Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You decide to wait it out.
After all, in just one month the boss's son will be going back to college.
Over the next month, the tension in the office is almost unbearable. One salesman has already quit, claiming he can't work in such a disorganized office. Others are keeping their clients' files at their desks rather than have them lost in the filing system. This move is upsetting the accounting personnel because they have to search through the office to find file folders and their efficiency is way down.
Though the front receptionist has maintained her composure with customers, she has been short with other staff members because her schedule has been turned upside down. She's not able to get away for lunch at her designated time because the boss's son has been late returning from his own lunch.
"Whenever I'm hiring, I look for someone who will fit in with the rest of the office. I'd rather hire someone with less experience and the right personality than someone with a good educational background or great experience with a bad attitude," says office manager Lorna Zahn.
Finally, September arrives and you think things are going to get back to normal. You're just about to review the resumes in your desk drawer when the boss lets you know that his son has decided not to return to school. The boss feels that practical experience is as beneficial as a good education, and he'd like his son to work his way up the company ladder.
Now you've got to tell him he's going to lose good staff if his son doesn't clean up his act or leave. The boss is outraged. He can't understand how you could have let this go on all this time without saying a word. Since he's not in the office daily, he has no way of knowing what's going on. That's why he's got an office manager. He lets you know that you're very lucky his son hasn't actually withdrawn from school yet.
On top of it all, your boss blames you for the tension in the office. After all, it's your job to make sure things run smoothly. If things hadn't been going well, it was your responsibility to correct the situation.
Not only have you and your staff suffered through months of incompetence and disrespect, now you've been called to task, too.
"In business, the customer is always right, but the firm comes first. And in a small firm blood isn't necessarily thicker than water," says Zahn.