Whose Job Is It

$?$

Sanjay Patel was walking quickly through the office building on his way to a meeting with the other managers when his assistant, Robyn, ran up behind him.

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Mr

$.$

$$Patel$,$ I know you

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re busy, but I just can

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t figure out how to finish this budget report. I know it

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s due by tomorrow, do you think you could help me with it

$?$

$$

$$

$$

Sure

$,$

$$Robyn$,$ let me take a look at it

$.$

$$I

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ll get back to you later today.

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A few moments later, Phil, a sales associate in Sanjay

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s division, stopped him.

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Sorry to bother you, but I didn

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t get those sales projections finished. I know I said I could probably finish them by today

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s meeting, but I couldn

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t find the information from the Midwest locations.

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$$

$$

All right, I can get that information for you this afternoon. I

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ll get back to you on it

$,$

$$

$$Sanjay answered.

That afternoon, Phil called.

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Did you have a chance to finish the sales projections?I

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d like to get them over to the head office today.

$$

$$

$$

I

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m still working on it

$,$

$$

$$was Sanjay

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s reply.

About an hour later, Robyn came by Sanjay

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s office.

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How is it going? Did youfinish the budget report for me

$?$

$$

At about that time, it occurred to Sanjay that something was not right with this situation. How did he

$,$

$$as the manager, become responsible for reporting back to his own assistant and others who should have been working for him? $1.$ Has a situation like this ever happened to you? What did you do at the time? What would you do differently if it happened to you again?