_Just one week
_
Just one week
Welcome to Just One Week! It’ll be awhile before I piece this website back together. For now, I’m going to let you in on a little piece of history. Here’s a piece that I wrote about 11 years ago, when I was still in school. This should keep you occupied for the time being. (grin)
Enjoy!
The Road To Hell
In The Road To Hell, John Baker grooms his successor Matthew Rennalls for his position within his company. However, due to miscommunication on both their parts, an unfortunate situation occurs with Rennalls resigning his position. To remedy this problem, the two must make an attempt at communicating more effectively with one another. They can do this by being more open, empathetic, supportive, and positive to each other, as well as treating each other equally during the conversation. In the hopes that they will come to a resolution, however, we must first look at how Rennalls and Baker came to this outcome in the first place. By analyzing the perception processes of both men, we will see the differences of interpretation of the events that occurred between the two, and see where the situation turned negatively. From this, a possible solution to their problem can be suggested so that Baker can resolve the conflict between the two.
Firstly, John Baker’s perspective of the situation will be analyzed. He thought of himself as a technically capable and competent at his position as chief engineer of Continental Ore. He believed that his ancestry played a large role in his success, as his predecessors grew up in a commercial environment, and then of course, himself as well. Baker puts it as a “part and parcel of my being.” (Fisher, 182) In terms of the social aspect of his job, he looked at himself as a man that could get along with the regional staff of Continental Ore. Being a European expatriate himself, he thought he had a comfortable rapport with the Barracanians who worked with him under his supervision in spite of his racial status. Baker perceived himself as being able to communicate well with all the other nationalities at Continental Ore, except for one person in particular – Rennalls. Baker was highly impressed with Rennalls for having the technical prowess to be a worthy successor to his position. He thought that Rennalls handled himself well on the practical side of the job, and was glad that he had the qualities of a skilled worker with tremendous engineering talent. Baker felt confident that when he would leave his post, he would be leaving Continental Ore’s chief engineer position in good hands. Although Baker felt at ease with Rennalls in terms of the social aspect, he felt that he was weak in terms of getting across the one barrier that he thought separated the two. The root of his problem lay in the fact that he believed that Rennalls was partially prejudiced towards Europeans, and favoured his fellow Barracanians more. Baker believed “it was the [Rennalls’] attitude — sometimes overbearing, sometimes cynical – toward other company expatriates” that was his only flaw. (Fisher, 180) During their interview, Baker thought that Rennalls had denied outright that he was racially prejudiced towards Europeans at all. Based on reports from his subordinates, who proclaimed Rennalls as being rude, he could only think of him as someone with a problem that needed to be fixed as soon as possible. According to Baker, this was Rennalls’ only hindrance, and he was mostly satisfied with all other aspects of him.
With regards to what was thought of the situation at hand, Baker believed that he was leaving his position in the right hands, except for Rennalls’ “problem” which he would attempt to fix. He thought that this would impede Rennalls’ ability to work best with the company because of his inability to get along well with some of the company’s European workers. During their interview, Baker stated what he believed to be the problem, which was denied by Rennalls. The general thought that Baker had was that he wanted to try and help him with his difficulty, in order to protect his interests in the future of the company. Although he was unsuccessful in trying to get his message across to him, Baker thought that the rest of the interview with Rennalls went smoothly. He interpreted that the discussion had gone in the best direction that it could, and was particularly happy “that it had ended on such a cheerful note.” (Fisher, 182) This was a great misinterpretation of the events that had transpired, as we will see when Rennalls’ account of the situation is analyzed.
