Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You refuse to interrupt the meeting.
The councilor on the phone is furious. "But this is important!" he shouts into the phone. "I must talk to him. There's a danger of rioting and violence downtown. Something has to be done now!"
You politely tell the caller that the mayor will be done in another 15 to 20 minutes, and that you will wait until then to address him.
When the mayor finally does come out of the meeting, he is distressed by your message.
"Oh, my gosh," he blurts out. "You should have told me right away. These situations can get out of hand very quickly."
"You are the mayor's front person," says Jeannie Bates, a protocol official. "You have to keep people from interrupting meetings, but you also have to know when you need to intervene.
"You also have to keep the mayor on schedule. He can't simply look at his watch during a meeting, and so it's your job to know whether to interrupt."