Bernie, a recent HIT graduate has been working at Aloha Medical Center for over five years. Bernie was working in the finance department before obtaining his HIT degree. Bernie is currently continuing his education and has enrolled in an HIM bachelor's program. Given his work experience, Bernie has worked on many projects. He seems to fit in wherever he has been assigned and built good relationships in all of his time at Aloha Medical Center. Bernie has been transferred to the HIM department. In his new assignment, he will have to build horizontal and vertical relationships. All of the current HIM employees are much older than Bernie.

After one week in the HIM department, Bernie has discovered that it was difficult to approach his supervisor Gloria, let alone talk to her. Bernie also found that Gloria stayed aloof from the workers in the department and that she often seemed critical of most people. Bernie could feel a psychological barrier between his boss and the rest of the departmental employees. Once a week, Gloria has a short staff meeting. In Bernie's first departmental meeting with Gloria and coworkers, he observed that most of the employees were silent and even seemed somewhat hostile.

How can Bernie build a strong, worthwhile vertical relationship with his boss, whose nature was so distant, within an environment that is so structured? Would it be wiser to concentrate exclusively on horizontal relationship until an opportunity presented itself to establish a better relationship with Gloria? After giving the matter some serious thought, Bernie decided to concentrate on horizonal relationship and weather it out .

Discuss: Was this a smart decision on Bernie's part? Would you have gone about it differently? Support your point of view.