For this case you will assume the role of Terry, a 55-year-old supervisor at Lake Falls Insurance. You manage a team of 7 quality assurance investigators. The team is working on a project that is due in four months. One of the members of your team, Sasha, a 39-year-old investigator came to you a month ago and asked to work remotely part of each week for at least the next year. Sasha's performance has been consistently high in the twelve years they have worked with you. Sasha has spoken to you about issues working through a separation with their partner and requested schedule flexibility to help manage childcare arrangements. You approved Sasha working remotely two days a week. Sasha is a great employee, and you want to offer help at this difficult time. This week another member of your team, Jed, a 35-year-old investigator approached you with a request to work remotely. You weren't prepared for this and thought Sasha's request would be the only one. However, your conversation with Jed gives you the impression that the team believes a precedent to grant such requests has been set. This had not been your intention. You fear there could be many requests to work some sort of remote schedule. You are worried about Jed's request and would like to deny it for two reasons:
First, you do not want everyone on the team working from home because you think it will be too difficult to manage the team remotely given the type of work this project entails—that is why you limited Sasha to work remotely only two days per week.
The second reason is that Jed is not the performer that Sasha is. Jed is late to meetings, occasionally misses deadlines, submits work that is good but not always reflective of what the team has decided, and often ignores the team and does what he thinks is best. You have not given Jed feedback in the past six months regarding your concerns. You will be meeting with Jed soon regarding his request for remote work.
You are concerned about denying Jed's request. You fear that the decision will be perceived as reflecting a bias and did not realize team members view Sasha's remote work a precedence. In making your decision, you will want to consider the views on feedback and recommendations from this week's readings, including the "A Leader's Role in People Management" commentary and concepts from Crucial Conversations.
Once you decide on how to proceed, explain what you will do in a 1-2-page report. You are using this written report as documentation on the potentially controversial situation, and you believe it will help you to consider all of the facts. Remember, in prompts 1-4, you are writing this as Terry, the team manager. Address the following in the report.
Consider the audience. You believe the entire team is watching how you handle Jed's request. How will the audience influence your response?
Address key managerial issues regarding the decision (e.g., setting precedent, positioning team members to do their best work, being mindful of any legal issues, and wanting to retain team members).
Consider EDIB issues and how they are perceived by Sasha, Jed, the team, and the other members of Lake Falls Insurance. If someone were to suggest bias were involved, what types of bias might they be? Note that this case does not give much personal or demographic information, so consider the most likely types of bias. You desire a reputation as an inclusive leader.
Identify what you would do to address key leadership issues regarding the decision (e.g., using motivating language to communicate the decision and thinking about the types of leadership discussed earlier in the course).
The last part of the paper is different. You are no longer Terry, but instead giving an outside view of how Jed should handle the situation.
5. Include a separate paragraph at the end of your paper describing what you recommend Jed do, not just to make his case but also to receive and respond to feedback from you (Terry) that may not be favorable—particularly if he thinks he is doing a great job.