I had been three months since I had arrived on the island of Kava when Alex asked me to reflect on my progress. At first, my mind was filled with thoughts of, what seemed like, endless meetings and site surveys. I recounted the many hours behind my cramped desk that had passed as I worked through various problems, contacted stakeholders, scheduled those aforementioned endless meetings, and kept in contact with the Kava Imports home office.
Alex explained that the time had come to implement the solutions identified by each project group. Loss of revenue, resources, and government support had convinced the owner of Kava Imports, Chris Morales, that "now" was the time to act. Any further delays, given the degenerating condition of the island of Kava and its people, would make restoration of the island of Kava and the business structure of Kava Imports on the island a prolonged, costly, and possibly unsuccessful endeavor. Alex and I were to become work partners during solution implementation. "This is no longer a training exercise," he explained, "We are at a point where our business' life is at stake on this island." He further explained that the implementation process was the most laborious, critical, and time-consuming part of developing a solution. As he explained, "The paper work is easy, the leg work takes the effort!"
The board of directors of Kava Imports along with a government representative had determined that the restoration of infrastructure providing potable water was the first project to be initiated. As Alex and I drove to a nearby office building where we were to meet water officials, he asked me to summarize the decision making groups findings.
I recounted my work with the water problem group. I reminded him of the University of Phoenix Nine Step decision-making process that I had described. I informed him that I used the process to