You are managing a government defense project with strict security clearance requirements and a hierarchical organizational structure. A high-performing team member has been consistently delivering excellent technical work but has begun circumventing the established approval chain by directly contacting the client's technical lead to expedite decisions. While this has accelerated some approvals, your project sponsor has received a formal complaint from the client's program manager about protocol violations. The team member argues their actions have saved the project two weeks of schedule delays. How should you address this situation?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A. Option A is correct because it balances recognizing the team member's contribution while clearly addressing the behavioral issue and organizational/client protocol requirements (ECO People Task 3.1 - Support team performance). In hierarchical and security-sensitive environments, following established channels is critical for compliance and stakeholder relationships. Option C is the main distractor but is too punitive without first attempting coaching, and may damage the relationship with a high performer; it also doesn't address whether better processes are needed. Option B undermines your sponsor and client relationships by defending protocol violations. Option D may be appropriate later but doesn't address the immediate behavioral issue or the formal complaint requiring response.

More People Questions