Real-Life Decision Making
You're quietly mending the fabric on a chair top. It's a wonderful afternoon and you are happy because you have enough work to keep you occupied at the shop for the next few weeks. The phone rings and cuts into the quiet. You get up from your stool to answer. "Hello, Upscale Upholstery."
"I've got this wonderful project," says a voice excitedly into the phone. "I'd like to have the whole ceiling in my flower shop draped with fabric -- sort of twisting and twirling from the center. Do you think you could do something like that?"
You can't even begin to guess if you'll be able to take on the project over the phone. You can't see what her store is like. It sounds fascinating. And even though you have enough work to do at the shop, you arrange a consultation with the caller.
The flower store's ceiling is a tall, wide expanse of space. The owner envisions fabric twirled in the center and swooping out to the walls and curling into ornate flowerets. She looks through your book of swatches and selects a very expensive and hard-to-use fabric. But you have to admit, it would look wonderful if you could do it.
You go back to your office and ignore the work you've already neglected in order to draw up an estimate for her. You're excited about the possibilities of the project, but you're a bit shocked at the price. Because of the expensive material and the amount of time it'll take you, it will be quite expensive to decorate the ceiling.
You visit the florist again the next day. She doesn't seem to object to the price. "As long as you're sure you can do a wonderful job," she says. You get nervous. You've never tried anything like this before. It's possible that it won't work. It's also possible that it may take you much longer than you quoted and end up costing you money.
You have enough work at the office to keep you busy. Maybe it would be best not to neglect the work you're sure you can do.
"When can you start?" asks the florist.
What do you say?