Case Teaching Resources F R O M T H E E V A N S S C H O O L O F P U B L I C A F F A I R S
T h e
E l e c t r o n i c H a l l w a y ®
Box 353060 · University of Washington · Seattle WA 98195-3060 www.hallway.org
This case study was made possible through the generous contributions of the Pew Charitable Trusts as part of their support
for this national curriculum development project. The case was prepared by Gerald Cormick, a Principal in the CSE Group,
and Senior Lecturer for the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.
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Copyright 1996 The Electronic Hallway
Revised 12/94
PACIFIC CITY UTILITIES SERVICE DEPARTMENT
Introduction
The Utilities Service Department in Pacific City is part of the city owned public utility. Its
staff is comprised of the Department Manager, Foster and four technicians. Foster was
promoted to his/her position several years ago and assists on service calls during
vacations, where there is an emergency or unexpected overload in calls, or when one of
the technicians is absent for an extended period.
The rule of thumb for technicians is to cover about eight calls per day. An attempt is
made to schedule and route the calls conveniently, but this is not always possible due to
emergency calls from customers. Fortunately, the average number of service calls per day
averages just about 30 year ‘round.
Employees of the utility are entitled to two weeks paid vacation, increasing to three weeks
after ten years of service. In the past, Foster has set the vacation schedule after talking to
each of the technicians individually to get their preferences. No one ever is satisfied and
there are constant attempts to change the schedule and trade vacation times. During the
past couple of years there have also been charges of favoritism. Pacific City does not
have an official policy for allocating vacation time. Now, Foster has called a meeting to
discuss vacations for 1995.
The following are brief “bios” of the technicians:
Anderson: 45 years old and 12 years with the utility, all in the Service Department.
Married with three school age children. Family enjoys fishing and
camping.
Benson: 29 years old and 5 years with the Department. Married with 2 pre-school
children. Last year his/her vacation was in June and it rained most of the
time.
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Carter: 63 years old and 7 years with utility, 4 in the Service Department. Lives
alone and has relatives in the Northeast.
Dixon: 23 years old and 3 years with the Department. Has two years of college
engineering, is single and lives with widowed mother.
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THE MANAGER AS MEDIATOR
Mediating a Problem Session
1. Set the Context
· role and responsibility of participants
· role and responsibility of manager
· time frame and deadlines
· groundrules (no votes, etc.)
· expected outcome(s)
2. Present the Problem
· positive, non-threatening, non-accusatory
· mutual interest
· address “what’s in it for me?”
· focus on cause, not symptoms
· seek consensus on the nature of the problem
3. Furnish Information
· facts and figures
· organizational, financial, time and other constraints
· legitimize social/personal concerns
· seek additional information from participants
4. Facilitate the Discussions
· look for ideas and concerns, not positions and demands
· accept all views as legitimate
· elicit and protect minority views
· ensure 100% participation
· resist supportive and judgmental statements
· avoid “hub and spokes” discussion pattern
· permit disagreement, deflect debate
5. Seek the Consensus
· start with a range of alternatives
· periodically summarize areas of agreement and disagreement
· recognize movement -- even when wrapped in strange ways
· have a strategy for dealing with “boulders-in-the-road”
· build big agreements on small agreements
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· look for packages
· don’t play the heavy -- unless there is no consensus
6. Get Closure
· use the deadline
· review areas of agreement
· refocus on concerns
· look for mutual benefits -- expand the pie
7. Where There IS a Consensus
· ask questions to confirm the sense of the agreement
· ask questions to confirm that all participants agree
· set timetable and responsibilities for implementation
· confirm the agreement in writing
8. Where There ISN’T a Consensus
· conclude the discussions
· emphasize what was achieved
· reaffirm that manager must now make the decision
· make decision as soon as possible
· report decision to participants
· explain the decision
· set timetable and responsibilities for implementation
· DO NOT justify the decision
· DO NOT discuss the merits of the decision
· DO NOT discuss changes in the decision
9. Keep Closure
· affirm that decision is no longer open for discussion
· refuse to talk to individuals about changes
· implement the decision
Pacific City Utilities Service Department
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Foster
Well, it’s the time of year where everyone is starting to hassle you about summer vacation
schedules again. No matter what you do, no one is ever happy and the gripes last until
the next year. You know you can’t satisfy all of the people all of the time, but it would
sure be nice to satisfy some of the people some of the time!
Maybe trying to get everyone to agree on when they will take their vacation would be
worth a try. At least they won’t be able to blame you for the decision. If it doesn’t work
you can still make up the schedule and at least they’ll realize how tough it is.
