Some situations are viewed in black and white; right and wrong. Yet, many people think situations also have a grey area where solutions are not so easily discerned. This is not just about the choices people make, but the thought process they go through to arrive at their decisions.
Submitted for Your Discussion & Consideration
One of your male co-workers is on leave, having just lost a family member. His boss has asked that everyone manage without disturbing the co-worker during this difficult time.
A customer situation arises during the leave, and no one knows where the paperwork is. You believe the problem cannot be resolved without information that only this man has.
Do you think that issues at work are important enough to call your colleague? Or do you think you would leave him alone and just find a work-around while he was out of the office? How much of a difference would it make if the colleague was female instead of male?
Issue date: August 2–15, 2013
