DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• How would you manage this employee?

You meet by the coffee maker and Mel pronounces to you a rather sharp opinion about something going on in the office. You are a bit surprised, but feel a bit honored by being taken into confidence by this colorful and bright quick-thinker. Mel makes you think about your own position on the topic. You had had a strong position, but now you are seriously considering taking the stance just offered you because it does make a lot of sense after all. You go to a meeting and that particular topic is up. Opinions are varied and positional and when directly asked by your supervisor, you take a stand and speak your new position that happens to align with Mel the Chameleon. You take a risk. You look over to the Mitch who is organizing papers. You solicit Mel for backup, because Mel stated it so beautifully and eloquently earlier this morning as you both stood by the coffee maker. Mel opens his (or her) mouth and speaks the total opposite opinion with amazing clarity and powerfully argues for this opposing opinion, which is the popular stance of the supervisor, and then passes the topic back to you to "convince us that your position is even rational." You are out there alone and humiliated. Everyone praises Mel for the clarity. Later, at the water cooler , Mel praises you for your courage.

• Describe the following:

  • BUNNY RABBITS

    • Describe what you might expect from a Bunny Rabbit

  • SHEEP

    • Describe what you might expect from a Sheep

  • OSTRICH

    • Describe what you might expect from an Ostrich

    • Make a list of other zoo animals, mythological beasts and creative images.

    • Using the following Employee Bulletin and timetable, answer the questions below:

EMPLOYEE BULLETIN!!!

Baseball season is on!!!

All employees are expected to come at 8:00 a.m. for a brief staff meeting

All employees are invited to play

If you can't play, come and be a cheer -leader

If you can't cheer, come and bring cookies

If you have to work you are strongly encouraged to make cookies and donate them to the cheerleaders

If you are going to play, come prepared to play hard and win big!!!

We'll be playing the Acme Widgett company in two weeks ” and this year we are planning to win!!!

Timetable:

7.50	Several eager players arrive in uniforms with baseball equipment ready to go Employee A has obviously been waiting at the field for a while already Employee B is on center stage with lots of ideas and energy Employee C arrives in uniform but does not have a positive attitude
7:59	Majority of players are now present and ready to go Employee D arrives in uniform with very poor attitude Employee E and F arrive without proper equipment, in Hockey uniforms, blaming someone for not telling them the details
8:10	Staff meeting begins
8:15	Employee G and H arrive, in uniforms, with appropriate equipment
8:20	Employee I arrives in a skiing outfit Employee J arrives, out of uniform with no information other than someone told him to show up for some sort of a staff meeting
8:22	THE PRACTICE BEGINS
8:28	Employee K shows up with everything necessary to play
8:30	Employee L never shows up. Employee M brings cookies.
8:30	Employee N is dropped off by spouse and has a black eye. Employee O comes with a "bring-it-on" attitude and brings beer.

Questions:

• Who is ready to play baseball and who is not?

• Who is sabotaging the team?

• Who do you suspect of spinning?

• Is Employee K is beginning a spin?

• Can you guess who had car trouble or a sick child at home? Who is lying?

• Is Employee I is starting a spin, or if he/she is being set up for a fall by a spinning manager or secretary who gave bad information to make I the scapegoat?

• How do you know if Employee A is the most eager to play or the one who just got there early because he/she sold company proprietary information to the other team?

• Is 8:22 a reasonable starting time? Why? Why not?

• What happened to Employee L?

• How do you think the staff meeting went?

• Is employee M's black eye something you should address? Why? Why not?

• What needs to be managed?