Lauren McDonald, a recently promoted manager at the public accounting firm Ernst & Young in London, Ontario, has an appointment with one of her senior staff accountants. McDonald had met with the staff accountant two months earlier as part of the staff accountant’s mid-year performance review. The meeting had also included an informal discussion as to whether the staff accountant was on track for a promotion to manager, which would be decided later in the year. The staff accountant had asked McDonald for another meeting to discuss the responsibilities of becoming a manager in more detail. McDonald had faced many challenges in her three months as a manager and had not had time to reflect on her own performance. However, she wanted to share her experiences with the staff accountant to better prepare her for the challenges she might face in the coming year.
