Operations & Logistics
The Situation
You are called into a meeting shortly after arriving at work. You were told it relates to “yesterday’s operations,” but nothing more.
From the opening explanation, you learn that a shipment was delayed, and the delay caused downstream issues for multiple teams. There are conflicting reports about where the breakdown occurred.
Someone from operations is present. A supervisor from another department has joined the meeting. Your manager is listening carefully. You were involved in part of the process, but you don’t yet know which step is under review.
You are expected to respond quickly and clearly. Long pauses may be seen as uncertainty or avoidance.
Your Task
Respond immediately and professionally.
You do not have all the information, but you are still required to respond.
Guessing or shifting blame may create more problems.
Questions
“Can you explain your role in this process?”
“When did you first become aware of the delay?”
“What information did you have at the time?”
“Was this issue reported immediately?”
“Which teams were involved at this stage?”
“Do you know where the breakdown occurred?”
“Was this within your area of responsibility?”
“Were standard procedures followed?”
“Did anything seem unusual that day?”
“Who else had access to this information?”
“Are you saying this delay was unavoidable?”
“Could this have been prevented?”
“Why wasn’t this escalated sooner?”
“What decisions were made under pressure?”
“What would you do differently next time?”
“How should we address the impact now?”
“Is there anything you want to clarify?”
“What support would have helped in this situation?”
“Do you believe communication was clear?”
“Is there anything else we should review?”
