Role A-Incredible Sulk
You are a third year student doing an engineering design project with four other members. Your project is to design and manufacture a wheelchair. After the design has been finalized, you have been tasked to come up with the steps involved in the manufacturing process. After brainstorming for days and being bothered by the task for weeks, you have meticulously drawn up the required steps for manufacture. Being in charge of the manufacturing process, you assigned the other members to cut the raw materials to size before assembly. During the assembly, you realized that one of your members have not followed your instructions and cut the part wrongly. To make things worse, there is no spare material left for a re-cut and the project is due in two weeks time. You kicked up a big fuss and shouted at him. In the process, you scolded him “STUPID Idiot.”
Role B- Stupid Idiot
You are one of the members in the group. You know that Incredible Sulk is a very difficult person to work with. He is not receptive to ideas and is someone difficult to communicate with. In addition, he has quite a temper when things are not done his way. You have been tasked to cut a part to size according to a piece of shabby scratch drawn by him. You made a mistake as a result and were insulted.
Question1: If you are role B, how would you react to the rant and insult by Incredible Sulk? What could you do to prevent the incident from happening?
Question2: If you are the leader of the group, what would you do to mediate the situation?
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Hey Sensitive,
ReplyDeleteIn response to question 1, I feel that we cannot prevent such incidents from happening, but we can only minimise the frequency of such incidents. Having said that, it is no doubt that one will get annoyed when you are being insulted. But then, if one put themselves in the leader's shoes as well as the urgency of the project, he/she should put aside such personal differences first and deal with that after the project is completed.
For question 2, it is about salvaging the situation. So, being the leader, why seek for solution when you can prevent it in the first place? That aside, i feel that the leader should apologised immediately to the member and seek for a private talk with him/her that the words were said in a fit of anger.
In short, whether or not the conflict can be resolve depends largely on the personalities of the parties involved. Two aggressive persons doesn't mean a happy ending. Agree? Like what i have mentioned in my post, we can only control the response but not the outcome of the conflict.
A well-illustrated scenario!
Cheers!
Hey Swee guan,
ReplyDeleteFor question 1 part 1, I personally feel that I will take those rants and insults as a form of reminder next time if I encounter the same, I will be extra careful so as not to make the same mistake again. For part 2, to prevent this from happening, I would have confronted incredible sulk for his shabby sketch and ask him to redo everything.
For question 2, I will reprimand the both of them, one is for shabby sketch, the other for cutting things wrongly and did not sound out for attention when he see the shabby sketch and still carried on with the cutting. After that, I will task them including myself to search for alternatives solution to the problem.
Funny Ji Fang
Hi Swee Guan,
ReplyDeleteQn1: Since A has a bad temper, i think i would first take those rants and insult as there's no point in arguing with him when he is angry. But when A has calm down, then i would try to talk to him, and explain to him that he needs to improve on his sketch in order to prevent the same mistake from happening. Also, A can try communicating verbally in addition to his sketch, to minimize errors.
Qn2. In my opinion, i think that the leader should apologized to his group members for losing his temper. Besides, instead of finding who's fault it is, he should go seek for a solution to the problem and guide the team towards the completion of the project. Only then, he will earn the respect of his team.
Cecilia =)
I am sorry to mislead all of you. Incredible sulk is not the leader of the group. He is just another member in the group tasked to do the some assignment.
ReplyDeleteYo Sensitive,
ReplyDeleteAnswers are below.
Qn 1: I think A has first to take it in his stride the insults and rants from Incredible Sulk, as it certainly wouldn't help matters if a verbal war break out. Subsequently(after the problem is solved), it is important for B to highlight to Incredible Sulk, in front of everyone, the problem with his attitude.
Qn 2: The leader should firstly be seen as the neutral mediator who doesn't take sides. Comment on actions alone, for e.g. to Incredible Sulk, what you said just now was uncalled for. Instead of, Incredible Sulk you are always behaving like a rude idiot blah blah.. Similarly, fairness must also be shown by telling off Role B's mistake in this incident. However, keep it short and subsequently, after averting world war 3 breaking out in the group, focus the group's fire power on the problem on hand, and get it solved fast.
Just my 2 cents worth :P
Hi Swee Guan,
ReplyDeleteFor Q1, I think if B has asked A for clarification on the scratch drawn A gave to him before he actually proceed to cut the parts, this incident might not happen. The insult happened because of miscommunication. This shows exactly why effective communication is important!
For Q2, I agree with Kenny that the leader should comment on actions alone, not on the person. But if only the leader had made sure that everyone understand what they are supposed to do, then the conflict could be avoided. Isn't it?