Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You tell the crew to begin anchoring the barge.
You think to yourself, "There's a good chance that we could do the
move without anchoring the barge. But it is too risky, since even a slight
change in wind, current or weather could jeopardize the integrity of the load.
"If the load is damaged because there is no anchor, it will be my responsibility
and my employer will be furious. It is better to ask the crew to stay and
pay overtime than to risk doing so much damage."
Some of them grumble, but they do the anchoring and you begin moving the
barge. All goes well until you approach your destination.
Suddenly, the wind comes up and the water gets choppy. The barge begins
to heave a little in the water. You would have been very worried had you not
anchored the barge. But since you did, you and the crew manage to get the
load on dry land with no trouble.
The next day, your employer tells you that you did the right thing. "If
you had not anchored the barge, you would have jeopardized the integrity of
the load and endangered the safety of the crewmembers. You made the correct
decision. I am pleased with you."
"Many of the situations movers encounter are judgment calls," says mover
Murray Nickel. "There is no substitute for experience. Before
we put a worker in a position of foreman, they have usually been working in
the field for six or eight years."