Reference no: EM132423921

Write up Rules:

These scenarios are filled with small details that you must take into account in writing up your response. Be sure to focus on those details and on the specific objective you are given. You cannot change the details or pretend that they don't exist when responding to the scenario. What is described, with all its caveats, is the situation in which you find yourself. Take your time. Think through all the variables. You cannot change the situation as it is described. So be careful to make sure that you haven't ignored any of the particulars in the situation's description. Within the parameters of the situation at hand, try to predict what the different possible actions you might take could result in and pick your solution.

Your Opinion Counts. Here's a scenario for you to consider. Remember - you cannot change the specific details you are given.

Scenario:

You find yourself in job that you really enjoy. You are on the security team of a Fortune 500 company - a huge outfit that you are really proud to be part of. You don't want to put anything at risk, and so far (you've been there about 2 years) things have been going quite well. You know you are the youngest member on the team and have a lot to learn about corporate culture. Things seem a bit stuffy and you don't always think the rules should apply. But there haven't been any big issues. Your supervisor even once told you, good naturedly, that you're a bit of a hot-shot when it comes to doing things your way. But he agreed it's hard to tell you to not be so sure of yourself, so 100% confident in yourself, when you consistently outperform everyone else. Why you've already made two solution suggestions, each of which gained the attention of Head Quarters, and one of which has already been put into effect and was just recently written up in the company's Annual Report, having saved 1.5 billion dollars in its first year! And while you strut your stuff unabashedly, you are also quick to share the accolades with your department co-workers. Indeed, in a TV interview, you touted all your achievements - quite an impressive list - and explained them in superlative terms for 20 minutes - and then spent the next 20 minutes telling the interviewer about the fabulous team that inspire you on a daily basis to be the genius you are! And yes, no one can come close to matching your ideas. But what allows those ideas to flow are the wonderful people with whom you work side by side.Your team colleagues cheered when you went into work the next day. But still, your supervisor and department manager have both told you to to ask for exceptions. You've been reminded that you are held to the same rules as everyone else.

So you're young and have the world in your hands And you also have a new car. Well, you've had it for not quite 3 weeks. Really, it's the love of your life! A European baby that goes from 0 to 120 in a mere handful of seconds. It's your passion!. You've already discovered that some of your best ideas come when you are polishing that car, which you've done every single day so far. It's a convertible, of course. And red... shiny red with every feature and all the outside detail. You've dreamed of having a car like this since you were 8 years old. And you pamper every inch of it.

The building in which you work is one of dozens on a very large campus in northern, California. Your particular building is zoned for high security. No visitors in your building. Only one entrance door in front and 3 emergency exits which are kept locked to incoming traffic. Everyone who enters the building, through the one front entrance, must show a badge at the first guard AND a biological check (those change at random intervals from iris scan to digital print to skin chemistry scan) for those who go more deeply into the building. Including the walk back to your office, it can easily take more than 15 minutes to get your workspace from the front door. You are still pressing to get a skateboard - it hasn't yet been approved and you think they are stalling trying to figure out how to tell you no.

Today something unusual has happened. The day started out like any other hot, sunny, summer day. It's been a beautiful day, in fact, and you even took the time to take an extra spin in your car in the way to work - the top down, wind in your hair, music cranked up, zoom zoom - what a rush to get the mental wheels turning. Then you realized you risked being late for your first morning meeting and quickly scurried to work. You parked your car right outside your office window where you could see it - what a beauty, shining in the sunlight. It was worth parking there even though your office is located about in the middle of the building. You ran to the front of the building, cutting down on the usual 15 minute walk time from your office to the main door. You checked in properly with the guards, jogged quickly to get your office in about 10 minutes, and your day began. You headed into your first meeting.

It wasn't until you returned to your office nearly 2 hours later that you became aware that the weather had dramatically changed. The skies were ominously darkened. You checked the weather and there was a completely unexpected storm rolling in. The forecasters seemed all caught off guard. You are horrified! Your convertible top is down. The interior will get soaked in a downpour and in 10 minutes you are due in a lunch meeting that will probably last another couple of hours. And it's not just any lunch meeting. It involves a major client and you are expected to be there, cool, crisp, and ready to give answers. You look out the window. In the 90+ degree heat, a soaked interior is sure to mean mildew. You can't even imagine the mess of pulling the carpet our of your car and what about other things?

There's definitely not time to walk to the front of the building, exit properly, walk to your car, press the button to put up the car top, walk back to the front of the building and correctly re-enter. A decision has to be made quickly.

Right outside your office door there is an emergency exit. There's no alarm on it for opening from the inside. It's just locked from the outside. You can probably stick something in the door, run out to your car, press that magic button that will put up the top in record time, and beat the storm. It might take all of 5 minutes, probably less. You just have to press that button. You don't even have to stand there to wait to see the roof go up. Just press that button and walk back in through the door. Quick, easy, and who's to know.

Or should you ask a friend to open the door to let you back in instead of putting something in the door? What are the drawbacks of either way? Which way is better? Your mind races as you consider the pros and cons of each. Or wait, is there yet another way, a better way? Maybe so. Maybe not. You've got to think fast. What about your supervisor? Can you explain the situation to him? No - you glance in the room where people are gathering for the meeting. He's already there. He sees you, makes eye contact and points to his watch. You get the message: Get in here. The meeting is getting ready to start.

Suddenly your manager comes up from behind, interrupting your thoughts. "Hey. I hear they brought you into this meeting to handle this guy's questions." He glides past you into the room. You stop just short of the doorway.

You decide it's worth the risk of getting caught. It just doesn't make sense to you to have your car damaged over such a little thing as a 5 minute rush out the emergency exit door and back again. Bottom line, aside from being caught, which can only hurt yourself, how on earth can it hurt the company? It isn't like you're seriously putting the company at risk! Even if you are fired (and surely that wouldn't happen), it isn't like you couldn't get another job. Right?

It will start to rain in 5 minutes.

Question:

1. Is there any way your objective can be accomplished without putting anyone else or the company itself at risk? If so, what do you do? How do you do it?

2. If there is no risk free way to accomplish your objective, since you have decided it is worth the risk, what do you do, how do you do it, and what are the risks you are accepting (to yourself, to any other employee who becomes involved, and to the company at large)?