Jim works for one of the world’s largest tech companies as a project manager. One of the principle measures of his performance is how well he keeps all of his team engaged with billable work. The profitability of the team recently came in conflict with the customer’s demands.

To fulfill a contract with a healthcare benefit provider, Jim’s company had hired 120 of the customer’s employees to complete the work. The customer insisted that its own team directly manage these employees. Because of the difference in practices and standards, this meant Jim would not be able to meet the contractual goals without the ability to educate and manage these employees.

The usual course would be to keep everyone on the job, do the best you could, get credit for the $500,000 in billings and realize that the contractual goals would not be met. Instead, Jim canceled the work until the working relationship could be worked out. The employees were idle. The billings stopped.

This decision upset both Jim’s executives and the customer.

“Instead of taking the money and making excuses for failure to meet contractual goals,” Jim explained, “I thought it was best for us to stop the project and establish new plans and goals.”

Jim’s career was at risk. His management later vindicated him when they were able to see his decision in light of the long-term project needs and the company’s relationship with the customer. In fact, they thanked him for taking the risks necessary to bring this matter to their attention.

Written by Bill Dalgetty, President, Christians in Commerce.  Copyright Christians in Commerce.    christiansincommerce.org     Used by permission.    Content distributed by WorkLife.org > Used for non-profit teaching purposes only.