You have assumed the head leadership position over a small department within a public sector agency. You have inherited a small but diverse team of employees.

Your staff consists of the following individuals:

Melanie has been with the organization for close to 10 years and spends much of her day surfing social media sites. She enjoys her job for the perceived job security and benefits but has little interest in pushing herself for additional monetary gain. When confronted about her social media use and lack of a desire to advance herself, she complains that she does not have anyone to “look up to” within the organization.

Patrick is the most senior employee. Although he has an excellent record, he is going through a very difficult divorce and is only about one year away from retirement. He has become increasingly preoccupied with these matters. Regardless, having previously served in the military and having worked public service for his entire professional life, he expects much out of himself and has expressed a keen desire to involve himself with your managerial decision-making processes as soon as he is able to sort out some of his home issues.

Tom, the newest employee, is fresh out of college. He is young and energetic, although not a week goes by where you do not catch him browsing salary surveys or private sector job listings; nevertheless, he is an overly productive employee, and he confides in you that he is worried that he is producing much more than his salary seems to reflect. He also questions the impact that the organization’s work and his own work, in particular, are actually having on anyone.

To complete this assignment, you will need address the components below.

Develop a concise motivation profile on each of the staff members.

Correlate motivational theories to this real-world scenario.

Summarize leadership strategies related to such aspects as work life stages, expected responses to rewards and punishments, and the degree to which followers feel they fit the ideal motivation mold of public sector employees.

Consider how not being mindful of appropriate leadership strategies can be harmful to organizations.