Devising a Cleaning Schedule

Submitted by Group B
Anderson, Alyssa
Corwell, Anika
Horrocks, Jaclyn
Humphries, Sarah
Salt Lake Community College
COMM 1010-405 Su15
July, 21 2015

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Project Description

Methods

Part
4
Part
4-6
Part
7
Part
7-8
Part

I: Problem Question
II: Analyzing the Problem
III: Setting Criteria
IV: Brainstorming Solutions
V: Analyzing Solutions

8-9
Part VI: Implementing the Solution
10-11
Conclusion
12
Works Cited
13
Appendices
Appendix 1: Team Contract
14
Appendix 2: Comparison Chart
15
Appendix 3: Participation Points
16

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Executive Summary
The following report is a group project regarding the decision making process
focusing on the PAC_BOY acronym method. The problem question Group B
chose to analyze was to determine a cleaning schedule for a group of
individuals living together. Our goal was to divide the tasks evenly while not
causing offence to anyone.
Our group used the PAC_BOY method to reach the most appropriate solution.
This was done by evaluating the problem at hand and formulating a question
to answer, then the problem was analyzed and criteria set for the solution.
Once we had an idea of what we wanted to accomplish we brainstormed
possible solutions and weighted their effectiveness. Lastly we implemented
our chosen solution.
As a group we decided the most effective solution was to have a rotating
chore chart that all roommates help to implement. This allows all members
to take pride and responsibility in their living environment while
strengthening communication.

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Project Description
There are five friends who decided to all go to the same school together and
become roommates. As the school work piled up the house began to get very
messy and no one seemed to want to clean up, especially if it wasnt their
mess. It started to also put a damper on their friendships because everyone
was getting upset and hostile. One or two individuals were the ones being
lazy and not helping keep the house tidy so they decided to come up with
different solutions for what they can do to create a cleaning schedule that
does not offend anyone and also is divided equally.
We are group B, four students enrolled at Salt Lake Community College in
COMM 1010. We were assigned to solve the problem of living with messy
housemates that are your friends, but end up not keeping their end of the
bargain when they get busy with school work. This creates a dilemma
between friends. Our open ended question was, "How can the housemates
determine a cleaning schedule that divides responsibilities evenly and does
not offend anyone?" Three of the five roommates are not helping with
keeping the house clean. That can cause stress and tension in the house. It
could also hurt friendships. We brainstormed some ideas to help keep the
hours tidy but also keep the chores fair.
We decided on the solution to rotate chore responsibilities and making a
chore chart for the roommates to follow. The roommates will decide what
chores will be on the chart, the frequency of the rotation, make the chart
then they will all sign a contract saying they will follow the chart and do their
part. Its very important to find a solution to this type of problem and
communicate with each other. This can affect so many people in a negative
way. Its good to accept responsibilities and take pride in your home so you
all enjoy living there.

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Methods
To begin our journey as a team, we commenced by constructing a Team
Contract where we listed the roles and norms for each member (see
Appendix 1). Then, we applied the most practiced problem-solving method,
the reflective-thinking sequence, to begin solving our problem. (Adler,
Elmhorst, & Lucas, p. 236) The reflective-thinking system is a seven-step
method. As a group we went through each of these seven steps below in
order to come up with the best resolution for our problem. This method helps
you look at all angles of the problem and any negative impacts possible
solutions may present with. Below we will go into full detail about all of the
methods and findings we came up with each step of the way. After
completion, we have assigned participation points to each member in our
group based on how well they contributed to the overall quality and end
product of our project. (see Appendix 3).
Part I: Problem Question
We used an open-ended question to state our problem. This was to avoid
coming up with only one solution that would work for that particular
question. We also didnt want our question to be too broad. We went by a
motto from the book when choosing our problem question, which was: The
best problem statements are phrased as probative questions that encourage
exploratory thinking. (Adler, Elmhorst, & Lucas, p. 236)
As a group, we unanimously agree that our problem question would be: How
can the housemates determine a cleaning schedule that divides
responsibilities evenly and does not offend anyone?
Part II: Analysis of the Problem
A. Characteristics

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1. Social Problems: The issue is that 3 of the 5 roommates are falling

