ASSIGNMENT – Chapter 2 What Would You Do?

For each situation below, choose the response that comes closest to what you think you would do or prefer:

1. If I ask someone to do me a favor and he can’t, I would prefer that
2. he at least say he’ll try or he’ll check; then later let me know if he can’t.
3. he say “no” right away instead of saying he’ll check his schedule and let me know.
4. If people come to my office to talk and I don’t have time, I would
5. talk to them anyway and hint at the fact that I had work to do.
   b. not offer them a chair. I’d say, “I can’t talk now; I have to get this work done.”
6. If someone said she was inviting a few people from the office over for dinner and asked you to come, and you really didn’t want to socialize with people from work, would you say,
7. sorry, but I already have some plans for that night; I’ll see what I can do.
   b. I prefer to keep my work and personal life separate. Thanks for the invitation, but I don’t want to.
8. If your car was in the shop and you wanted a ride home with someone, would you
9. hint at the fact that you needed a ride?
   b. come right out and ask people if they could give you a ride home?
10. A coworker asks your opinion on a project that you think is poorly done. Would you say
11. I can see you worked hard on this; it must have been a lot of work?
    b. it looks as though you still need to work on the formatting and the conclusions?
12. You are upset about the way your coworker, with whom you share a locked office, runs out for coffee and leaves the door unlocked. Would you
13. not say anything and just hope she remembers to lock it, and make a point of locking it when you step out?
    b. address the issue with her promptly by saying you feel uneasy when you find the office unlocked with no one around?
14. You and your coworker Sue worked together and contributed equally on a project. At a staff meeting, your boss publicly commends Sue for her work on the project. Would you
15. not say anything knowing that in time you may get recognition?
    b. immediately write a memo or talk to your boss to let her know that the project was a joint one?

NOTE: The more A responses indicate more indirectness and more B responses indicate more directness.

Answer the following questions:
• When do you consider directness to be a virtue?
• When is politeness more important than directness?
• When is directness more important than polite indirectness?
• Is politeness a societal judgment? Does politeness ever constitute lying?
• Can you be direct and polite at the same time?
• Are you more or less direct with your boss than with your coworkers? Why?
• Are you most direct in downward, horizontal, or upward communication? Why?