This is the latest exercise that introduces you to another person who has the potential to make your life difficult.

1. Read the following statement from Dick Warfield, the operations supervisor at the New America facility of Barry Automotive:

Every time we have a quality meeting, Brenda Wise, our plant manager, constantly interrupts the discussion. She hears a portion of the discussion and quickly puts in her two cents. Here's an example: Michael, who's from the design engineering department, and I were discussing the high percentage of product returns on Part 35A1206 from Ford's assembly plant in Lorain. Wise jumped into the middle of the conversation with the statement that the assembly workers weren't following instructions. She then stated that she had looked at the blueprints and knew that if they followed directions there would be no problem. When we tried to explain other possible causes for the returns, Wise emphatically stated that inaccurate measurement was the problem and that we were both wrong.

Wise is very opinionated and demands that you follow her directions. One-way communication is her styletop-down. In her defense, Wise is very intelligent and organized. She throws facts and figures out so quickly that we are buried by her arguments. When she can't sway us with her interpretation of the facts, she tries to "bulldoze" her ideas and solutions through the entire organization. It's clear that Wise's management style is "my way or the highway." If we were unionized, the union reps would be filing grievances left and right.

Wise even butts in where she has no business. Last week, several of us were discussing my daughter's upcoming wedding. Wouldn't you know it? Wise was passing by the break-room table, heard the discussion, and proceeded to tell me how everything ought to be donethe "Wise Way" is the only way, according to her.

I know that Wise is very knowledgeable in some aspects of work, but she hasn't realized that "none of us is as smart as all of us!" Her sarcasm and know-it-all attitude are driving me crazy. I'd like to look for another job, but I feel I'm trapped here. What do I do?

INTERNET ACTIVITY

1. Using the Internet, find at least three sources of information on how to deal with Brenda Wise. Carefully review each site for suggestions on how to deal with the "know-it-all."
2. Based on your findings, what suggestions would you make to Dick Warfield on how to cope with Wise?