WHAT
JUST WENT WRONG AT THE OFFICE?
Information: this a very large management consulting
company. There are two participants
Ahmad (the manager) and Mustapha (the secretary). There is a big problem here.
Try to think about
the following questions as you read.
1) What are their
personalities (Filters of the mind) as communicators?
2) What is the major
problem and how is it being solved at first?
3) How would YOU
solve the problem if you were Mustapha?
Ahmad?
4) Would it make a
difference if Ahmad were older, or if Mustapha were older?
Scene: Mustapha had just sat down at his desk. It’s
“Mustapha!!! Have you finished the report I asked
you to do?”
“Report?
what report was that, Mr. Ahmad?”
“Yes, a report.
I asked you for a short report on the Al-Fulaan
factory personnel problem. Don’t you
remember it Mustapha? I asked you two
weeks ago to do it.”
“Oh, yes . . . I think I remember it, Mr. Ahmad.”
“THINK you remember it ???? I need it NOW!!! I have a meeting in 30 minutes with the
personnel director of Al-Fulaan and some very
important managers. You mean to tell me
you don’t have it ready for me? Ya Allah!!!”
“Well, Mr. Ahmad, why didn’t you tell me you needed it
THIS morning?”
“I told you two weeks ago I needed it soon,
Mustapha. Soon means this
morning!”
“How was I supposed to know that soon meant
this morning?”
“Listen, Mustapha, any DONKEY could have understood what
I meant. doesn’t soon mean to complete an assignment
in a couple of days?”
{Mustapha responds and answers very quickly} “When I was working for Mr. Ibrahim in the purchasing department here, he always told
me the exact date and time he wanted anything done by me. And he NEVER called me a donkey!”
[After Mustapha says this, Ahmad’s face turns red
with anger and he rushes out toward the door.
He stops a second before going out to say the following]: “Well,
Mustapha, you are not working for Mr. Ibrahim now,
and don’t you forget it.”
Adapted for use in the