TheAssessment:PhilJones’Dilemma
XXX.
PhilhasbeentheSeniorProjectTeamLeaderforsi_monthsonabluechipproject,anintegratedrailandmetrosystemintheGulfregionoftheMiddleEast.TheprojectwentouttoglobalterandEngineeringCowonthecontractforsupplyingrails,switchinggear,electricalsupplyandthemetrostationsanditsecuredthecontractlargelyonitsabilitytodeliverhighqualityprojectsontime,XXX.Thecompanyenjoysastrongindustryreputationandforengineeringandmanagementgraduates,itisan‘employerofchoice’XXX.Thereisacleardivisionbetweenplanningande_ecutioninEngineeringCoandwhilestrategyis‘owned’bytheseniormanagementteam,themajorityoftheworkisdeliveredthroughprojectteams.
PhilJonesisonlythirtyyearsofagXXX,closetoLondon,andhetravelsfrequentlythroughouttheUKtomeetprojectteammembersandheison-siteintheGulfeverysi_-to-eightweeksbutcrucially,XXX‘reasonablywell’meansitisoperatingsub-optimallyandthatisnotgoodenough;XXX.Therewasasignificantnumberofinternalapplicantsandtheselectionprocesswase_haustive,XXXntotheproject,heXXX.Philisnotgoingoutofhiswaytogenerateconflictbuthebelievesthatacertainlevelofitwouldbegoodfortheteamasitmightbringsomeoftheundercurrentsintotheopenwheretheycouldbeacknowledgedandaddressedandwhichmightallowtheteamtodevelopintoamoreeffectiveandefficientunit.
Philisangryatthewayitisgoingforhefeelsheislosingfocusontheprojectashistimeisincreasinglybeingtakenupwith‘peopleissues’,XXX.PhilwasprettysureeverythingwouldsomehowhavefallenintoplaceasatfirstpeopleappearedtobecommittedtoXXX.Philhasalsofoundthatthereareculturalissuesaroundauthorityandresponsibilityandwhenitcomestodecision-making,XXX,butseveralteammemberscounteredthattheyareunsureofwhattheycanmakedecisionsonandthatPhilisinconsistent,tellingpeopletobepro-activeandthenoverrulingthemlater.
Philisaproblem-solverandhedecidedthatthebestcourseofactionwastogetsomebooksonteamsandgroupstogaininsightsintowhatteamsare,XXX,Philapproachedtheseissuesasanengineer;theteamisasystemandiftheproblemsareanalyseddiXXX.Grudgingly,XXX’sstagesofgroupdevelopmenXXX,XXX.