Problem-Solution Example
------------------------

See scenario and first solution in handout.

Problems with solution in handout:

-- Tone is informal.
-- Word choice in many places is awkward and inappropriate.

Here is a better memo:

TO:    President Soto, Vice President Strauss, Secretary Chang
FROM:  Nadine Rich, Personnel Manager
RE:    Employee lateness

Our company is facing a serious problem. Employees in virtually every
department are regularly coming in from 15 to 45 minutes late. A brief survey
of department heads shows that at least 75 percent of the employees in each
department are at least 15 minutes late at least twice a week, while almost
40 percent are at least half an hour late at least once a week. I estimate that
this is costing us some 30 hours of lost time per week -- almost a full work
week!

Department heads were not able to explain the reasons for this problem. This
in itself is significant: Clearly, department heads are not talking to their
employees about the lateness. Clearly, too, employees are not receiving the
message from their supervisors that this lateness is unacceptable.

Under the circumstances, I can think of three possible approaches we might take:
 
1. We could dock employees' pay based on how late they are. Once an employee
   is more than 15 minutes late, he or she might lose a quarter of an hour's
   pay. Each additional 15 minutes lateness would cost another quarter-hour's
   pay.

   Of course, employees will resent this, and it might lead to low morale.
   Supervisors might therefore be unhappy with this solution. However, this is
   a serious problem, so perhaps we need to show employees and supervisors
   that we are serious about it.
 
2. We could give them an hour's pay for every week without lateness. You may
   object to paying people for work they don't do. However, if this measure
   raises morale while ending lateness, it might be worth the cost.

3. Supervisors might meet with any employee who is late more than twice in two 
   weeks. Our department heads may not feel comfortable with this approach,
   particularly since it requires them to discipline employees.

   However, department heads are responsible for supervising their workers. 
   This policy would signal how serious we re without actually punishing anyone.
   Employees might respond well to this approach, and of course, it won't cost
   any money.

Whatever we decide, we need to move fast. Every week that goes by represents
30 hours of employee time lost through lateness.