Karen is an administrative assistant to the executive vice president of an organization whose mission is to serve the professional needs of its members. Karen has exceptional computer skills and seems

Karen is an administrative assistant to the executive vice president of an organization

whose mission is to serve the professional needs of its members. Karen has exceptional

computer skills and seems to have a real talent for technology. Not only does she

complete each task in record time, she has independently developed spreadsheets,

management reports, and other useful documents in impressive formats that are

consistently error free. She is an extremely valuable asset to the organization and to her

boss.

The organization has recently undergone a major computer system conversion, and Karen

seems to be one of the few employees who have mastered the new system. She is often

called on to troubleshoot for other employees who are experiencing difficulties grasping

the new technology.

But Karen is often moody, irritable, and brusque with clients and coworkers. She is

especially disagreeable when answering the telephone, which she views as a major

disruption to her work. Hardly a week goes by that Karen’s boss does not receive

complaints about Karen’s interpersonal skills when dealing with clients and coworkers.

Karen’s boss has had repeated conversations with Karen about her behavior, but to no

avail. Karen’s negative attitude has not discernibly improved, but Karen’s boss is

reluctant to press the matter further because she values Karen’s other skills, which make

her own work so much easier.