To

Professor Malesh

From

David Estep

Date

February 28, 2015

Subject

Weekly reading summary and comments

As per our assignment, I have completed the required weekly readings and have included my
personal summary and comments below.

How to get along with difficult coworkers

The first of the assigned readings for this week was an entry from the blog of Penelope Trunk
that concerns the topic of how people react when faced with various social situations. Penelope
begins by highlighting the importance of being able to properly read a social situation, adapt
accordingly, and be likeable. She points out the fact that this does not mean that you
necessarily have to compromise who you are as a person, but understand how to properly
recognize the various aspects of your own being that will better lend themselves to appropriate
situations. She continues by discussing how one approaches a group, and how social
psychologists have generalized people into two groups: high-self monitors and low-self
monitors. High-self monitors are active in trying to specifically select and match various aspects
of their personality to the social situation they are encountering. Low-self monitors on the other
hand, attempt to alter their social surroundings to better match their own personal preferences,
and are not as sensitive to the people around them. She then concludes her entry by highlighting
the fact that research has shown that people remember negative traits more than positive traits,
and reminds the reader to always keep this in mind during their career.
I found Penelopes blog post to be informative and well written, but not completely sound. The
title of the post, How to get along with difficult coworkers leads the reader to believe that this
blog entry might give good advice on hard to handle coworkers. In reality, the blog deals more
generally in the topic of social psychology rather than providing specific details and advice to the
reader. She also seems to just touch on the surface of each point she presents, which is
acceptable, but leaves the reader feeling like the post should be much longer and more detailed.
Ten Ways to Turnaround a Dysfunctional Team
Another of the assigned readings comes via Forbes.com and deals with the topic of correcting a
dysfunction team environment. It places the reader into the imagined scenario of being the head
of a company or team, and then provides them with the top ten ways to correct a malfunctioning
team. It provides examples such as getting rid of non-contributors immediately, filling roles with
top talent, and agreeing on the rules of the road. The article finishes with a reminder to the

reader that as a team leader, you will assume all responsibility for the actions of your team, and
to always keep this in mind.
While the article is very brief, I found it informative. Being on Forbes.com, it is obviously
written for readers who are very busy and want to just be able to scan through a list of helpful
tips quickly. The advice it gives, while slightly generalized, does offer helpful ideas and tips to
consider when trying to reevaluate and restructure a team environment.
If you require any further information or require clarity on any of the information I have
provided, please feel free to contact me via email or phone during my office hours.