Solve a management problem
Start with what is actually happening at work. Each problem shows the course concepts underneath it, the questions that diagnose it, and a first move you could make Monday.
My boss is terrible. What is actually going wrong?
- Which of the five functions is failing: no plan, poor organization, no development, weak leadership, or no feedback?
- Is this a skills problem (a great technician promoted into management) or a values problem?
- Does your boss have the authority to fix what you need fixed, or are decisions made above them?
Separate the person from the system. Write down two specific behaviors and what they cost the team, then ask for one change in a one-on-one.
My coworker doesn't pull their weight.
- Is the work clearly assigned, or can effort hide inside the group?
- Does the coworker know what is expected (Direct & Deploy), have the skills (Teach & Transform), and see a reason to try (Reward & Retain)?
- What group norms have formed around effort?
Make individual contributions visible: agree on who owns which deliverable and when, in writing, before raising it with a supervisor.
How do I motivate someone?
- Does the person believe effort will lead to performance, and performance to a reward they value?
- Do they see the situation as fair compared with others?
- Is the goal clear and challenging but reachable?
Ask before you assume. A five-minute conversation about what they value beats a generic incentive.
Should I quit this job?
- Which DART lever is failing for you: the work, the fit, the rewards, or growth?
- Is the problem fixable with one conversation, or structural?
- What did you expect when you took the job, and what changed?
Score your job on each DART lever, then talk with your manager about the lowest one before deciding. Have your next step lined up before you leave.
How do I give someone difficult feedback?
- Am I describing behavior I observed, or my interpretation of it?
- Have I checked for confirmation bias: am I only noticing evidence that fits my view?
- What do I want them to do differently, specifically?
Use Situation, Behavior, Impact, and a request. See the feedback template in the Toolkit.
Why won't people accept this change?
- What do people lose if the change happens: status, skills, routines, relationships?
- Were they involved, or informed after the decision?
- Does the change fit the culture, or fight it?
Name the loss out loud and involve the people affected in designing how the change rolls out.
Should I delegate this?
- Who is closest to the information this decision needs?
- What is the cost if it goes wrong, and can it be reversed?
- Am I holding on because it is risky, or because I am good at it and like doing it?
Delegate the outcome and the authority together, agree on check-in points, and use the delegation plan in the Toolkit.
How should I make this decision?
- Is this decision programmed (routine) or nonprogrammed (new and messy)?
- How reversible is it, and how much search does it deserve?
- What evidence would change my mind?
List the options and criteria in a weighted decision matrix (Toolkit), then run the bias check in the AI Lab.
Why is this team dysfunctional?
- Does the team share a clear goal, or does each person have their own?
- Are roles clear? Who does what?
- Is conflict about tasks (useful) or about people (corrosive)?
Hold a 20-minute reset: agree on the goal, roles, and how you will make decisions. Write it down as a team charter (Toolkit).
Is this workplace practice ethical?
- Who are the stakeholders and what does each gain or lose?
- Run the four lenses: utility, rights, justice, virtue. Where do they disagree?
- Does it pass the publicity test and the reversibility test?
Write down the trade-off you would accept and why. If you cannot defend it out loud, that is your answer.