Assigned GD

Characters:
Name & Designation Qualification Years of Experience & Background
GM Plant
(Assesse)
M. Tech (Mech)
IIT Delhi
Over 20 years industry experience
5 years as Maintenance Head
GM Finance MBA
IIM Bangalore
Around 18 years across industries
5 years at present location
GM Legal Corporate Law Over 18 years
GM Engineering M. Tech (Civil)
NIT K
Around 20 years
Over 15 years with several consultancy,
detail engineering firms.
GM Investment M. Tech (Mech)
NIT Dgp
Over 20 years of experience
7 years of Project Management ecperience

Key Issue:
Issues have emerged in the detailed design phase of a new burner, which is required for
preheating of gas.
The contract, which was framed based on basic engineering states that the flow
requirement is 2000 m3/hour. The contract also does not mention the pressure at which the
gas is required.
The Basic Engineering Phase is a stage when a high level view of the components and
respective inflows and outflows are presented as a diagram. It was decided that natural gas
would be sourced from an existing system.
GM Plant had confirmed that the maximum availability of natural gas would be 2500. GM
Engineering had approved the basic engineering plan, based on his own estimate that this
would be sufficient to run the system in a fool proof manner.
As per the GM Engineerings approval, the contract with the supplier had been framed by
Legal, Finance and Investment with GM Engineering, as the GM Plant was away at that
point.
While working on the detailed design, the burner supplier discovered that it would require
3500 m3/hr of gas for the system to function in a fool proof manner. This was reported to
our company, and with the GM Plant back, he had checked and found the issues in the
contract. He realizes that the Engineering department led by the Gm had failed to
understand that the system would never work with 2500 m3/hr, and this was where the
issue had cropped up.
The GM Plant is responsible for ensuring the success of the new system and he involved the
requisite stakeholders to perform a cost benefit analysis and find that the best option for
the company would be to make the necessary changes in the contract and get the supplier
to make the changes for free (one of the other options contemplated being taking money
out of the project account to install additional systems to source gas from another system).
While sounding out the other stakeholders, he finds that the GM Finance agrees that this is
the best way forward, while others appear to have reservations. Hence, he calls a meeting
of all the stakeholders involved in framing the contract, to progress on his plan.

Action Plan:
1. Change contract min requirement 3500. (Legal, Finance, Investment)
2. New system to be installed to make up 1000 m3 by supplier free of cost (Engineering)
As GM Plant, he would have to convince the stakeholders to own their respective parts of
the plan for progress and secure each ones commitment for quick delivery, as the project
was quickly threatening to fall behind schedule.
Key Concerns of Stakeholders:
Stakeholder Key Concern
GM Investment Additional equipment will require funds. Where to secure funds?
Escalating the problem to senior management would create
serious issues in terms of his own credibility.
Senior management is likely to blame him for negligence.
GM Engineering He has committed that 2500 would be enough, but failed to
account for certain design issues. He is not ready to accept that
there was any fault on his part and insists
GM Legal He is averse to making detailed changes in the contract. He feels
that the Project itself should handle the additional change from the
project funds. Getting it done by supplier would require changes in
the payment terms, performance guarantee etc., and would need
several approvals, which would raise worrying questions regarding
when the contract was framed.
Legal prefers to have it changed internally, with minor alterations
to the technical aspects of the contract.
GM Finance The GM Finance supports the GM Plants plan to progress on the
issue. Any change in payment terms now, would result in a change
in cash flow. Finance is responsible for the overall plant budget.
Need approval for extra budget. Would have trouble accounting
for the extra money. Rather get it done for free.

Measurement of Competencies:
COMPETENCY INDICATOR HOW IT WILL BE MEASURED
POLITICAL SENSITIVITY AND
INFLUENCING
Uses knowledge of the
organizational culture in
making decisions and
perceives the impact and
implications of such decisions
How candidate poses the
problems to the
stakeholders and tries to
draw relevant ones to agree
to his cause
Identifies when issues need
to be escalated to higher
authorities and effectively
alerts appropriate officials.
Based on candidates
discretion in referring
specific issues to actors
representing senior
management
Understands different Manner of interaction with
peoples attitudes about
power and politics and
adapts personal approaches
for optimal influence
different stakeholders.
Negotiates and compromises
where appropriate to gain
commitment -manages
effectively to ensure desired
actions are achieved

Candidate should attempt to
persuade relevant
stakeholders to his cause
DRIVE AND RESULT
ORIENTATION
Adapts working methods in
order to achieve objectives -
makes adjustments to
activities/processes based on
feedback
The actor playing the GM
Engineering will be
instructed to take offence
and contradict candidate
consistently.
Candidates attempt to
resolve the situation and
placate the agitated GM will
be observed
Encourages constructive
questioning of policies and
practices

GM Legal will raise issues on
making detailed changes to
the contract at this stage.
GM Engineering would insist
on internal change as
practice.
The assesse will be evaluated
on his ability to raise
questions on these.
In case of deviation takes
proactive measures to align
with goals
One of the GMs will bring up
the possibility of changing
the supplier or bring up
another plan and insist on its
discussion toward the end of
the allotted time for the
meeting.
The assesse will be judged
on how well he is able to
bring the discussion back on
track for speedy resolution