Case Study-Older Worker Wendy

You are in charge of Bache Investments college recruiting. You cannot remember a more hectic time in your life. When you were promoted to this job, your boss told you that the job would test your energy and endurance. During the past two months, you visited 24 universities and interviewed more than 200 MBA students for entry-level investments advisor positions. The experience has been exhausting. Because of your reading schedule, you have relied no your assistance Wendy to handle many duties that you usually attend to personally.

Since returning to the office from your recruiting trips, you have become increasingly aware of Wendys aloofness. You sense that she is purposely avoiding you. You also note that she quickly looks away when you question her about a late travel voucher or a missing file. An investigation reveals that Wendys is behind in her routine responsibilities and is now over a week late with an important EEO/AA report. Wendys failure to attend a monthly staff meeting was the last straw. You are determined to get Wendy back on track or to find someone else who is capable of managing the workload. You leave a note for Wendy , requesting that she meet you in your office at 8:45 Monday morning.

Now take the role of Wendy. You have been having doubts about your ability to manage the growing workload and about your future at Bache Investments. Returning to full-time work four years ago at age 53 represented quite the change for you. Although you had worked as an executive secretary before your marriage, your previous position had been less demanding than this position.

At home, your husband has also noticed a recent change in your behavior. He tells you that you seem tense and short-tempered and asks if you are having problems at the office. You confide that you think your boss is subtly pressuring you to quit. You explain that he told you to complete several complex monthly EEO/AA reports without reducing your regular workload. You confess to your husband that the reports require many statistical calculations, some beyond anything you ever encountered. Completing the reports accurately seemed to take forever. You tell him how you have worked though lunch hours two and three times a week. You relate how you skipped staff meetings just to catch up on regular paperwork.

You have been feeling overwhelmed and incompetent. With only six more years to go before you plan to retire, you wonder why your boss wants to force you out. Perhaps your future with the company will be resolved at the Monday meeting with the boss.

1. What surface problems do you notice?

2. What are the underlying root problems?

3. If you were Wendys manager, what would you do?

4. If you were Wendy, what would you do?