PLC e-Portfolio Part 2: Decision Making

                                                                                                                         Family Plans 

                                                                 Topic: Staffing

Brief Summary

Barbara is the controller at Atex, Inc., a regional manufacturing company. She has worked hard for over four years and has recently been promoted. Atex is merging with Smith, Inc., and rumours suggest that some positions may be cut, including one of the controller roles. Barbara has been unofficially informed that she will retain her controller position, while Sam from Smith, Inc. will be let go. However, Barbara faces personal family responsibilities that she must consider. Firstly, her father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has been given only six months to live. Secondly, her mother requires her attention as well. Lastly, Barbara is also pregnant. Despite these challenges, Barbara believes she can manage her personal and professional life without distractions. She plans to take a brief maternity leave and return to work full-time. However, Barbara is unsure whether she should inform her boss about her family responsibilities and pregnancy, given the potential demands of her role in the newly merged company and how such disclosure can impact her job security and work-life balance.

Step 1:     What is the problem? 

Whether or not Barbara should inform her Boss about her family commitments and pregnancy   

Step 2:     Decision Criteria 

1. Performance – Can she juggle the two (Job and Family commitment) without any of the gaps and efficiently?
2. Job security – Will her pregnancy affect her job security if she tells her boss before being officially informed? And can she perform at her best in a new role while pregnant?
3. Timing- If she decides to tell her boss, when is the most appropriate time - before or after August 1st?(Mar, n.d.)
4. Impact on Team Members and Company- How would Barbara's team and operations be affected if she took maternity leave as a controller in a newly merged company?
5. Company policies and processes - What's the remote work policy? Will it continue after the merger? Any options for a hybrid model? Which policies for the new company?

Step 3:  Weigh Decision Criteria

                              Performance: Efficiency and Juggling Both Roles:  High

Barbara's ability to efficiently manage her job and family commitments is important to her and it helps her feel successful in her professional and personal life. She is dutiful and good at what she does in both areas of her life; underperforming is unacceptable.

                                                                      Job Security - High

Barbara's job status has yet to be officially announced, so it's crucial for her to focus on job security. This will allow her to have financial stability to take care of her parents and baby. Additionally, her health insurance may be linked to her job, making it even more important to keep it. Losing her job would have a significant impact on her and her family.

Timing - Moderate

The timing of Barbara's decision to disclose this information is crucial as it could impact her boss's perception and potentially affect whether she is chosen over Sam. However, her exceptional performance in previous years will/may still speak in her favour; hence, the weigh-on timing is moderate.

Team Member and Company:   Moderate

The impact on her team and company operations is important, but options exist to mitigate it. She could work from home or hybrid during this period. By using technology effectively, her physical absence can be compensated for while maintaining the same level of job performance.

Company Policies and Processes - Low

It's essential to have policies and processes in place to support employees like Barbara. If there are no existing policies, new ones can be written if management and her new boss believe she's valuable to the organization.

Step 4: Generate Alternative 

1. Barbara can discuss her family responsibilities and pregnancy with her boss to know the options available to her, such as flexible work hours or temporary assistance.
2. Barbara can manage her situation without revealing it to her boss and handle her responsibilities independently. She has cared for her parents for the past two years without revealing her situation. Her pregnancy will become apparent in time, allowing her to demonstrate her abilities without discrimination or bias.
3. Barbara has the option to reveal her situation slowly, starting with sharing her family responsibilities and later mentioning her pregnancy. This way, she can observe her boss's response and decide if she should fully disclose the information.

Step 5: Evaluate Alternatives

Step 6: Select the Best Alternative

Barbara has the option to reveal her news slowly, starting with sharing her family responsibilities and later mentioning her pregnancy. This way, she can observe her boss's response and decide if she should fully disclose the information.

The reason for this choice 

Barbara can take a balanced approach to manage her need to support her family and the privacy of her pregnancy She can begin by talking to her boss about her family responsibilities and measure their response. Slowly, she can reveal more information while being mindful of not sharing too much at each time. This will help her determine if her job security is at risk and whether her employer can make any arrangements to accommodate her. By sharing information slowly, Barbara can adjust her approach based on her boss's feedback. If her boss supports her regarding her family responsibilities, it may be easier for her to discuss her pregnancy and related needs later on. This strategy allows Barbara to take control of the conversation and decide when and how to share information based on her comfort level and changing circumstances.

References

1. https://asq.org/quality-resources/decision-matrix
2. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/1/how-do-you-rank-your-decision-criteria-skills-decision-making
3. Mar, A. (n.d.). 100 Examples of Decision Criteria. Simplicable. https://simplicable.com/new/decision-criteria
4. Eikenberry, K. (2021, October 25). What is Your Criteria for Deciding? The Kevin Eikenberry Group. https://kevineikenberry.com/personal-professional-development/what-is-your-criteria-for-deciding/
5. J. (2015, January 11). How To Decide with Criteria and Weight. Sources of Insight. https://sourcesofinsight.com/how-to-decide-with-criteria-and-weight/
6. Rational Decision Making vs. Other Types of Decision Making | Principles of Management. (n.d.). https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-principlesofmanagement/chapter/rational-decision-making-vs-other-types-of-decision-making/
7. Generating alternatives. (n.d.). https://www.nzdl.org/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0aginfo--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&cl=CL2.14&d=HASH012084443c87a287e4128233.11.4.3&gt=1
8. Bauer, S. (2013, September 22). The Art of Decision Making – Part 5: Evaluating alternatives | product anonymous. https://productanonymous.com/2013/09/the-art-of-decision-making-part-5-evaluating-alternatives/