First: This is a team project.
--Everyone works on the solution.
--Everyone works on the presentation.

Second: Use the decision-making process.
--What are the relevant facts.
--How serious is this problem?
--What is the core cause of this problem?
--What kinds of power are needed?
--What kind of leadership is needed?
--What is your proposed solution?

Third: Present your case.
--Divide the work.
--Present your case to the class.
_______________________________________

Unacceptable Sunday morning finds you seated at the breakfast table with a cup of coffee and Paul's latest work report. You eagerly begin to read, then note with dismay that most of it doesn't make any sense. You can't follow his logic, sentences aren't clear, and you have no idea where his conclusions came from. You're totally disgusted because this is the third major report you'll have to return to one of your team leaders this month. Can't they do anything right?

The Critic You dread Tuesday morning staff meetings with your team chiefs. Every time you make a decision, Judy has some objection. Nothing you ever do is right, and she shows no hesitation in letting you know. What's worse, she never lets go of a point. Once she's decided you're doing something stupid, she comes up with 6,000 reasons why you shouldn't do it -- one right after the other, so that sometimes you just cave in from exhaustion. Doesn't being boss mean you get your way at least some of the time?

Just this Once "I know this is a little irregular, Ben, and I know I was off on the day after Thanksgiving last year, but I really need to be off again this year," Fran asked. "Couldn't you make an exception just this once?" Fran's always been someone you could count on -- to stay late, to work over, to cover for anybody else who got in a crunch. You can sympathize with her wanting to spend some time with her family. But if you make an exception for her, what about the rest of the group? Are they all going to want the day after Christmas off? If you make an exception for Fran, how can you deny anyone else?

Good Enough As you strolled through the Claims Section yesterday, you noticed the same lack of industry that you'd observed before. No one was really "goofing off," but no one seemed to be working very hard either. The whole atmosphere was relaxed and laid back. Back in your office, you review the last two month's production figures. As you suspected, the other sections doing claims processing all have higher output than yours. Of course, employees in those sections complained more too. "But maybe," you mused, "It was worth it. My people do what they have to, but not one claim more."