1)Why are informal settings such as dinners useful? 2)Could the consultants have influenced the agenda in more formal ways? How? 3) If you had been one of the managers at the Italian restaurant, what would your views of the meeting been?  POST 1) 1.  Informal settings for meetings and to exchange information can be very useful in breaking down barriers.  Often, people feel very restricted to voice their opinions when in a formal office setting or in a boardroom with their superiors.  I have seen it often in the military where people are given an option to speak up, but no one truly feels comfortable because the setting does not fell appropriate.  Wearing casual clothes, drinking a beer, and socializing before business begins can often make leaders feel more "human" to their employees and in return lead to more honest feedback. 2.  It is possible that the consultants could have influenced the agenda in more formal ways, but several issues point to the fact that employees of the company did not feel comfortable with the leadership.  Originally, the marketing and sales manager was already skeptical of the CEOs attempt to have dinner at his own house, believing that the CEO would attempt to influence the agenda of the consultants.  Also, when the consultants invited middle management to the Italian restaraunt, it was noted that middle management had several good ideas but were always shut out and their opinions were not hear.  By breaking down those formal barriers, the consultants were able to do their job.  I believe more formal ways would have came up short of the desired effect. 3.  If I was one of the managers at the Italian restaraunt I would have been relieved that someone was finally listening to us.  It was noted that they had ideas and knew why the company was in trouble.  Middle management is the where the rubber meets the road between the employees and supervisors.  They must be involved when trying to find out better ways to run the business. CURT POST 2) During the reading of Illustration 15.3 question 1, Why are informal settings such as dinners useful?  It is custom sometimes during business dealings to set the first meeting in a relaxed environment to break the ice and ensured that everyone gets a chance to relax and express their opinions.  In this scenario that was the thought of some people but, not all had the same conclusion for a mutual meeting spot.  The CEO had other plans, and some saw it as an opportunity to persuade the consultant company in his favor. Question 2, Could the consultant have influenced the agenda in more informal ways? How? Although I understand having meetings off-site to avoid everyone at the company going crazy until the plan for the consultant is set.  Having a more formal meeting is the best practice to set the tone on how serious the situation is. I do believe that the consultant firm could have influenced a more of a formal setting. However, it is a very fragile meeting that the consultan.

1. 1)Why are informal settings such as dinners useful?
2)Could the consultants have influenced the agenda in more
formal ways? How?
3)
If you had been one of the managers at the Italian restaurant,
what would your views of the meeting been?
POST 1)
1. Informal settings for meetings and to exchange information
can be very useful in breaking down barriers. Often, people
feel very restricted to voice their opinions when in a formal
office setting or in a boardroom with their superiors. I have
seen it often in the military where people are given an option to
speak up, but no one truly feels comfortable because the setting
does not fell appropriate. Wearing casual clothes, drinking a
beer, and socializing before business begins can often make
leaders feel more "human" to their employees and in return lead
to more honest feedback.
2. It is possible that the consultants could have influenced the
agenda in more formal ways, but several issues point to the fact
that employees of the company did not feel comfortable with the
leadership. Originally, the marketing and sales manager was
already skeptical of the CEOs attempt to have dinner at his own
house, believing that the CEO would attempt to influence the
agenda of the consultants. Also, when the consultants invited
middle management to the Italian restaraunt, it was noted that
middle management had several good ideas but were always
shut out and their opinions were not hear. By breaking down
those formal barriers, the consultants were able to do their job.

2. I believe more formal ways would have came up short of the
desired effect.
3. If I was one of the managers at the Italian restaraunt I would
have been relieved that someone was finally listening to us. It
was noted that they had ideas and knew why the company was
in trouble. Middle management is the where the rubber meets
the road between the employees and supervisors. They must be
involved when trying to find out better ways to run the
business. CURT
POST 2)
During the reading of Illustration 15.3 question 1, Why are
informal settings such as dinners useful? It is custom
sometimes during business dealings to set the first meeting in a
relaxed environment to break the ice and ensured that everyone
gets a chance to relax and express their opinions. In this
scenario that was the thought of some people but, not all had the
same conclusion for a mutual meeting spot. The CEO had other
plans, and some saw it as an opportunity to persuade the
consultant company in his favor.
Question 2, Could the consultant have influenced the agenda in
more informal ways? How? Although I understand having
meetings off-site to avoid everyone at the company going crazy
until the plan for the consultant is set. Having a more formal
meeting is the best practice to set the tone on how serious the
situation is. I do believe that the consultant firm could have
influenced a more of a formal setting. However, it is a very
fragile meeting that the consultant company wants to happen.
For the consultant company to get hired, they must ensure the
CEO that the study of the company will be professional and
informative.
Question 3, If you had been one of the managers at the Italian

3. restaurant, what would your views of the meeting be? Since
only half of the managers were present for the meeting, I would
assume that I have the same opinions as the CEO and I was
invited because of that reason. I would also then question why
everyone was not present for the meeting. JOHN
POST 3)
1. In my opinion informal setting such as dinners are useful
because they can potentially break the ice. For example, being
in the military if we are out at a dinner uniform is not expected,
so seeing my commanding officer in a pair of jeans and a t shirt
rather than brass on their shoulders would put me more at ease
when having conversations.
2. I believe the consultants could have influenced the agenda in
a more formal way by, first not talking about work during a
dinner. Granted the whole purpose of the dinner was to talk
business but I feel the dinner was to establish yourself and gain
a sense of connection from the other end, like a bond.
3. If I was one of the managers being asked for drinks and food
at an Italian restaurant, I would feel there are high expectations.
I must admit I would be a tad bit nervous because I feel I
would be talking on behalf of the small organization I am in but
overall I see it as an opportunity to show the boss what I got.
Other examples, if I was going to the house for the dinner I
would do my research and buy the bottle of scotch I know my
boss likes, or at the castle, know my history to sound smarter,
and at the Italian place, be prepared to pay to leave a statement
of, I got this. Melissa
POST 4)
1.) Informal settings such as dinners play critical roles in
bringing different individuals together. First, these settings

