Pass-Ed.'s Living Textbook
Free Lesson Plans for Teachers
Alpha Stage
Who is Robert Gates?
November 9, 2006
Only one day after his party lost control of the U.S Congress, in the
2006 elections, President Bush has ousted Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld. In his place, he has nominated Dr. Robert M.
Gates. In comparing Gates to Rumsfeld, The Washington Post states:

A native Kansan with shrewd bureaucratic instincts, Gates lacks the
top-down, take-no-prisoners managerial style that won Rumsfeld
enemies and instead is more likely to set up task forces and forge
agreements behind the scenes, associates said. While Rumsfeld issues
flurries of directives and memos, nicknamed "snowflakes," in keeping
with his business-executive past, Gates is a listener and leads with the
inherent circumspection of an intelligence analyst…

If the U.S. Senate accepts the President’s nomination of him, which
seems likely, Gates will become the next head of the Pentagon.

Read the Article!!


Discussion-Starters:

  • Ask your child(ren) what the following words mean:
    "manager," "compromise," and "tension." Ask your child(ren)
    to offer an example of a compromise in which they have been a
    part. Tell them about a time when you have had to compromise
    with somebody else.
  • Ask if your child(ren) think it’s easier for the boss to
    simply tell people who work for him/her what to do or
    to involve them in the decision making process. Why?
    Ask, if one’s hope is to have other people help him/her
    achieve his/her objectives is it smarter to simply tell
    them what to do or to involve them in the decision
    making process? Why? Would your children prefer to
    be told what to do or asked their opinion as to what
    should be done? Why? Share your own thoughts on
    these questions.

  • Inquire as to whether it is more important, equally important, or
    less important for a manager to involve others in the decision
    making process in an office or on the battlefield? Encourage
    your child(ren) to support their opinions. What do you think?
    Why?
  • In the United States, the Secretary of Defense
    represents the President in leading the nation’s entire
    military. But, he is not in the military. Instead, he/she is
    a civilian. So, generals receive their orders from people
    who are not in the military. In many other nations, the
    head of the military is actually in the military. Ask your
    child(ren) if they think it’s a good idea that the military
    is overseen by somebody who is not in the military.
    Why? What might be some of the
    advantages/disadvantages of having a civilian lead the
    military? What do you think? (Bear in mind that in some
    countries governments have been taken over, in coups,
    by the military.)

  • W. Edward Demings is well known for his thoughts on the
    importance of involving people whom will help managers
    achieve objectives in the decision making process. With your
    child(ren) consider perusing the quotes found here.  Together
    ask what a few of the statements mean. How do they apply to
    the differences between Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld?
    What kind of meaning might these quotes have to your own
    lives?
If you like these
lesson ideas
you'll love our
newsletter!!
Learn More!!
Google