2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

behind on a commitment that they made to keep the house

clean and this can cause animosity among friends. The 3 friends
have also ignored some of the hints so this is causing the other 2
to feel uncomfortable and worry about the dynamic of the
relationship.
Stress: Due to three of the roommates failing to uphold their
commitment, two of the roommates are feeling stressed about
how to approach the others about the issue. Also, they are
stressing about the effects it will have on the relationships in the
house.
Tension: Living together makes the roommates have to deal
with one another much more than they would have to if they
didnt live together. If they are not happy with one another not
holding up their end of the commitment there is going to be
tension in the house that will eventually be noticeable.
Friendship: There could be a loss of friendship if a solution is
not found to the problem.
Fairness: Some of the roommates feel as though they are being
forced to compensate for the others due to them slacking on the
responsibilities of the house. This is causing them to feel like the
load of the house chores isnt fair.
Happiness: If they can all sit down and come to an agreement
they could be happy with the end result of a clean house and
friendships that could be made stronger and not have any
animosity towards one another.
Peace: If they can work the issue out they will not have any
stress to deal with and they will also have a clean home.

B. Stakeholders
1. Manager of the building: If the roommates let the house get
dirty enough the manager of the building could possibly face
code violations. He may also have to end up replacing certain
parts of the home due to permanent damage from not being
properly maintained. It is also stressful and disrespectful to him
that they are not taking care of the property. The managers goal
is to have his tenants respect and maintain his property
according to the contact/lease that was signed when they moved
in.

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2. All Roommates: Feeling disrespected, embarrassed, stressed,

and has built-up animosity towards those that are not doing their
part in maintaining the home. The roommates goals are to have
peace in their home, maintain a clean home, do an equal amount
of work, and not offend each other in the process.
3. Friends & Visitors: They would feel embarrassed, disrespected,
and awkward coming to visit the home in the state it is in. As
well as feeling uncomfortable with the problems between the
roommates over the messiness. Their goals are to come visit a
clean environment, free from animosity, and have their friends
live in the same type of environment.
C. History
1. Face-to-Face: Some people are better about things when you sit
down face-to-face to resolve the issue. This solution works well. I
know because I had a very messy roommate and I would send
her text messages and ask her to take out the trash, do the
dishes, etc. None of it ever got done. Then, I finally sat her down
and let her know that it was not fair that I was doing everything
so that our place didnt start to stink and become dirty.
2. Ignoring the Problem: Letting the trash build up until someone
is finally sick of it and takes it out or not doing the dishes. I really
dont think this is a good method. I believe it would cause a lot of
resentment between roommates.
3. Make a Sign: Put a nice, friendly sign on the refrigerator, doors,
and shower, or anywhere the roommate(s) will see it. I think this
could be a good solution. The roommate(s) would be seeing it
and getting a reminder. I dont think it would cause resentment
because I know I forget things sometimes and it would be nice to
have little reminders.
4. Yell or get upset: Yelling or getting really upset would not be a
good solution. It would make the house/apartment uncomfortable
where no one would want to be around you or each other. It
might also open the roommates eyes to understand that it is not
acceptable to leave a mess and not help out with household
chores.
D. Policies & Politics
1. Lease Agreement: When the roommates moved into the
property they would have signed a lease with the property
manager. This could alter what solutions we are allowed to
finalize due to restrictions in the lease.
2. Roommate Agreement: Having an agreement between the
roommates could impact our solution depending on what

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parameters are in place in the agreement. As well as whether or

not everyone abides by the agreement.
3. Heath Code: There are health codes that are mandatory in each
state in which inhabitants of buildings must abide by. We must
ensure that our solution is in line with the health codes for our
area.
E. Resources
1. Communications Textbook: To approach the situation as a
conversation with all parties, taking into account all the different
aspects at hand and working together towards a solution that
everyone can agree on.
2. Internet Search: Offered multiple solutions to the problem
including: cleaning up for them, being passive-aggressive in
multiple ways, being aggressive, how to speak with them and
formulate a plan together. The Internet search also gave an idea
of the cost of hiring a housekeeper and the different
companies/individuals that are hirable.
3. Friends in similar situations: Suggest having each person
clean up after themselves and their guests. As well as having a
rotating chore chart for the larger/occasional tasks (vacuuming,
putting the dishes away, cleaning the shared rooms).
4. Family: Suggested to hire a housekeeper.