Upon learning the outcome of the interview with Baker, we learn that Rennalls had a different perspective on what exactly had happened during their discussion. First, however, we must look at how he perceived himself during the situation. Rennalls thought himself to be a technically capable and competent man, much like how Baker saw himself as. He was very ambitious, and when he saw that he could not use his engineering skills to their very best, he left a life of politics for the post as an assistant engineer at Continental Ore. Based on the manner with which he conducted himself in the interview, it can be assumed that he is also a very respectful, professional, and polite man as well. However, Rennalls was also fiercely proud of his Barracanian heritage. He valued the spiritual values of his culture highly, and this aspect of his nature would lead to conflict with Baker. Before and during the interview, it can be reasonably assumed that Rennalls respected Baker fully, and may even possibly have looked to him as a mentor. After all, he was supposed to succeed him in his position as chief engineer. With all the positive comments and praise that he received, Rennalls was pleased that Baker thought of him in such high regard for his abilities. Even when Baker raised the issue concerning his supposed racial prejudice, Rennalls responded in a calm and respectful manner. It can be reasonably assumed that Rennalls perceived Baker as a professional, and would deal with him as a professional should. However, after the interview, when we read his letter of the assessment of the interview, it becomes clear what his stance is on the situation, and his perception of both Baker and the events that had transpired. In the letter, he makes Baker out to be a materialistic man, who did nothing but insult him and his race during the interview. He believed that when Baker made the comment about his ancestry, which Baker thought he was complimenting him for, it was an insult because it made it seem like Barracanians had only a limited knowledge of modern culture. He thought that Baker had betrayed his trust, and felt ashamed of himself afterwards. Rennalls thought that Baker was condescending to him in this light, and couldn’t understand what gave him the right act this way to him. He thought that Baker did this because he was a European, and he himself a Barracanian. It is this misinterpretation of Baker’s comment that led him to his resignation at the end. While Baker thought he was being respectful of Rennalls’ culture and praising him for it and his efforts, Rennalls’ saw it as being offensive and rude. As a result, Rennalls thought that all Europeans had such a condescending outlook on the Barracanians, and decided that he wouldn’t work for a company that had a senior staff who thought this way. We can see now, that the differences in the interpretation of the events that occurred led to this particular outcome. From this, we can suggest a possible solution for Baker to enact so that he can rectify the situation.
Ultimately, the goal is for both Baker and Rennalls to communicate more effectively with each other, so that no misunderstandings occur. One thing Baker might try in a second interview with Rennalls is to be more open and empathetic to his situation. Baker simply assumes that Rennalls has a problem, and treats it as such throughout the interview. He doesn’t take the time to understand where Rennalls is coming from, and that his perspective on the matter constitutes and important part of why he may feel a certain way towards Europeans. It is just as important for Rennalls to give him the “good information” (truth) about the matter, because it may affect his performance later on in his job. Both must be socially sensitive to each other, and be more respectful of each other’s social situation before any attempt at trying to solve the real problem (misunderstanding) can be made. Baker, however, must also be more positive when speaking with Rennalls. While it is true that he praised him for his technical and practical skills, Baker approached the matter of the race issue in a negative way. He did this by telling Rennalls his “good points, the plus factors, as well as his weak ones, the minus factors.” (Fisher, 180) He made the technical aspect the positive part, and the social aspect the negative part. Already, we can see where Baker went wrong himself, because he put the issue in such a negative light right from the beginning. If he had treated Rennalls more equally, and not like a second-class subordinate Barracanian who just needed his help (which is probably what Rennalls had felt), the situation could have been different. The way he explains it to Rennalls makes it seem so judgmental because he makes use of “you-messages” towards him. Even when he is praising him, Baker uses the word “you” a lot to discuss the aspects of Rennalls. Baker should try using more “I-messages” in order to make the conversation more non-judgmental. Instead of saying to Rennalls that “you are more friendly and get on better with your fellow Barracanians than you do with Europeans,” (Fisher, 181) he could use an I-message to take away the condescending tone of voice. For instance, in a remedial interview he could say: “I’m concerned that not all Barracanians and Europeans here can get along well with each other. I’m afraid that it will hinder everyone’s performance at work.” This makes dealing with Rennalls easier, because Baker can get at the root of the problem while being sensitive to Rennalls’ pride in his culture and values. Another thing that Baker could say would be: “I’m concerned that others are raising complaints against you. I’m worried that they will lose respect for your authority.” By saying things like these, it helps Baker to be more empathetic and supportive of Rennalls’ situation. It also makes Rennalls more open to taking responsible action on the matter without him feeling that he was antagonized or insulted. If Baker utilizes these techniques, then there is hope for the problem to be rectified.
