Human Resources (HR)
Post a one paragraph of your two answers on the discussion board
QUESTIONS:
1. In what way(s) was Hank experiencing burnout? What else did he experience?
2. What are some ways to avoid the burnout that Hank experienced?
BURNOUT
Did Hank Abbey Have To Retire?
Hank Abbey was fifty-six years old and had just been awarded an expensive gold watch to recognize twenty-five years of service to WMEE-TV. Elaine Monsoor the station’s new, thirty-six-year-old vice president and general manager made the presentation at a staff luncheon in studio A. Hank’s wife and three grown children were present for the event, along with most of WMEE-TV’s employees. In addition to the watch, Hank received a congratulatory FAX from the company’s president.
Hank’s family was very proud of his long service and accomplishments, not only at the station, but in the community.
Hank was the senior account executive on an eight-person sales staff for WMEE-TV. Hank had enormous respect in the business and advertising community as well as in the community at large. He had been very active in the Advertising Club, Boy Scouts, Red Cross, Junior Olympics and his church. Hank had served as a board member of the Advertising Club, was a past president, and three years ago was named Man of the Year in Advertising by the Advertising Club.
Although Hank appeared pleased with the recognition of the watch and the retirement party, underneath it all he was upset. He felt out of touch with everything going on at the station now, and as though he hadn’t really been given a fair shake. As the senior account executive, Hank had been assigned a list containing many of the most significant local agencies and accounts. Many of his advertisers and media buyers were long-time friends as well as customers. He had been through the ups and downs of business cycles and relationships with many of the most important media people in the market.
But Hank began to see the market changing, the television industry changing, the station’s staff changing and his assignments changing. He felt that he was losing control. He continued to have large billing, but he only made his billing quota in months that the station did very well in total billing. Hank was often criticized by Elaine for not developing new business and for not making specifically tailored marketing proposals to accounts at the client level. She told Hank on several different occasions that, “Things need to change.” Hank did not listen, he kept doing his business as usual.
During these months, Hank and another salesperson, Jo Alice Matter, began to complain to each other about the station, the corporation, the business and their jobs. They were discrete enough not to let their negative conversations be overheard by anyone else, but when they were together they seemed to feed on each other’s negativism.
At the beginning of the year a new, corporate-dictated compensation system had gone into effect at WMEE-TV. A major portion (over 33%) of the local salespeople’s compensation was based on a quarterly bonus based on achievement of local sales guotas that were based primarily on new business development. Some of the account executives who developed substantial amounts of new business expressed displeasure with the new system. They felt that they missed the bonus at the end of the first quarter because some of the staff, Hank in particular, contributed little new business.
During his performance review, Elaine officially put Hank on notice. She said, “I’m sorry Hank, but the heat’s on. Here’s the bottom line: you can retire and have a gold watch and a party— leave with honor and dignity–or I’ll give you three months notice right now and fire you. I’ve got a paper trail built on you and can do it.” Hank looked almost relieved. “Great,” he said, “I can’t wait to get out of here. Consider me retired!”