Question

Case Study

You have been in your position as Head of Support Services in the Brussels for 4 months and have built a good understanding of the succession plan, key suppliers and contractors.

You are meeting with the UAE Ambassador when you notice a leak coming from the ceiling in the middle of his VIP majilis. To ensure minimal damage to the expensive carpet below, you quickly place a bucket under the leak and call Bjork, a handyman who helped you set up your own villa a few weeks before.

Bjork immediately responds and senses the urgency in your voice, and says he can be at the Embassy with his plumbers in one hour. He fixes the leak and hands you a bill for 5,000 Euros. Upon inspecting the bill, you see that the emergency response was 3,500 Euros alone.

This is outside your budget and, anticipating questioning from the Finance Committee at MOFAIC, you send the Committee a long email explaining this was an emergency and you were worried about the leak spreading and causing more damage to valuable assets in the Embassy.

The Finance Committee responds with questions as to why you didn’t follow normal protocol and get three quotes. They remind you that you have gone over your budget and you have only been there for 4 months.

Case Study Questions

1. What could you have done to avoid this expense?

2. How could you have better managed the relationship, communication and reaction with the Finance Committee?

Answer 1

1) To avoid this expense, i could have taken consultation from some of the good handyman and masons In UAE. Atleast by comparing, quotes from different handyman, i could decide what to do. I can request some of my near wellwishers to help me out with such emergency leak situation with less costly work interventions.

I will again reply to committee and my senior people that i will care in future that such mistakes will not happen. I will bear this expense through my personal contribution.

2) This challenge can be managed by me through regular communication with committee and its members. I must follow the protocols and for any surplus expenses, atleast, i have to take permission from this committee so as to avoid any further questioning.  

I will try to limit my additional and less important expenses so that to reduce budgetary challenges. I will clarify things before making any big size expenses.