Question

For the past few months, you and your new business partner named Offset, have been working on a proposal to close a very difficult business deal with a major clothing retailer. You feel he is key to the successful internal operation of the company and you are delighted that he has agreed to come aboard. As your new partner he has several contacts in the industry who have expressed interest in the NOAH clothing line. You recently inherited $1M from your previous partner who sadly passed away last year. The complexity of this particular proposal and the subsequent backlog of paperwork it generated have created serious problems for you and the business - and the board of directors has been a little uncomfortable with your performance lately. Throughout your work on this proposal, you have shared your ideas openly with Offset and can honestly take credit for nine of the eleven proposal recommendations the two of you have created. Your own contributions have come, in large part, through the cooperative efforts of your several others in the business as they have given freely of their time and talents through several problem-solving sessions.

Offset has volunteered to have the proposal typed by his secretary and you have asked for a copy before it is submitted to the board of directors for final approval. The proposal was due yesterday, but you have not yet received your copy. When you contact him, he informs you the proposal was submitted on time. When you ask about your copy, you are told it is on its way to you. When you receive it, you notice the cover sheet reads as follows: “Prepared and submitted by Offset for your final approval.” Your name does not appear in any part of the proposal. The word “I” does appear quite frequently, however.

As you are about to leave for the day, you spot the chairman of the board who is also about to leave for the day. After some preliminary small talk, she mentions the proposal and asks you if he consulted you about the recommendations it contains because she doesn’t find your name anywhere in the proposal. Before you can answer her, she indicates she is quite pleased; thinks it’s brilliant and feels many of the recommendations on the clothing line have merit and should be tried immediately. Your relationship with Offset has great future financial possibilities.

In a minimum of 150 words, please explain (1) What would you do? (2) What would you say to the chairman? (3) Explain why the relationship with your new business partner is or is not important to the internal success of the company.   Make an original post and respond to a minimum of 2 of your peers.

Answer 1

1) I would confront the offset about the proposal as why he moved ahead with the report without my approval and would like to hear what he says.

I would also inform him that since majority of the recommendations came from my side after putting in so many hours at work, i would not let him get away with this and he should inform the management that it was a fault at his part to ommit my name and my contributions and he should rectify this at earliest.

2)I would inform the chairman that the recommendations in the proposal were because of our joint efforts and this was the reason for the recent backlogs and problems at work because i devoted so much time on the problem solving sessions with various groups and work hard at the proposal for few months now. Also, since the chairman is already pleased with the proposals i can give her evidence by stating them as mojority of them came from me and let her decide the future course of action.

3)The relationship with offset is very important for the internal success of the company as he is a key player and has various contacts who are very much interested in the company and this has been a very long and stressful work going on for past few weeks.

So, if the company responds well to my objections, i would be very happy to settle my issues with Offset, so that we can work better for the future or else i will resign as i'm not subjected to financial problems due to my inheritance and find some other work and work against the proposal as it would not beneficial for the company.