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  • Ethical Dilemma

    You work at a paper supply company that employs 50 people. A coworker, Karen, is not your favorite person to work with. She is often late to work, can be unprofessional with coworkers, and isn’t someone you can routinely count on to go above and beyond her job duties. Last week you even noticed that her breath smelled like alcohol when you spoke to her about some last-minute orders that needed to be filled. But, you don’t like to rock the boat and you don’t like to be disloyal to your coworkers, so you didn’t say anything. However, David Chan just approached you and asked whether you smelled alcohol on Karen’s breath last Thursday. You are surprised and ask him why. David mentions that he heard some gossip and wants to confirm if it is true or not.

    What will you do?

    1. Should you admit you smelled alcohol on Karen’s breath last week? Why or why not?
    2. What are the implications of each course of action?
    3. Would you change your answer if, instead of working at a paper supply company, you worked as a nurse?

    Individual Exercise

    Time Management Quiz

    Please answer true or false for each of the statements according to how you currently manage your time.

    1. True or false: I sort my mail when it comes in, open it, place it in a folder, and deal with it when I am ready to.
    2. True or false: I do what my boss asks me to do immediately.
    3. True or false: I don’t take breaks because they waste time.
    4. True or false: I answer the phone when it rings regardless of what I am doing.
    5. True or false: I check my e-mails as soon as they arrive.
    6. True or false: I create a “to do” list at the start of every day.
    7. True or false: I do my “heavy thinking” at the end of the day when things have calmed down.
    8. True or false: I don’t like to take vacations because making up the work is always too stressful.
    9. True or false: Multitasking helps me be more effective at work.
    10. True or false: I don’t have to organize my office, since I always know where things are.

    Group Exercise

    Time Management Analysis

    Create List 1:

    List 10 activities you did at work (or at school) yesterday.

    Create List 2:

    List 5 things you think are key to doing your job well (or doing well in school).

    Compare Lists:

    Now, look at both lists and write down which items from List 1 relate to List 2.

    Place each activity from List 1 on the following grid.


    Figure 7.15

    A graph with the spectrum of not urgent and urgent on the y-axis, and unimportant and important on the x-axis


    Group Discussion

    Now, as a group, discuss the following questions:

    1. What trends in your time management style did you notice?
    2. How much of your “work” time is being spent on things that are directly related to doing well in your work or at school?
    3. What works well for you in terms of time management?
    4. What steps could you take to improve your time management?
    5. How could your group help one another with time management?