Team Building Across Diversity

The case highlights the challenges encountered by a corporate life and health insurance leader while dealing with an underperforming employee, Tina Smith, in 2016 in Toronto, Ontario. It provides an overview of the process involved in performance management, including steps associated with exiting an employee from an organization. The protagonist in this case, Alexandra Thorn, also encountered challenges in her working relationship with Smith. Thorn was a lesbian and was open about this fact with her team and clients. Smith felt that in sharing information about her sexuality, Thorn jeopardized her business relationship with their clients; consequently, Smith suggested that Thorn not accompany her to meetings with clients in their Southwestern Ontario region, which included a large, traditional farming community. During a client meeting, Thorn witnessed Smith displaying inappropriate behaviour that stemmed from Smith’s implicit bias and discomfort with diversity. After Thorn reported her concerns to the company’s human resources (HR) partner, however, she was informed that the incident did not warrant intervention. As a values-based leader aligned with the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity, Thorn had to consider how to proceed.

The case highlights the effect of underperformance and biases in the workplace on leaders, and discusses the role that leaders’ values can play in addressing such challenges. After completion of this case, students will be able to accomplish the following objectives:<ul><li>Discuss effective techniques for building a team.</li><li>Understand the challenges of leading a team when confronted with identity issues.</li><li>Connect with stakeholders across diversity.</li><li>Understand the process involved in employee performance monitoring and management.</li></ul>

• gender
• diversity
• human resources
• performance