It doesn’t matter who goes when, except for a couple of things:
1. You are taking a cruise up the inside passage to Alaska the first two full weeks of
August. Reservations and arrangements are all made. No one else can be gone
then. (You’ll take your other week some other time.)
2. Only one technician can go at a time since it will require all of the rest of you to
cover the service calls.
3. Records for the past five years indicate that during the last week of August and
first week of September there are an average of at least 40 service and hook-up
calls per day. It must be everyone moving into new houses or something.
Anyhow you need everyone including yourself on hand during those two weeks.
Well, here they come, and here goes...
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Anderson
Well, you’re glad that you’re going to have a chance to choose your own vacation time
this year. You are by far the most senior person, so, of course, you will have first choice.
In the past you seldom got the dates you wanted because Foster was always afraid “it
wouldn’t look right.”
Your kids won’t be out of school until the end of the third week of June, so your vacation
can’t start until then. Your first choice is the first three weeks of July so that you can
travel with your brother and his family -- his vacation is the first three weeks of July. You
also intend to take either the week before or the week following your three week vacation
as leave without pay so you can travel back to the midwest to meet him and spend some
time with your folks.
You expect the usual crying from Benson. S/he’s the most obnoxious person you’ve
ever worked with. The way s/he rides Dixon is a crime, but Foster never seems to see it.
If Benson would do a little more work, everyone could have a month’s vacation,
including that fossil Carter.
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Benson
Well, one thing is sure, you won’t get stuck going on vacation in June this year! Going
that early you always get stuck with crummy weather. You are planning on the first two
weeks of August because you have a chance to rent a real nice cabin on the lake then.
The man who has the cabin said the only other possibility was the last two weeks of July,
although that was less certain.
You and your spouse have been having some difficulties this year and getting away like
that could make all the difference. You have an invitation to visit your in-laws the last
two weeks in August, but that’s where you ended up last year. If that’s when your
vacation is this year you’ll end up there again and that’s worse than no vacation at all!
You wonder where Dixon’s mommy is going to take him/her. Maybe they will go to the
beach so s/he can build sand castles. There’s one kid who’s tied to a strong set of apron
strings. The only time s/he shows any initiative is when s/he’s undercutting you with
Foster or trying to show you up with his “college education.”
Anderson is so pal-sy with the boss that it’s about time somebody said something. In the
past it has always gotten him/her first choice in vacation times -- BUT NOT THIS
YEAR! Carter is the only one in the Department that isn’t out to do someone else in and
you and s/he are usually able to cooperate on things.
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Carter
It really doesn’t matter too much when your vacation is taken. You intend to take a trip
to the Northeast and the weather there is pretty good from May through September.
If possible you will try to help Benson get the time s/he wants, although you haven’t had
a chance to find out what would be best for him/her. That will be your first order of
business, but you don’t want to be too obvious. The trouble is, Anderson will get his/her
first choice as usual and the rest of you will be expected to scrap for what is left. Well,
you haven’t got much to lose and maybe you can help out Benson. At least when it
comes time to vote, the vote will be 2 - 2.
That college kid Dixon is always talking about what his/her profs told him/her or what
s/he read in some book. For your money, experience is twice the teacher book-theory
will ever be. He must have flunked out of college anyway, or s/he’d still be there. You
are just about fed up with Dixon’s attitude and are prepared to say so!
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Dixon
You’re tired of being treated like some kind of junior office girl/boy around here. You get
all the dirty deals -- “Why don’t you do this one on your way home?” -- and all the real
messy jobs and unpleasant customers. Just because you have the least seniority
shouldn’t mean you get last choice of all the good things and first choice of all the bad
things. When it comes to quality of work, Foster should be sending you to do all the
really difficult and challenging calls. Your two years of engineering studies have made
you the most qualified for that!
The only one around here that treats you like an equal is Anderson and s/he’s twice the
technician those other clowns are. It’s about time Foster realized that and you may just
have to tell him.
You intend to take a tour through the central states with your widowed mother. She’s
never had a chance to travel and may not have many more years to do so. You are really
looking forward to the opportunity. You haven’t even told her yet because you want it all
set when you spring the surprise.
You’ve been checking the guide books and all of the state fairs and other attractions start
in late June and end around Labor Day, so of course your vacation will have to be then.
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THE MANAGER AS MEDIATOR
Observer Form
1. Set the Context
2. Present the Problem
3. Furnish Information
4. Facilitate the Discussions
5. Seek the Consensus
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6. Get Closure
7. Where There IS a Consensus
8. Where There ISN’T a Consensus
9. Keep Closure