"I'd like to sum up what we've been talking about during this four-week management seminar," said Professor Stilwell to Trina Morgan and nineteen other participating managers. "Research and practical experience both show that if you give your employees the opportunity, they will get together, discuss problems, analyze alternatives, and then come up with good decisions that they will implement with enthusiasm."
Morgan was persuaded that group discussion and group decision making could work at Hoffman Restaurant, where she was manager. Once back at the restaurant, she called together thirty servers and relayed this message.
"Our current service standards were established seven years ago. Last year we installed automated equipment in the delivery system to make your work easier, and raised your pay as a reward for work well done, but we have not changed the service standards. I am asking you to discuss the situation thoroughly and then to decide what the new standards should be in both the cocktail and food areas. I'll be back at 11 o'clock to hear what you have decided." Morgan thought surely that the employees would set high standards and, because they had made the decision themselves, would try extra hard to achieve them.
When Morgan returned, she listened to head server Rollie Morris, spokesman for the group: "Ms. Morgan, we appreciate your faith in us, and we are convinced that we have justified that faith by coming to the right decision. We talked it over and decided that, even with the automated equipment, which is now a part of the delivery system, the service standards are still too high. We have to just about kill ourselves to meet them, and we all go home dragging. Therefore, we unanimously agreed to abolish the standards. They make this place feel like a production line. We can deliver more wow if we are just left on our own."
The servers cheered and smiled. Morgan excused herself from the meeting, went to her office, and placed a call to Professor Stilwell.

1. Is there a leadership problem at Hoffman Restaurant?
2. What mistakes, if any, did Trina Morgan make?
3. What will Professor Stilwell say? How will he advise Trina Morgan?
4. Do you think his advice will work?