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Н.Н. Николаева
14
Гуманитарный вестник
# 7·2017
пункты, формулируют проблему некорректно, не знают, как пра-
вильно решить ту или иную задачу, больше ориентируются на свой
жизненный (повседневный) опыт, чем осмысливают ситуацию с про-
фессиональной точки зрения, допускают фактологические ошибки,
что во многом объясняется недостаточными профессиональными
знаниями и опытом, боятся высказать свою точку зрения, делают
множество грамматических, лексических и стилистических ошибок
на английском языке. Однако преподаватель, предполагая подобные
затруднения, должен корректно исправлять ошибки, не критиковать
за вольность, но объяснять недочеты, поощрять любую письменную
работу и давать образцы правильно выполненных заданий.
Приведем пример.
Case study: Feedback.
The following comments
are provided as food for thought. Different interpretations are, of course,
possible.
What do you think of Mike’s reaction, “You can’t work like this in a
virtual team?”
Mike’s reaction is understandable in many ways. He feels
that it is not good practice or fair to drop last-minute requests on col-
leagues (although we don’t know exactly what Carole told Mike before-
hand). On the other hand, Mike could have warned Carole that he would
not be available at the weekend. Mike feels that it is not his job to do
Carole’s part of the project. This might seem fair, but Mike’s reaction
could also be seen as lacking in the necessary collaborative approach to
teamwork, where everybody should be willing to support each other with
all roles. Mike should know this, as he is an expert in leadership training
and is even writing a book about it.
In the end, Mike does decide to prioritize the team task over his per-
sonal project. This can be seen as a positive attitude, but if Mike constant-
ly abandons his own priorities, this could reflect a lack of assertiveness on
his part. Finally, Mike does not reflect on why Carole is asking for sup-
port. Has she had unavoidable delays? Does she so value his expertise
that she wants to integrate his thoughts even at such a late stage? These
questions, which reflect a desire to look for positive motivations in others,
are lacking in Mike’s thinking. This might be the sign of a lack of open
and critical thinking towards his colleagues.
What advice would you give Mike on dealing with such situations in
future?
Mike needs to accept that unplanned requests are a typical part of
working virtually. Second, he should communicate any non-availability
well in advance. Third, Mike should learn to clarify whether there is flexi-
bility in deadlines. Fourth, he and the team should decide how to deal with
situations in which a team member feels that team rules have been broken.
Should it be raised at a team meeting or is a one-to-one dialogue better?
Finally, Mike’s decision to complete the task for Carole shows his com-
mitment to the team, and he should continue with this commitment.