a KAY JOHNSON AT HUMAN CAPITAL CONSULTANTS (HCC) Kay Johnson is a strategic consultant for Human Capital Consults (HCC). HCC is a modestly sized consulting firm located in Chicago. It provides consultancy services regarding HR issues and specializes in strategic alignment and corporate change. HCC has 30 consultants, 3 junior partners and 3 senior partners. The firm has a fairly friendly, laid-back culture. Turnover at HCC is extremely low, when the right people join the firm, they tend to stay because of the close-knit, familial atmosphere. When John Yeoung, the lead senior partner of HCC, initially recruited Kay to join the firm, Kay was skeptical. She knew that the culture at HCC was very team oriented and not very supportive of individualism or competitiveness among consultants. Kay's hesitation stemmed from the fact that she was well aware that she had a strong individual personality. As a result, she worried that she would not be a good fit and might be better off in her current job as an independent consultant, in which she had a lot of leeway to act on her instincts and make final decisions. After a lot of consideration, along with pressure from John and a lucrative compensation package, Kay joined HCC as a senior HR consultant. Her primary job is to bring in new business and lead small project teams of three to four individuals working with clients. When John hired Kay, he told her that if she did well, she would be on the fast track to becoming a junior partner in the consulting firm. In the course of her first year, Kay has been routinely commended for her work. Her clients love her, and word of mouth of her abilities in the industry has generated new business for HCC. John is very pleased with the job she has done and acknowledges that she has been more successful in this job than any of her predecessors. The problem is that while the clients are happy, Kay's colleagues are not. Many people don't want to work with her on projects. John hears concerns from a number of her colleagues that Kay's style is abrasive, volatile and lacking team-player skills. In fact, several co-workers have suggested to John that if they have to continue working with her, they will consider leaving for another company. Moreover, some of the other partners have pulled John aside to state their displeasure with Kay's work style. It is now time for John to give Kay her first annual performance review. John knows that Kay will inquire about the possibility of being promoted to junior partner. Questions: 1. What are the major problems John is facing in this case? 2. How would you evaluate Kay's performance during her first year? 3. What recommendations would you make to John? Should Kay be promoted? Should Kay be fired? What are the implications for each of these decisions
