Real-Life Communication
Umpires are sticklers for rules. They tend to be excellent leaders,
exactly the kind of people you want running the show. They're professionals,
men and women with a great confidence in their ability to call it like it
is.
You're the head of officiating for a baseball league. For the past
few years, you have tried to be everyone's best friend. You believe the most
important thing is for everyone to enjoy themselves.
Unfortunately,
some people have taken advantage of the kindness. This past season was a sorry
display of unprofessionalism, with everything from bench-clearing brawls to
open drunkenness. In the eyes of many spectators, the whole thing has become
a circus. You feel it's time to step in.
As a way of bringing order
back to this once-proud league, you have decided to draft a set of five rule
infraction warnings. You want to post something that won't make the players
feel bad. At the same time, you want them to get the message that unsportsmanlike
behavior will no longer be tolerated.
Here are the five points you
want to get across to the players:
- Lately, there has been too much second-guessing of the umpires. From now
on, all decisions on balls and strikes will be final. Anyone violating this
rule will be ejected from the game.
- Team dugouts and shower areas have been vandalized of late. Persons caught
defacing league property will be expelled from future play without exemption.
- Bench-clearing brawls have become somewhat fashionable of late. In future,
any teams engaging in violence on the field will be disqualified from league
play.
- Several league participants have been caught either drunk or with alcohol.
There is to be no alcohol at any games at any time. Failure to comply with
this arrangement will result in suspension and, in more serious cases, expulsion
from league play.
- Swearing during games is not acceptable. Anyone indulging in foul language
will be ejected from the game.
You must take these five statements and set them up in a crime and
punishment chart. For example, the first one will go:
| Crime | Punishment |
| Second-guessing umpires | Ejection from game |
sIn arranging your bulletin this way, no one
will feel judged. At the same time, no one will have an excuse for not obeying
the rules.