Example:

You’ve been collaborating with two fellow Public Health trainees, Jay and David, on a paper. Due to varying work schedules, each of you works from home. Despite attempting to reach out to Jay and David by email regarding the paper, there has been no response for a week since your last email. The paper has a two-month deadline, and there’s concern that they may not be as interested in contributing to the paper as initially agreed upon.

Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.

Answer:

a. Remind Jay and David about the paper’s two-month deadline.

b. Provide Jay and David with a list of outstanding tasks remaining on the paper.

c. Inquire whether Jay and David would be open to scheduling a brief call to discuss the paper together.

d. Attempt to finish the paper independently.

e. Communicate to Jay and David that the workload for the paper seems imbalanced.

f. Check with Jay and David if they are facing any challenges in completing their respective sections of the paper.

g. Notify your supervisor about the personal challenge hindering progress on the paper.

h. Express to Jay and David your concern about their apparent lack of interest in completing the paper.

Correct: 

CFG

Explanation:

The situation involves addressing differences in communication and work styles, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging individual variations while maintaining a professional approach to resolve communication issues. The focus is on responding appropriately to the lack of response to an email, taking proactive steps to resolve the issue, considering potential reasons for the colleagues’ non-responsiveness, and being mindful of the impact of actions on them.

– **Option C:** This action is suitable as it reflects a proactive and collaborative approach to address the issue, aiming to move the paper forward.

– **Option F:** This is an appropriate action as it shows empathy, recognizing that there may be specific reasons for the colleagues’ lack of response. It also gathers information about the progress of the paper and provides necessary details to offer support with outstanding tasks.

– **Option G:** This action is appropriate, demonstrating an understanding of the importance of open communication with a supervisor. Seeking advice from the supervisor indicates a thoughtful and sensitive approach to progressing the paper to meet the deadline.

Options A and B are deemed inappropriate as they may come across as rude and overly directive. Options D and E are unsuitable as they reflect a lack of communication and teamwork skills, offering no solution to the issue and making assumptions about the colleagues’ work progress, which is unknown at this point. Option H is considered judgmental and presumptive.