Part III: Criteria

Determining a set of criteria to evaluate our solutions was an important step
we took before looking into solutions. This way our solution(s) is based on
our set of criteria, and not vice versa. The criteria we came up with will be
utilized later on in Step V to evaluate the solutions we have proposed.
In order to determine our criteria, we restated our general goal and listed the
criteria we felt would help meet that goal. Many of the criteria we ended up
with are based around communication.
A. General Goal
1. Our general goal is for the roommates to derive a way to have a
clean house and still maintain a good relationship.
B. Specific Criteria (in order of importance)

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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Have a good clean environment to live in.

Greater respect for one another.
Cost less than $25 a month total.
Encourage open communication.
Be achievable within a four-week time frame.
Apply principles of effective communication that we are learning
in the class.
7. Ease tension between roommates.
8. Form a closer bond between friends.
9. Each roommate will feel gratification by doing his or her part.
10.
Pride.
Part IV: Brainstorm Possible Solutions
Next, we mustered up a list of possible solutions to our problem. The
brainstorming process was a fun way to get our creative juices flowing and
come up with ideas, even if they seemed crazy and would never actually be
practical. Brainstorming is a way to encourage freethinking and minimize
conformity. (Adler, Elmhorst, & Lucas, p. 234) You could really see the bond
our group has during this process. We were laughing and having fun while
throwing out out-of-this-world solutions.
Below is this list of ideas that our group came with up. Obviously some of
them are more practical than others, but we are happy with the fun list we
were able to brainstorm.
a. Make a chore list.
b. Put one person in charge of making sure everyone is doing his or her
chores.
c. Buy a new house every time it gets dirty.
d. Hire a maid.
e. Have one person in charge of cleaning.
f. Lock the messy individuals out of the house.
g. Rotating chore responsibilities.
h. The person that doesnt clean cannot have access to the Internet
(change wifi password).
i. Whoever doesnt do their cleaning for the week has to do all the
cleaning for a month.
j. Dont allow the messy person to wash their clothes.
k. Whoever doesnt clean has to wear a shirt that says, Im DIRTY!
l. Make the person that doesnt clean wear a dunce hat.
m. Throw all the trash in the dirty persons room.
n. Make the person that doesnt clean stay in a hotel for a week as
punishment.
Part V: Solution Analysis

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In Step V, we started to analyze our solutions based on our set of criteria in

Part III.
First, as a group we took an overview of the list of solutions we had come up
with and narrowed them down to our top six. The process we used to choose
the top six solutions was based on whichever solutions were the most
efficient, practical, and communication building. After unanimously agreeing
as a team we put the top six together and came up with some great
solutions for our problem.
A. Narrowed List of Solutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Whoever doesnt clean has to wear a shirt that says, Im DIRTY!

Make a chore list.
Hire a maid.
Rotating chore responsibilities.
The person that doesnt clean cannot have access to the Internet
(change wifi password).
6. Dont allow the messy person to wash their clothes.
B. Chart
We produced a chart (see Appendix 2) to help us appraise each of
our suggested solutions against each of our criterion. Looking at our
chart you will find our solutions listed horizontally on the top, and
each of our criterion listed down the left-hand side. For each of our
criterion, we chose a ranking from zero (does not meet this
criterion) to five (meets this criterion very well). At the end, all of
the rankings for each solution were tallied and we were given an
idea of which one of our solutions could best fit our list of criteria.
Understanding that we are not required to choose the highestranking solution on the chart, but it is helpful for us to see which
solutions are more practical and effective than others in a different
format.

C. Final Solution
Solutions two (make a chore list) and four (rotating chore
responsibilities) tied for the highest-ranking when it came to our
chart. We also know from learning about the reflective thinking
sequence that we need to embrace our common sense, intuition,
and logic when deciding on our final solution. We again reviewed

