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Dear Bob,

I share a car with four friends—already a bad idea, according to some—that we couldn't afford individually. We thought it'd be a good experience, and fun, to work on it together, learning stuff, sharing the glory and expense, that sort of thing. Well, it basically needs everything—engine, transmission, suspension, interior, you name it—and we can't decide what to do next. Without boring you with the gory details, how should we set priorities in this project without going for each other's throats?

MARTIN GANZ, Detroit, Michigan

You said it yourself: a bad idea! Ask yourself how five smart guys could possibly have embarked on such a hopeless, demotivating project. Was alcohol involved? My suggestion: Get together sober, agree it was a bad idea, and sell it to five other guys, if you can find them.

I'm working a job I like at a great company, but I've been offered a similar position at a smaller outfit, albeit one with a lot more prestige. The opportunity is tempting. Word is you were once in a similar situation; they say you were offered the chance to run Porsche and turned it down. Seems like that would have been an amazing gig. Is this story true, and if so, why did you say no?

JAMIE GINSBERGER, San Francisco, California

I was, in fact, once approached to see if I was interested in becoming CEO of Porsche. But I was chairman of Ford of Europe at the time, about to become executive vice president of Ford International Operations, and I wasn't ready for a job that would likely be my last. Plus, at BMW, I had absorbed enough experience working for a family-controlled German company. The leadership has to please both the shareholders and the family, often a difficult balancing act.

I sit in a lot of meetings. I'm even expected to hold them for my department. And I feel like it's a huge waste of time almost every time. I get the idea of letting everyone have a say, but I don't see why email can't do that. Then at home, I don't know why my wife seems to think the family has to sit around a table if it isn't dinnertime—maybe I sound like a jerk, but it's not like my kids get a vote on anything anyway. Does anything important ever get decided in meetings, or am I safe letting my mind wander during these get-togethers?

MARION WAYS, Tallahassee, Florida

I sympathize, but a certain number of admittedly painful meetings are necessary, and they have to be face-to-face. In your leadership positions at work and at home, you should focus on substance, move it along, and use the gathering to lead, educate, inspire, impart your views. That's your duty. But when you find yourself in huge meetings run by someone senior and you wonder why you're there, it's okay to sleep. I did.

My beloved Toyota pickup is just about shot—it's past the point of no return, there are patches on top of patches, and fixing it up one more time isn't an option. Problem is, these Toyotas are scarce in my part of the country, no one makes a decent small pickup any more, and there's nothing else for me. Why doesn't anyone offer a decent small pickup, and what's wrong with me that I don't want anything but?

KARL KOLB, Laramie, Wyoming

Your condition isn't serious. Rare, but eminently treatable. Find a late-model small pickup from just about anyone … a Ford Ranger, Chevy S-10, whatever Nissan that was, etc. Make sure it's reasonably low-mileage. The reason I call your condition "rare" is that most buyers opt for full-size: The small trucks simply got squeezed out of the market.


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