Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You make the reservation.
You are the group leader when the day of the hike arrives. You set out
on the hike with your equipment and supplies, a group of seasoned hikers and
the family with children.
Not an hour into the trip, the kids fall behind the group. The group has
to stop frequently to allow the family to catch up. You notice that the other
hikers are beginning to get annoyed.
As you continue on the hike, at a pace too slow for the advanced hikers,
you approach a particularly difficult and steep area of the mountains. The
father of the children tells you that he does not think his kids are going
to be able to maneuver through the difficult passage. He asks if the group
can take an alternate path.
You can't take a chance when it comes to the safety of your clients. You
make a detour, avoiding the difficult passage. The route you are taking now
is below the skill level of the advanced hikers. You can tell that they are
not pleased with the lack of challenge the hike is presenting.
As the two-day trip continues, the discontent of the advanced hikers becomes
clearer. By the end of the trip, you have heard complaints from nearly every
member of the group. Some hikers want their money to be refunded, since the
hike did not deliver what was promised.
"There is a tremendous amount of responsibility for the guides and it can
be very exhausting," says Fritz Moriarty, who leads a tour company. "Working
with groups requires patience. You have to be on your toes at all times despite
how tired or uncomfortable you might be."
In the next few days, your office receives many letters from unhappy hikers.
Your boss is not pleased that you allowed novice hikers to sign up for the
advanced hike.