Necessary Evils: A Diagnostic Exercise

Joshua D. Margolis; Andrew  Molinsky

Exercise | February 2004 (Revised April 2005)

Necessary Evils: A Diagnostic Exercise

by Joshua D. Margolis and Andrew Molinsky

Abstract

Central to the work of leaders and professionals are tasks that entail harming one party to deliver benefits or advance valued and worthy goals. Sometimes a person must, as part of his or her job, perform an act that causes emotional, material, or physical harm to another human being in the service of achieving a greater good or purpose. Examples in management include firing people, laying people off, delivering bad news, delivering negative performance feedback, and, in medicine, performing a painful procedure. Through a series of introspective questions, punctuated by small group discussions and concluding with a large group discussion of insights, students and practicing professionals are better equipped to manage the challenges of necessary evils.

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Leadership; Problems and Challenges; Ethics; Management Skills;

Language: English

Format: Print

8 pages

Purchase

Citation:

Margolis, Joshua D., and Andrew Molinsky. "Necessary Evils: A Diagnostic Exercise." Harvard Business School Exercise 404-027, February 2004. (Revised April 2005.)

The article presents a case study on business friendship and its possible effect on employee ratings. It mentions a hypothetical case where one member of a team didn't meet his deadlines on the development of a new product, the use of a peer-to-peer employee rating system, and how the other team members should approach assigning a rating.

An unlikely but highly effective leader of a traditional bank, Rakefet Russak-Aminoach, simultaneously leads a classic change effort and an unconventional effort to innovate. She focuses her initial energy on making the bank more efficient in the face of industry changes and then rolls out a self-disrupting, independent mobile-app bank, aimed at millennials and designed to anticipate the coming transformation from fintech. The case documents the difficult situation she faced stepping into the CEO role, her change efforts, and her distinctive leadership style and how it has evolved. It ends with the enduring question of when to integrate an incubated business unit that was separate intentionally to spark innovation.

Faculty & Research

Necessary Evils: A Diagnostic Exercise

Abstract

Citation:

About the Author

More from the Author