Above all, however, Baker must deal with Rennalls’ misinterpretation of his comment about his ancestry’s experience in commercial ventures. Again, Baker must make use of I-messages such as: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put it this way” and “What I meant to say was…” in order to calm the furious Rennalls down, and hopefully get him to succeed him as chief engineer. What Baker meant to say was that Rennalls and his ancestors had worked very hard to get where they are, and despite himself having a longer line of ancestors in the field of commerce, that Barracanians are every bit as equal as the Europeans in this particular craft. If Baker had put it in a way such as this, Rennalls misinterpretation could have been avoided. As long as Baker maintains the equality between himself as a European and Rennalls as a Barracanian can conflict be avoided. He can be both sensitive and understanding to Rennalls’ situation, and both supportive and positive in his role as successor of his post. Baker can use these techniques in order to rectify the situation, in the hopes that Rennalls will withdraw his resignation and reaccept the position as chief engineer.
We can see that for Baker to remedy the dilemma with Rennalls, he has to make an effort to communicate more effectively with him in a second interview or discussion. Not only must he be open and empathetic to Rennalls (understanding where he is coming from and how he perceives his environment), he must also be supportive and positive during the discussion as well. By treating Rennalls as an equal, he can make a good effort in trying to clear up the misunderstanding between the two in the hopes that he will withdraw his resignation. Baker must make sure to use I-messages in order to make the discussion non-confrontational, because he now knows just how sensitive Rennalls can be to certain aspects of his life. Only then can a solution to the problem be realized.
Just one week
Welcome to Just One Week! It’ll be awhile before I piece this website back together. For now, I’m going to let you in on a little piece of history. Here’s a piece that I wrote about 11 years ago, when I was still in school. This should keep you occupied for the time being. (grin)
Enjoy!
The Road To Hell
In The Road To Hell, John Baker grooms his successor Matthew Rennalls for his position within his company. However, due to miscommunication on both their parts, an unfortunate situation occurs with Rennalls resigning his position. To remedy this problem, the two must make an attempt at communicating more effectively with one another. They can do this by being more open, empathetic, supportive, and positive to each other, as well as treating each other equally during the conversation. In the hopes that they will come to a resolution, however, we must first look at how Rennalls and Baker came to this outcome in the first place. By analyzing the perception processes of both men, we will see the differences of interpretation of the events that occurred between the two, and see where the situation turned negatively. From this, a possible solution to their problem can be suggested so that Baker can resolve the conflict between the two.
Firstly, John Baker’s perspective of the situation will be analyzed. He thought of himself as a technically capable and competent at his position as chief engineer of Continental Ore. He believed that his ancestry played a large role in his success, as his predecessors grew up in a commercial environment, and then of course, himself as well. Baker puts it as a “part and parcel of my being.” (Fisher, 182) In terms of the social aspect of his job, he looked at himself as a man that could get along with the regional staff of Continental Ore. Being a European expatriate himself, he thought he had a comfortable rapport with the Barracanians who worked with him under his supervision in spite of his racial status. Baker perceived himself as being able to communicate well with all the other nationalities at Continental Ore, except for one person in particular – Rennalls. Baker was highly impressed with Rennalls for having the technical prowess to be a worthy successor to his position. He thought that Rennalls handled himself well on the practical side of the job, and was glad that he had the qualities of a skilled worker with tremendous engineering talent. Baker felt confident that when he would leave his post, he would be leaving Continental Ore’s chief engineer position in good hands. Although Baker felt at ease with Rennalls in terms of the social aspect, he felt that he was weak in terms of getting across the one barrier that he thought separated the two. The root of his problem lay in the fact that he believed that Rennalls was partially prejudiced towards Europeans, and favoured his fellow Barracanians more. Baker believed “it was the [Rennalls’] attitude — sometimes overbearing, sometimes cynical – toward other company expatriates” that was his only flaw. (Fisher, 180) During their interview, Baker thought that Rennalls had denied outright that he was racially prejudiced towards Europeans at all. Based on reports from his subordinates, who proclaimed Rennalls as being rude, he could only think of him as someone with a problem that needed to be fixed as soon as possible. According to Baker, this was Rennalls’ only hindrance, and he was mostly satisfied with all other aspects of him.
