutions based on one’s own life references and decision-making ability.

1. Facts. The facts That need to be reviewed are:

a. There have been a number of complaints about the shipping department.

b. Customers have been receiving incomplete or incorrect shipments.

c. Promised deadlines have not been met.

d. A major account has been lost due to three incorrect shipments in two weeks.

e. Employee turnover is unusually high.

f. Tom is directly responsible for the shipping department.

g. Tom has 36 years of valued experience with the company and is nearing retirement.

h. Tom was my supervisor when I first joined the company and to a certain extent is responsible for my career success so far.

i. Tom was never resentful of my success and I consider him a close friend.

j. Tom confided in me that he has a drinking problem and feels it is the cause of his poor performance.

k. Tom has joined AA and assures me that his performance will improve greatly in the future.

l. Paul, a potential candidate for the shipping supervisor position, has been offered a job with another company.

m. Unless Paul can be assured of a higher position soon, feels he must pursue this opportunity.

n. Problems in the shipping department have been cited as one of my major shortcomings and may affect my annual salary increase.

2. Stakeholders. The stakeholders that may be affected by the decision are:

o. Blitz Computers

p. Tom (a long time employee and friend)

q. Me (the general manager)

r. Paul (a promising young employee)

s. The customers

t. The sales staff

u. The general shipping department staff

v. The shareholders

3. Values. The personal and work-related values involved in this particular case are:

a. Honesty. It took a lot of courage for Tom to admit his problem.