Scene to read · Equity, Communication
One tea since nine
You are a server at a new upscale café.
For years before the café opened, Clara, a retired neighbor in her seventies, played chess at its sidewalk table, and she still does, ordering one tea. During the weekend brunch rush your manager, Diego, comes out to where you stand beside her board.
The scene
Diego: We're full inside, and that table's been one tea since nine.
Clara: I've played chess at this table for eleven years. Before this was a café.
Diego: And I've got rent due on eight tables. Sort this out, please.
Clara: So tell me straight, dear. Is there still room on this block for me?
The two questions
- 1What would you say to Clara, and what would you say to Diego afterward?
- 2What does a new business owe the people who were in a neighborhood before it arrived?
What raters look for
- Equity
- Notices unequal access or treatment and acts fairly, especially for people with less power.
- Communication
- Listens first, speaks clearly and respectfully, and adapts the message to the listener.
Answer scenarios like this on the real timers
Answer both questions on the clock, and get each one scored 1–9 the way raters score. Your first set is free, no card.
Practice free
