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Unit 6

One of our branches being uncooperative

Min: Good morning Paul, Ann, Mike. I called for this meeting because I’ve learned that we are having
problems with one of our branch offices.
Paul: What seems to be the problem?
Min: Our branch office in Long Island is being uncooperative and we are unsure why.
Ann: Sir, what do you mean by being uncooperative?
Min: According to recent reports, they have not been properly executing some of our advertising cam-
paigns.
Ann: Oh, I see. That is a problem because all our branches should be uniform.
Min: That’s why I’ve called you here. We need to figure out why this is happening.
Paul: There are many possible causes. For instance, there could be problems with the place they work in.
Ann: Their offices are reasonably spacious. I think they’ll be comfortable in that type of environment.
Min: I agree. I was actually thinking they might not be up to date on our recent campaigns.
Mike: Marie, the Long Island Branch Coordinator was present at our last meeting, so I don’t think that’s
the case.
Ann: Are their faxes in working order? Maybe they did not receive the latest correspondence.
Min: According to the reports, all equipments seem to be in order.
Paul: I just noticed that they had a decline in sales these past three months. Could it be that the employees
are feeling depressed due to that?
Min: You might be onto something. I’ve noticed that higher sales do motivate employees to perform even
better and the opposite case also holds true.
Mike: I think I do remember that Marie did not seem as enthusiastic as usual at our last meeting.
Ann: What you’re all saying makes sense, but I think we should consider all possibilities.
Min: You’re right. So, one of the reasons could be due to lowering of their morale. What else?
Ann: We did change our sales strategy recently. Could they be having trouble adjusting to it?
Min: That is also possible. Are there any more ideas?
Mike: Sir, we did not have recent changes in employees in that branch did we? Recent changes in the
organization of people could also affect implementation of new programs.
Min: No, there were no recent changes. Well, I think we’ve been able to think of some plausible reasons.
I will send someone to visit the branch personally to ascertain. Thanks everyone! I’ll call another
meeting to discuss what we can do to correct the situation.

1. How often do you conduct or participate in problem solving meetings? How
critical are they?

Sample answer:
I often participate in troubleshooting. We have these meetings when we are faced
with sudden crises or long time issues that need to be resolved. These are essential in
the management of a business to address unavoidable situations.

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