With regards to what was thought of the situation at hand, Baker believed that he was leaving his position in the right hands, except for Rennalls’ “problem” which he would attempt to fix. He thought that this would impede Rennalls’ ability to work best with the company because of his inability to get along well with some of the company’s European workers. During their interview, Baker stated what he believed to be the problem, which was denied by Rennalls. The general thought that Baker had was that he wanted to try and help him with his difficulty, in order to protect his interests in the future of the company. Although he was unsuccessful in trying to get his message across to him, Baker thought that the rest of the interview with Rennalls went smoothly. He interpreted that the discussion had gone in the best direction that it could, and was particularly happy “that it had ended on such a cheerful note.” (Fisher, 182) This was a great misinterpretation of the events that had transpired, as we will see when Rennalls’ account of the situation is analyzed.
Upon learning the outcome of the interview with Baker, we learn that Rennalls had a different perspective on what exactly had happened during their discussion. First, however, we must look at how he perceived himself during the situation. Rennalls thought himself to be a technically capable and competent man, much like how Baker saw himself as. He was very ambitious, and when he saw that he could not use his engineering skills to their very best, he left a life of politics for the post as an assistant engineer at Continental Ore. Based on the manner with which he conducted himself in the interview, it can be assumed that he is also a very respectful, professional, and polite man as well. However, Rennalls was also fiercely proud of his Barracanian heritage. He valued the spiritual values of his culture highly, and this aspect of his nature would lead to conflict with Baker. Before and during the interview, it can be reasonably assumed that Rennalls respected Baker fully, and may even possibly have looked to him as a mentor. After all, he was supposed to succeed him in his position as chief engineer. With all the positive comments and praise that he received, Rennalls was pleased that Baker thought of him in such high regard for his abilities. Even when Baker raised the issue concerning his supposed racial prejudice, Rennalls responded in a calm and respectful manner. It can be reasonably assumed that Rennalls perceived Baker as a professional, and would deal with him as a professional should. However, after the interview, when we read his letter of the assessment of the interview, it becomes clear what his stance is on the situation, and his perception of both Baker and the events that had transpired. In the letter, he makes Baker out to be a materialistic man, who did nothing but insult him and his race during the interview. He believed that when Baker made the comment about his ancestry, which Baker thought he was complimenting him for, it was an insult because it made it seem like Barracanians had only a limited knowledge of modern culture. He thought that Baker had betrayed his trust, and felt ashamed of himself afterwards. Rennalls thought that Baker was condescending to him in this light, and couldn’t understand what gave him the right act this way to him. He thought that Baker did this because he was a European, and he himself a Barracanian. It is this misinterpretation of Baker’s comment that led him to his resignation at the end. While Baker thought he was being respectful of Rennalls’ culture and praising him for it and his efforts, Rennalls’ saw it as being offensive and rude. As a result, Rennalls thought that all Europeans had such a condescending outlook on the Barracanians, and decided that he wouldn’t work for a company that had a senior staff who thought this way. We can see now, that the differences in the interpretation of the events that occurred led to this particular outcome. From this, we can suggest a possible solution for Baker to enact so that he can rectify the situation.
