50 Case Studies for Management and Supervisory Training

233

Case 45

The Worst Part Was That

She Often Was Right

Background Information

The Winston County Savings Bank was founded in 1928 shortly before the start of

the Great Depression. The institution managed to survive and grow over the years

by adapting to changing markets and taking advantage of improving technology.

Currently, the Winston County (as it was called) was doing well: it remained sol-

vent and profitable during the recent troubled period in the industry.

As a recently promoted supervisor in charge of the Consumer Credit Services

Department, Wanda Vaughn felt as if she was progressing along with Winston

County Savings. Her department handled all aspects of consumer credit: analysis,

account establishment, file maintenance, and payment processing. She had moved

into her current supervisor position just six months ago when her boss, the former

head of the department, was promoted to head the newly formed Investment Ser-

vices Unit. Wanda wanted to show that she could take charge and make things run

effectively, so she became a very hands-on manager. She made decisions, took close

control, and worked closely and often with the employees under her charge.

At the time of her promotion, Wanda could not have been happier. Having

worked as a senior representative in the department for almost three years, she had

been able to develop close working relationships with the other representatives in

the department. Currently, there were four representatives in the unit. Three of the

representatives were still relatively new, having been there less than one year on the

average. The fourth employee, Beverly Beutell, had been in the department almost

as long as Wanda, and they had a good working relationship.

“Or so I thought,” she mused to herself late one afternoon after the latest run-in

with Beverly. Wanda was sitting at her desk, looking out the window at the empty-

ing parking lot. She was still trying to recover from the staff meeting that had just

ended.

Wanda thought back to how things had changed between her and Beverly since

Wanda had become supervisor. Before Wanda moved into her supervisory position,

she and Beverly had been very friendly, even close. Wanda always respected

Beverly’s ability, even though she was also wary of Beverly’s habit of speaking her

mind directly and quickly. Wanda could understand why others might think that

Beverly was defensive and belligerent. Indeed, Beverly’s quick tongue and tart

manner easily put people off.

When Wanda was promoted, Beverly became the most senior person in the

department. However, when it came time for Wanda to pick an assistant to help run

the department, she selected another employee who was junior to Beverly in years

but easier to get along with and more liked by the other employees. Beverly reacted

badly to this decision, believing that she should have been selected as the