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the numbers on the chart and discussed each solution in-depth as a

group before making a final decision.
In the end, we decided upon solution four: rotating chore
responsibilities. Utilizing a house contract, rotating chore chart with
a descriptive list of chores, and open communication the
roommates will be able to work together in order to resolve the
issue of their messy house. They will each focus on respecting each
other and maintaining a peaceful, clean home.
This solution exceeds all others because:
a. It opens up the lines of communication between all of the
housemates.
b. It provides a set contract of guidelines and responsibilities for
everyone to follow so that there is no miscommunication.
c. This solution ensures each area of our criteria that we devised is
taken care of.
d. It leads to more respect, tranquility, and cleanliness in the home.
e. All of our stakeholders will be pleased with the outcome of this
particular solution.
f. This solution ensures that we are inline with the policies and
politics outlined in Part II: Section D.
D. Possible Negative Consequences
Whenever you are dealing with a problem there is never going to be
a perfect solution, but you can look at all of the facts and make an
educated decision on a good solution to try. There is always a
chance that you will run into some negative consequences when
you try to implement a solution. For our solution one of the possible
negative consequences would be that one or more of the
housemates decides to disregard the contract
requirements/expectations and doesnt perform their assigned
chores. This would lead to a cascade effect other housemates
feeling disrespected, stressed, and create tension and animosity in
the home.
If these negative consequences do occur, our recommendation
would be that the housemates sit down again as a group and
discuss implementing the repercussions of not following the
contract that they all agreed to. If the problem persists after that,
they could talk to their property manager about asking to remove
the problem housemate from the lease due to their inability to
follow house rules and keep the house in accordance with health
codes.

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Part VI: Implementation of Solution

After deciding upon our solution, we determined the steps we would
take in order to implement it.
A. Create a contract The housemates will need to create a
contract in order to ensure everyone knows the requirements
and expectations that they have. Creating the contract will
help open up the lines of communication between the
housemates and relieve any built up tension about certain
issues. Each housemate can get personal pet peeves out at
that time that they wish to add to the contract and each
member of the house can vote on whether or not it should be
added. This will help meet many of the criteria that we
determined was important.
1. Determine dates that chores should be done on or
completed by.
2. Determine when and who will purchase the cleaning
supplies and which supplies will be purchased.
3. Determine what the consequences are for a
housemate that chooses not to follow the contract
requirements/expectations.
4. Determine rewards for the house when everyone
participates equally and communicates effectively.
B. Determine what chores will be on the chart The housemates
will collectively determine which chores in the home should be
on the chart in order to not cause any confusion when it
comes time to participate in completing chores. This list
should be added as an appendix to the house contract.
1.
Determine which areas of the home are common and
will be cleaned by all housemates.
2.
Determine which areas of the home are not common
and will be cleaned solely by individuals and which
individuals will be responsible for which areas.
3.
Determine which specific duties need to be
performed in which areas. For example, in the
kitchen the floors, dishes, counters, refrigerator,
oven/stove, etc. need to be cleaned.
4.
Determine who will be responsible if there is a large
gathering or party held at the home. Will the chore
chart stand as usual? Or will there be an alternate
chart for special occasions depending on who had
people over, etc.

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C. Determine the frequency of rotation of the chores Due to the

different nature of different chores in the home it is important
to determine how often the housemates will perform each
duty. This ensures each of these chores are being performed
timely and none of them are being neglected due to only
being done when all of the other chores are getting done as
some of them need to be done more frequently.
1. Determine how often each chore needs to be
performed in each area. For example, dishes-as
needed, dusting-two times per month, etc.
2. Determine based on the frequency of the rotation
how often each person will be required to do each
chore.
3. Determine based on the frequency of the rotation
how often cleaning supplies will need to be
purchased in order to plan ahead for a cleaning
supply budget.
D. Create a chore chart In order to take out all of the confusion
and miscommunication of who is assigned to which chore, it is
important to create a chore chart. This will reduce any
animosity or hard feelings between the housemates if
someone forgets to do it. It will serve as a visual reminder to
each member what they are responsible for that week/month
to complete in order to keep a clean home for everyone to
reside in.
1.
Using the chores that were determined earlier, add
each of them to the chore chart for full recognition.
2.
Using the frequency that was determined previously,
add beside each chore so housemates will know how
often these are to be performed.
3.
This chart should be large, noticeable, readable, and
can be created with the help of all housemates so
everyone feels included and proud of the finished
product.
4.
A special occasion chore chart (separate from the
normal chart) should also be designed in order to be
able to be utilized when the home holds special
events. Due to the fact that special events generally
cause a lot of extra messes than just the general
day-to-day messes.

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5.

If any of the housemates have a special interest in

always performing a certain chore because they
enjoy it the group can decide whether they agree or
not and add the person permanently on that specific
chore.

