Sunday, August 30, 2009
Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place (Post #2)
Over a year ago, I had to do a group project as part of my degree requirements in NUS. The group consisted of 2 Singaporeans, inclusive of myself, 1 Chinese National, *Zhang, and 1 Indian National, *Kumar.
(*Their names have been changed to protect their identities.)
There was a language barrier within the group, since Zhang's command of English was limited. Furthermore, the 2 Singaporeans had a poor grasp of Mandarin, and could not help in accurately translating Zhang's thoughts for Kumar to understand. Thus, Zhang had to explain his ideas in very halting English which probably added to his frustration. In hindsight, Zhang probably felt alienated from the rest of the group due to this barrier.
Eventually, things came to a head as the project deadline loomed. Zhang and Kumar had differing ideas for how the project should be presented and a heated argument ensued, since both were adamant that their idea was better. We ended the meeting before things got out of control and decided to settle the matter by voting on the best idea the next day.
Later that day, both Zhang and Kumar contacted me separately and groused about the shortcomings of each other. I could sense that they were trying to get me to support their idea. I felt like I was being yanked, in both directions, off the fence I was sitting comfortably on.
I decided to side with Kumar, as did the other group member, and we let Zhang know the reasons for this the following day. But after that confrontation, the fire went out of Zhang's eyes and he hardly contributed for the rest of the project. Retrospectively, I wonder if we made Zhang feel like his contribution wasn't valued in our project group.
How would you have handled this situation if you were in my shoes?
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Was Zhang intentionally contributing less at the final stage because he wanted to sabotage the project and prove his case? I really doubt so because his grade was at stake. Perhaps he was just shying away from contributing because he lacked the language ability. You could have made him feel valued by dedicating him tasks that required little writing, like research and compile useful articles. On his part, Zhang should have been spontaneous in volunteering for tasks he was confident of doing well, to avoid giving people the wrong impression that he was disinterested.
ReplyDeleteEarlier during the brainstorming stage, you could have suggested to Zhang to prepare PowerPoint slides to elaborate his idea. In this way, he could adequately prepare beforehand and not be lost for words during the discussion. Furthermore, it would allow him to support his explanation with graphics and figures. With a better understanding of his thoughts, it would also be easier to pinpoint any fallacies in his idea.
On the surface, the conflict you mentioned seem to be a case of an over-sensitivity on Zhang’s part. However, if we look deeper into things, I guess there is much more to be analysed, and possibly a way that things could have ended differently.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, Zhang had already felt alienated because of the language barrier which deterred effective communication in the group. Perhaps at that point of time, it would be good if the problem was given more attention, such that this language barrier could be broken to allow his messages to be understood. If I were in your shoes, one possible solution could be that right from the start, I would have given Zhang more time to allow him to explain himself more clearly whenever he speaks. To show interest while he speaks, positive nonverbal signals could be used. These include nodding my head to show that I understand and agree with him, or asking appropriate questions when I feel that I do not quite get what he means. In this way, Zhang would feel more respected as a team member and might not be so quick to take offense when his idea was rejected by the vote.
Alternatively, if things had already come to a point whereby the other teammate and I had to decide on two different ideas, I feel that there could be a possibility that we could still pick Kumar’s idea, while at the same time make Zhang feel more appreciated. Perhaps, I would have made the “confrontation” a little bit different, whereby that other teammate and I start by stating the positive aspects of Zhang’s idea, and how potentially exciting it is. Everyone could then slowly consider the feasibility of the particular idea, and try to indirectly convince Zhang that Kumar’s idea might actually work better. In this way, Zhang would feel more included in the making of this decision, and not see it as a situation of everyone teaming up against him. This way, I could still maintain goodwill by first gaining his acceptance, and then (indirectly) delivering this bad news to him. (We haven’t even touched that topic! Take that! Hahaa)
Standing from Zhang's point of view, he might have felt "betrayed" as everyone else presented the group's final decision without discussing with him. As you did not provide details about the conversation you had with Zhang, I assume that the tone you used could have given Zhang the impression that you gave him your vote. Thus, he was unable to accept it the next day.
ReplyDeleteAt such conversations, it is best to execute self-awareness and examine how your words can affect them. Evaluate the problem and portray what you really feel about the project. Some people may be swayed in such situation, and try to say things to please the other party.
I feel that holding a group discussion to decide on the final decision should be carried out. Zhang could have been too immersed in his own idea that he did not understand why his idea was rejected. Exercising some social skills, the group could offer some reasons why Kumar's idea was more feasible as compared to Zhang's. For all you know, Zhang probably would improve his idea and the group could have more alternative ideas.
The group could have tried to make Zhang more involved in the subsequent project workload. Take responsibility for what had happened. Making the first move to remove the barrier, would have made Zhang felt accepted in the group. Avoiding the problem all together will enforce Zhang's thoughts about being unappreciated.
Dear Wen Jun,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very clear and concise telling of an interesting scenario, a mix of an interpersonal and intercultural problem. You inspire some good analysis as well. Thank you for the fine post!