Decision Making and Problem Solving

at
Categories
Tags

Talal, CEO and the president of a pharmaceutical company based in Riyadh. Talal is going to retire after three months and has been asked to select his successor. He wanted to decide one candidate from the following three best possible candidates he feels would best take over his position.

1) Badar the VP Marketing, Working with company from 20 years and under Talal for 7 years.

2) Rayyan the VP-Operations, been with company 23 years has most experience.

3) Sayeed VP-HR, been with company for 15years but has worked his way up the ladder impressively.

Outside the workplace Badar, Rayyan, Sayeed are close friends and after receiving word that they are the finalists for the job promotion. Tension rises both within and outside the workplace. They also find out that the decision will not be announced until few weeks, which causes that tension to raise that much more. Outside the work the three close friends have not talked nearly as much since the promotion announcements and is causing negative effects in their home lives. With the three of them failing to communicate, they won’t know how they each perceive the situation, thus building on the already present stress and anxiety.

Talal ultimately chooses Badar due to his experience under him as VP. This puts even more responsibility in Badars hands. The decision surely sends shockwaves throughout the company, starting with Rayyan and Sayeed. Rayyan is extremely upset with the decision, and with him being a very verbally aggressive person, he starts to cause some conflict with his work behaviour. Sayeed, who is also highly upset, decides he cannot work under Badar, quits the job, and cuts off the friendship they had.

To resolve this conflict, Badar calls multiple meetings hoping to improve the communication within the business, however, this backfires tremendously. Rayyan’s work behaviour continues to spiral out of control and is constantly verbally aggressive in meetings, targeting Badar in certain comments, which only makes things worse by making the rest of the group uncomfortable, this leaves Badar clueless as what to do simply because he has not done anything wrong. He was awarded a job promotion and has not done anything to provoke Rayyan or Sayeed to act the way they have.

Read the above case study and answer the following questions:

Q1: What is the main problem in the above case? [Marks 3]

Q2: Discuss the problem with 5-Why analysis. Draw a cause-and-effect diagram based on the problem of the case? [Marks 4]

Q2: If you are consultant and asked to solve the problem, how will you solve the problem of case? What are the steps you will follow to solve? [Marks 3]

Sample Solution

Case Study: Succession Planning Gone Wrong

Q1: What is the main problem in the above case?

The main problem is a breakdown in communication and lack of transparency throughout the CEO succession process. This has led to:

  • Tension and conflictbetween the three candidates, both at work and in their personal lives.
  • Low moralewithin the company due to the uncertainty and negative behavior from Rayyan.
  • Loss of a valuable employeein Sayeed, who felt unable to work under Badar.
  • Badar feeling overwhelmeddue to the challenges of his new role and the lack of support from his former colleagues.

Q2: 5-Why Analysis and Cause-and-Effect Diagram

5-Why Analysis:

  1. Why is Rayyan behaving aggressively?Because he is upset about not getting the promotion.
  2. Why is he upset?Because he feels he has the most experience and was overlooked.
  3. Why does he feel overlooked?Because there was a lack of clear communication about the selection criteria and Badar’s experience under Talal seemed to be the deciding factor.
  4. Why was communication lacking?Because Talal didn’t effectively manage the selection process.
  5. Why didn’t Talal manage it better?There could be several reasons like underestimating the impact on the candidates’ relationships or not having a clear communication plan.

Cause-and-Effect Diagram:

Lack of Clear Communication (Talal)

|

v

Uncertain Selection Criteria –> Frustration (Candidates)

|

v

Friendships Strained –> Rayyan’s Aggressive Behavior

|

v

Bad Morale & Reduced Productivity

|

v

Sayeed Quits –> Increased Workload for Badar

Q3: Consultant’s Approach to Solving the Problem

As a consultant, I would recommend a multi-step approach:

  1. Individual Meetings:Meet with each candidate (Badar, Rayyan, and Sayeed) individually to understand their perspectives, concerns, and potential solutions.
  2. Team Building & Communication Workshop:Facilitate a workshop focused on communication, conflict resolution, and rebuilding trust. This could involve team-building exercises and open discussions.
  3. Support for Badar:Provide Badar with leadership coaching to equip him with skills to manage the team dynamics and navigate the existing tensions.
  4. Transparency & Company Address:Talal or Badar should address the entire company acknowledging the situation, apologizing for any miscommunication, and reiterating the selection process.
  5. Focus on Moving Forward:Work with the leadership team to establish clear goals and a roadmap for the future, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose.

Additionally:

  • Explore if there’s a way to bring Sayeed back on board, perhaps in a different role.
  • If Rayyan’s behavior continues to be disruptive, consider disciplinary action, including potential termination if necessary, to maintain a positive work environment.

By implementing these steps, we can create a more open and collaborative environment, allowing the company to move forward productively under Badar’s leadership.

 

This question has been answered.

Get Answer