Conclusion
As a group of four students enrolled in Communications 1010 at Salt Lake
Community College we were given the challenge of solving an issue among
roommates that were also friends. The issue was that some of the
roommates were falling behind and failing to do their cleaning duties which
put the other roommates in a bind.
We used the PAC_BOY problem solving technique that brought us to the
solution of making a chore chart that everyone in the house would agree on.
The chart would list the cleaning duties and the duties would also rotate
each month. We decided on this because everyone could have their input on
making the chore chart and be able to agree on what was included on the
chart. This way there would not have to be a confrontation or loss of
friendship due to the animosity that was growing among some of the
roommates due to chores not being done. If everyone agrees on the chart
then if they dont do their part it would be okay for the other roommates to
say something to them without feeling out of place because that roommate
agreed to the chore chart.

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Works Cited

Adler, R & J. Elmhorst.(2013). Communicating at Work: SLCC Custom Edition.

New York: McGraw Hill.

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Appendix 1: Group B Team Contract

Class: COMM 1010-405
Semester: Summer 2015
Date Created: June 23, 2015
Team Members/Contact Information
Anderson, Alyssa (801) 347-3348 & aanderson2123@gmail.com
Corwell, Anika (801) 706-8704 & anikalyn9754@gmail.com
Horrocks, Jaclyn (801) 635-0529 & jaclynhorrocks@gmail.com
Humphries, Sarah (801) 604-0669 & paradise_girl06@hotmail.com
Team Norms
Relational norms:
1. Arrive on time to schedule meetings.
2. Participate equally to all group activities.
3. Be willing to meet more frequently if needed.
4. Voice all opinions respectfully.
Task norms:
1. All of us are responsible for making sure one another are all on the
same page and working towards the same end goal.
2. Each member will always be willing to listen to others feedback and
take it into consideration.
3. Set-up a Google Drive that all can participate in.
Team Member Roles
Relational roles:

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1.
2.
3.
4.

Harmonizer- Alyssa
Empathetic Listener- Anika
Participation Encourager- Jaclyn
Tension Reliever- Sarah

Task roles:
1. Director (leader)- Alyssa
2. Gatekeeper- Anika
3. Reality Tester- Jaclyn
4. Starter/Energizer- Sarah

Appendix 2: Solution Analysis Chart

This chart, which was used in Step VI, is evaluating each of our solutions
against each of our criterion.

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Analysis of Potential Solutions Based on Criteria

Whoever
doesnt
clean has
to wear a
shirt that
says, Im
DIRTY!

Make a
chore
list

Hire a
maid

Pride

Totals:

16

50

26

50

12

10

Apply principles
of effective
communication
Be achievable
within our fourweek time frame
Cost less than
$25/month total
Ease the tension
between
roommates
Have a good,
clean
environment to
live in
Form a closer
bond between
friends
Greater respect
for one another
Encourage open
communication
Each roommate
will feel
gratification by
doing their part

Dont
No
allow the
Rotating Internet
messy
chore
access if
person
responsi
you
to wash
bilities
dont
their
clean
clothes

Appendix 3: Group B Member Participation Points

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At our last team meeting, we took the opportunity to assign participation

points to each of our group members. Below you will find our list of
criteria, the points assigned to each member, and a justification for the
points that were assigned to that member.
List of criteria:

Attendance (showing up and being at assigned meeting place on

time)
Contribution of ideas
Completed appropriate tasks assigned
Assisted other group members when needed

A. Anderson, Alyssa 12 Points

Alyssa took a leadership role in our group from day one. She set
up a Google Drive meeting for everyone on our team to utilize.
Alyssa also submitted each of our weekly team documents to
Canvas, met all above listed criteria, and compiled the Conclusion
for the final project.

B. Humphries, Sarah 10 Points

Sarah satisfactorily met all of the listed criteria above. Sarah

created the Method and Table of Contents sections for the group.
She compiled the final group report by pulling information from
each team meeting and from the other group members. She also
submitted the final report for grading.

C. Horrocks, Jaclyn 9 Points

Jaclyn always came prepared to our meetings and was usually the
first member of the group at the location. She met every item on
our list of criteria. Jaclyn also created the Executive Summary,
Table of Contents, and Title Page for our final project.

D. Corwell, Anika 9 Points

Anika adequately met all of the criteria listed above. She also
contributed to our group by completing the History in Meeting 2,
and writing the Project Description for our final project.

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