Here is a suggested way to involve your learners in this moment on the eve of Dave Kattar’s possible firing. It is called “When the smoke clears.”

a. Set the scene. Tell the class that in about 15 minutes the person who prevails in this situation will walk through that classroom door. Will it be Marian? Will it be Dave?

b. This is a bit like an Old West gunfight. Marian fires Dave.  Vince backs Marian.  Dave is gone.  Alternatively, Marian tries to fire Dave, Vince backs Dave.  Marian is out. On the other hand, is there still a chance that both will walk through that door, reconciled, ready to turn losses into gains?

c. Form deliberation groups of 3 – 5. Have them come to consensus on who will be coming through that door (Marian, Dave, or both) and why.

d. Ask each group, through a spokesperson, to make their prediction with the reasoning behind it. 

e. Step out of the classroom. You are about to become (in a role play) the person you choose to be, Dave, Marian, or both (you have to use your imagination to play both at once). Note: An alternative is to appoint two volunteers to leave the room at the start of the exercise; one identified as Marian, the other as Dave. When you go out to bring them in, you tell them which is to enter and why. The other many come in a moment or so later to take part in the discussion, still in character to say how he or she feels about the outcome. 

f. Enter the classroom and announce who you are.

g. Allow the class to interview your character(s) to discover what happened. Here, again, you use your imagination. There is no best solution to this case, unless you believe that both could have met half way and agreed to make the relationship work. Again, this may not be what you personally believe would be the best resolution. 

h. Stepping out of character, lead a summarizing discussion of what this strategic OB moment means to the bank in the short and long run.  Has the person (or persons) stepping across that classroom threshold taken a step onto the right path for the whole organization? Alternatively, is that foot falling on the slippery slope to a failed loan organization?