OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Human Resource Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the human resource frame
2. Apply the human resource frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this
and format it for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1. Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

Being a store manager at Starbucks, I was responsible for all aspects of the operations,
including staffing, payroll, operational excellence, and strategic planning. In addition, I was
responsible for employee management. In the Spring of 2021, my shift supervisor, Amanda,
was going through a tough period in her life as her mom was facing some health issues. This
caused her immense stress, but she continued to show up for work, and I always made sure I
was available to her so she could share how she was feeling and what she needed from me.
One day, I came into work and saw a note on my desk stating she would not be returning to
work as she was taking the week off for her mental health. I first consulted with my district
manager to determine the appropriate approach to this situation, then I gave Amanda a phone
call. I was curious as to why she was taking such drastic measures before asking me for what
she needed. She was very defensive on the phone claiming I did nothing to support her or
provide her with any resources that she needed. I shared that I didn’t want to overstep so I
expected her to come to me if she needed anything, but she thought otherwise. The phone call
ended with her yelling that I was a bad manager and that she will be taking a leave of absence.

2. Describe how the human resources of the organization influenced the situation.

The metaphor for organizations from a human resources standpoint is family, and that’s
exactly how Starbucks sees its organization. They call their employees “Partners” to promote
unity and stake in the company's accomplishments. Starbucks’ central concepts are building
skills and relationships as well as empowering its leaders to make the right call. Because of this
frame, one of the challenges this organization faces is “aligning organizational and human
needs” (Bolman & Deal, 2021). Oftentimes, balancing the needs of the partners conflicts with
the needs of the business, resulting in frustrated or unhappy partners that lose trust in the
company values.

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 In my situation, I had this conflict of interests in mind. I had a duty to put partner care as my
top priority, but I also couldn’t help but think how losing a crucial keyholder for an unknown
period of time would impact the team and selfishly, ease of my job. When I spoke to Amanda, I
simply wanted to gain an understanding of her mindset and potentially troubleshoot this issue
so she didn’t have to take an extended leave. I believe having the operation impact in my mind
while having this conversation clouded my ability to be fully present with what Amanda needed
at that moment, which definitely escalated the conversation further. At this moment, I felt
empowered to support her emotionally, but I knew I’d be left cleaning up the mess of finding
coverage once her decision was made.

3. Recommend how you would use the human resources for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.

Leading through the Human Resources Frame prior to this conflict, I believe it could have
been avoided completely. When facing conflict within a family, you tend to pick up on things
that feel “off” with them, so you can anticipate their needs sooner. Prior to our conversation,
Amanda would briefly share what was going on with her mother and give me updates on her
hospital visits. I allowed her space to share what she was comfortable with, but I never wanted
to overstep or tell her what she should do, so I just lent her my listening ear. In hindsight, if I
presented optional resources to her, I believe she would have made a more informed decision
and given me sooner notice of her leave of absence.

I should have considered what I would have wanted from a leader if I was going through
tough family matters. Instead, I was selfishly thinking of the impact it would have on me
because I couldn’t handle more stress thrown my way. I lacked empowerment from my leader
to make the right call because I believed her focus was maintaining operational excellence.
Ultimately, this conflict comes down to a lack of communication on all parts. I needed more
regular communication with my leader to know she trusts me to make the right decisions for
my store, and I needed to ask Amanda better questions to understand where she was coming
from.

4. Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned about
this frame.

Reflecting back on the situation, there were several actions I could have done differently to
achieve a different outcome. Knowing that the human resources metaphor for organizations is
“family”, I would have approached the conversation with less defensiveness. I think about

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conflicts I’ve had with my brother or sister and I approach those conversations in a comforting
manner, assuming positive intent. I don’t think about how their actions will impact me in the
future. Instead, I encourage them to reflect on what more they needed from me and provide
them space to give me feedback in hopes that I can improve for the future and ultimately
resolve our issue.
Going into the conflict with this in mind, I would also emphasize the empowerment
Starbucks instills in its leaders to make the right call. After working through the messy middle of
conflict, and meeting Amanda where she's at, I would make the decisions needed for the store
at that moment. For example, I would assess my staffing levels for the month to determine if
store hours need to be adjusted, or ask other supervisors to pick up an additional shift. Instead
of stressing over trying to keep my store operating normally while an unplanned issue occurred
is unrealistic. Knowing that my leader has my back in these decisions would greatly impact how
I handle conflict going forward.

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 Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
Jossey-Bass.