GAIL T. FAIRHURST is professor and head of the Department of Communication at the University of Cincinnati and has consulted with numerous organizations, including General Electric, the Kroger Company, and Children's Hospital of Cincinnati. She has published widely in management, organizational, and communication journals. ROBERT A. SARR is chairman and general manager of Santa Fe Southern Railway, Inc. His indepAndent management consulting clients include Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, and the Girl Scouts of America. Specializing in the creation of high-performance systems, he has also consulted in Japan, the Philippines, and Europe.