QUESTION
Wanda was made supervisor of the four representatives in the Consumer Credit Services Department of Winston Country Savings Bank when the previous boss was promoted. Wanda was a senior representative in the department at the time. Wanda has worked closely with -and even became friendly with Beverly. Beverly has been in the department almost as long as Wanda. Beverly tended to be very open and direct. This behaviour had a tendency to put people off, making them see her as defensive and belligerent. Thus, when Wanda was promoted, she selected a more junior and more agreeable employee as her assistant manager. At that point, Wanda's relationship with Beverly had changed.
Wanda wanted to show that she could manage the department effectively, and become a very hands-on manager. She did not hesitate to make decisions and issue directives. However, it seemed to Wanda that Beverly increasingly criticized her decisions and often did so in front of other employees. To make matters worse, Beverly was often right.
Having read the case study above, answer the following questions:
a) Does Wanda have a supervisory problem with Beverly? Explain your answer.
b) What steps could Wanda have taken in order to reduce or avoid the problem after she was promoted to the supervisor's job?
c) What steps should Wanda take now with the issues at hand? Recommend specific action and steps.
d) Comment on Wanda's leadership style.