1. This is a classic case of a time robber. If you were Jeff and Kevin, how would you respond to Reid? Keep in mind that he is the president of the company and the one signing checks. What other policies or guidelines, if any, would you put in place concerning other time robbers, such as the following:
• Reading email (shut it down and only open it at certain times during the day)
• Personal calls (try to make sure everyone knows when it is appropriate to call)
• Bathroom breaks (when needed)
• Smoking (which is not allowed in the building; individuals who smoke must do it outside) (Make sure to schedule convenient times and group several things together like a bathroom break and then a smoke break.
• Lunch breaks (make sure to keep it to the allotted time)
• Nonproductive meetings (cancel them, make sure meetings are run correctly and the right people are invited)
• Personal time (to run errands, go to doctor appointments, pick up kids up at school, and so on) (keep it to a minimum and bunch things together as much as possible)
As you answer, keep in mind employee morale. You don't want disgruntled employees.
2. If you were Kevin, how would you respond to Reid? How would you explain the scheduling of 6-hour days even though employees are required to work an 8-hour day? If you were Kevin, how could you convince Reid that mandatory overtime is not always a good idea?
3. How should Jeff and Kevin respond to Reid? Can you explain to Reid that adding another person might cause the schedule to expand, not be reduced? Help Jeff and
Kevin explain the "mythical man-month" to Reid.