4. allow individuals to mingle and interact more freely whereby
they can easily share ideas and feelings regarding various issues
that might be affecting them. Second, informal settings help to
build trust among individuals regardless of their social status.
For instance, senior employees get to interact with their juniors
more freely compared to formal settings where roles and classes
among workers are clearly distinguished. Third, informal
settings provide a neutral ground for workers to express their
feelings and ideas without the fear of their superiors. Lastly,
this setting is a fertile ground for influencing other individuals.
2.) Consultants play vital roles in influencing decisions and
other ideas. Therefore, consultants at Locco could have used
this ability to influence decisions made by the management
regardless of the location or surrounding environment. These
consultants were involved in carrying out extensive data
analysis with the aim of identifying the main issues that
affected the company. Consequently, it is unquestionable that
they could have used their findings to influence the nature of
the decision made by the management. Besides, management’s
decision was largely dependent on the results of their analysis.
3.) Lastly, junior managers are often assumed in the decision-
making process. However, this meeting gave them room to
express their thoughts and possible source of the organization's
problems. Therefore, the fact this meeting gave them this
opportunity shows that it was successful. However, it is
important to ensure that their ideas are also considered during
the implementation process. The senior consultant should go
beyond establishing a rapport with the managers and incorporate
their ideas as part of his findings=- Bianca
POST 5)
1) I think informal settings offer both parties to be a little more
comfortable during the meeting. I have been in formal meetings

5. as well as informal, and I think the latter is easier to conversate
about the subject. My experiences with formal meetings have
typically involved preparing a brief speech about the topic and
then answering any questions that may arise during the meeting.
When these types of interactions take place in an informal
setting, both parties have an opportunity to discuss the topic.
2) In some ways, I think the CEO may have benefited more
from formal meetings. The idea that he was trying to sway the
decisions of the consultants by having them over for dinner
might have not been an issue had the meetings happened in the
work place. Also, the meeting at the pizzeria raises some
concern for the managers that did not want to or were not able
to attend. The perception may be that the members not in
attendance do not have the best interest of the company in mind,
while that may not be the issue at all. One reason I do not like
to have business discussion outside of work is that I do not want
to mix work with outside life. If I have a cookout and invite
people from work, we are solely there for fun, not work
discussions.
3) If I were one of the managers at the pizzeria, I would not
hold the meeting against any of the members that were not
there. I think the meeting would have been more beneficial if
all of the managers were in attendance, but there may have been
underlying circumstances as to why all the members were not
there. Some people have a job only for the reason of paying
their bills, while others are striving to make it to the top. As
long as both of these types give 100% while they are at work
(on the clock), then they cannot be punished for not attending
“extracurricular” activities -Honeycutt
POST 6)
1. Informal settings such as dinner can be useful as it is a way
for people to unwind and relax and it's also an opportunity to

6. get to know one another and build relationships. An informal
setting gives you the chance to open up and voice your opinion
more freely and not feel restricted like one might feel in the
work environment.
2. Yes, I believe the consultants could have influenced the
agenda in a more formal way, for example, like conducting a
SWOT analysis of Locco to determine why the company's
profits are declining by examining the company's strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities to improve and threats. This analysis
would be conducted onsite, in the work environment, business
casual attire, conference room setting with PowerPoint
presentations and working in teams.
3. My first thought or views on meeting with the consultants
would probably have been this was their opportunity now to
pick our brains as to why the company is experiencing declining
profits and what do we as middle managers see as being the
solution. This meeting would serve as an opportunity to
exchange information or complain about some of the issues
going on in the organization that is contributing to the decline,
but because middle managers are in the trenches, they may not
get the respect they deserve so their voices aren't always heard.
My overall hopes would be that the managers would come away
from the meeting feeling positive and energized and ready to do
what they need to do to support the organization. -DANA
POST 7)
1) Informal settings such as dinner’s helps to create a conducive
atmosphere that support more personal interactions. Participants
are more likely to get an opportunity to engage with other much
more as compared when engaging in formal setup where
interactions are limited. As a result, consultants and clients are
more likely to work as team, where each strives to fulfill the
needs of the other. Apart from learning the history of a

7. company, informal setups as it is the case in the text help to
cultivate avenues for trust growth. Informal setups also help
interested parties get their positons heard and taken into
consideration, especially where they feel they have more control
and confidence as evidenced by the way the CEO and the
consultant dictated the tempo of discussion at the CE’s home
and at the castle respectively.
2) Yes, consultants could have influenced the agenda by
requesting in advance an opportunity to present their case. It
should be noted that formal meetings usually have moderators
who give an equal chance to participants to give their views. As
such, the consultants would have been in a position to influence
the agenda by making specific request of some items to be
included in the agenda. This can possibly be sort by asking for
some specific issues to be discussed in a meeting before the
actual day of the meeting. This helps each of the participants to
be aware of what is one the table. Last but not least, providing
supporting information, and examples can also help consultants
influence the process in a more formal way.
3) I would have approached the meeting more positively and
seen it as an opportunity to get to know what the consultants
have to say concerning the then state of affairs. I thought the
meeting was equally a success for both parties and created an
opportunity for better relationships between the consultants and
middle managers. Besides this, it did also create an avenue for
the middle managers to ask questions with regard to the nature
of work and what was expected of them. Lastly, such meeting
provided a perfect platform where managers could raise their
concerns that they needed to be addressed.