Ultimately, the goal is for both Baker and Rennalls to communicate more effectively with each other, so that no misunderstandings occur. One thing Baker might try in a second interview with Rennalls is to be more open and empathetic to his situation. Baker simply assumes that Rennalls has a problem, and treats it as such throughout the interview. He doesn’t take the time to understand where Rennalls is coming from, and that his perspective on the matter constitutes and important part of why he may feel a certain way towards Europeans. It is just as important for Rennalls to give him the “good information” (truth) about the matter, because it may affect his performance later on in his job. Both must be socially sensitive to each other, and be more respectful of each other’s social situation before any attempt at trying to solve the real problem (misunderstanding) can be made. Baker, however, must also be more positive when speaking with Rennalls. While it is true that he praised him for his technical and practical skills, Baker approached the matter of the race issue in a negative way. He did this by telling Rennalls his “good points, the plus factors, as well as his weak ones, the minus factors.” (Fisher, 180) He made the technical aspect the positive part, and the social aspect the negative part. Already, we can see where Baker went wrong himself, because he put the issue in such a negative light right from the beginning. If he had treated Rennalls more equally, and not like a second-class subordinate Barracanian who just needed his help (which is probably what Rennalls had felt), the situation could have been different. The way he explains it to Rennalls makes it seem so judgmental because he makes use of “you-messages” towards him. Even when he is praising him, Baker uses the word “you” a lot to discuss the aspects of Rennalls. Baker should try using more “I-messages” in order to make the conversation more non-judgmental. Instead of saying to Rennalls that “you are more friendly and get on better with your fellow Barracanians than you do with Europeans,” (Fisher, 181) he could use an I-message to take away the condescending tone of voice. For instance, in a remedial interview he could say: “I’m concerned that not all Barracanians and Europeans here can get along well with each other. I’m afraid that it will hinder everyone’s performance at work.” This makes dealing with Rennalls easier, because Baker can get at the root of the problem while being sensitive to Rennalls’ pride in his culture and values. Another thing that Baker could say would be: “I’m concerned that others are raising complaints against you. I’m worried that they will lose respect for your authority.” By saying things like these, it helps Baker to be more empathetic and supportive of Rennalls’ situation. It also makes Rennalls more open to taking responsible action on the matter without him feeling that he was antagonized or insulted. If Baker utilizes these techniques, then there is hope for the problem to be rectified.
Above all, however, Baker must deal with Rennalls’ misinterpretation of his comment about his ancestry’s experience in commercial ventures. Again, Baker must make use of I-messages such as: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put it this way” and “What I meant to say was…” in order to calm the furious Rennalls down, and hopefully get him to succeed him as chief engineer. What Baker meant to say was that Rennalls and his ancestors had worked very hard to get where they are, and despite himself having a longer line of ancestors in the field of commerce, that Barracanians are every bit as equal as the Europeans in this particular craft. If Baker had put it in a way such as this, Rennalls misinterpretation could have been avoided. As long as Baker maintains the equality between himself as a European and Rennalls as a Barracanian can conflict be avoided. He can be both sensitive and understanding to Rennalls’ situation, and both supportive and positive in his role as successor of his post. Baker can use these techniques in order to rectify the situation, in the hopes that Rennalls will withdraw his resignation and reaccept the position as chief engineer.
We can see that for Baker to remedy the dilemma with Rennalls, he has to make an effort to communicate more effectively with him in a second interview or discussion. Not only must he be open and empathetic to Rennalls (understanding where he is coming from and how he perceives his environment), he must also be supportive and positive during the discussion as well. By treating Rennalls as an equal, he can make a good effort in trying to clear up the misunderstanding between the two in the hopes that he will withdraw his resignation. Baker must make sure to use I-messages in order to make the discussion non-confrontational, because he now knows just how sensitive Rennalls can be to certain aspects of his life. Only then can a solution to the problem be realized.