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An analysis of the Lisa Benton (A) Case Leading in the 21st Century MBA6120 M200 Harold Hughes April 25, 2010

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Why has Lisa not been effective in influencing her boss?

Lisa Benton has not been given the opportunity to display her skills or knowledge. For example, Ron Scoville the associate product manager, who did not have a degree was put in charge of grooming Lisa Benton, was resentful of her having a MBA from Harvard and probably living with the mind set that he may soon lose his job to someone with a degree in the near future. He was giving Lisa Benton assignments that required no display of business knowledge. Ron Scoville was misleading Lisa Benton from the beginning taking away her self-confidence by telling her he was not impressed with people who had a MBA degree, especially those from Harvard. During the first meeting he implied that the company had many rules he expected her to follow such as not speaking out during meeting until she had been with the company for at lease six months or more, and he always spoke to her in a condescending manner. Deborah Linton the product manager and Lisa Bentons boss who did not have a degree a felt the same as her associate product manager Ron Scoville about people with their MBA.She told Lisa Benton try not to be a know it all, in meetings and that she should listen and learn. When Lisa did summon the courage to speak out during a meeting, Deborah and Ron would accuse her of being a cocky MBA. Deborah Linton did not give Lisa Benton any objectives that she would be expected to reach with in a certain time period. At lease Lisa Benton and Ron Scoville were honest in expressing their feelings toward people working at the company and having a MBA and about the time they wanted her to spend at work during the week.

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What incidents could she have handled differently?

The typing incident could have been handled differently. For instance,Lisa Benton could have explained the situation to her boss and asked for permission to make the correction. By reporting to her boss that she had caught the error and was willing to take the time to correct it may have impressed her boss that she was a team player by what she is willing to do, since errorfree reports were expected in the Home Care Department. The coping incident could have been avoided, For example, having the knowledge that they were working to meet certain deadlines .Lisa Benton should have informed her boss Deborah Linton that Ron Scoville was taking her away form an assignment she was in the middle of and that making copies for him was not a problem. By making her boss Deborah Linton aware of what she was doing before hand helps to reduce any misunderstanding as to why she responded a certain way.

What specific actions can she take now to get the relationship back on track?

Based on the reading of the case Lisa Benton should. 1. Request a meeting with Jack Vernon the Group Product Manager and Deborah Linton the Product managerat the same time for more information as to the goals and objectives they have in mind for her. 2. At that meeting she should be candid in explaining the problems she is experiencing with the people who are suppose to be grooming her for promotion.

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3. Lisa Benton should request a review of the evaluation she was given and explain to them how disappointed she was by the way it was given .For example, she had to request that she be given an evaluation and that objectives be included in it. 4. If after the meeting she is not satisfied with their response she should contact Right-Away president Scott Kingston and admit to him that he was right and ask for a job with his company.