Question

unit 2 — challenge 2.1: building relationships in the wor samantha, a social worker, hasnt been happy at her job for almost a year. she feels exhausted, frustrated, and dispassionate, but shes nervous about trying to make a career change. one day, samanthas coworker offers to help her finish a report that shes fallen behind on. samantha gets upset by the offer and accuses her coworker of trying to make her look bad. what is the best way for samantha to address this situation? a.) she should avoid that coworker in the future so as to minimize further conflict. b.) she should avoid blaming her coworker when really samantha is upset about her professional dilemma. c.) she should stay at work late that day to prove to everyone that shes a valuable employee. d.) she should communicate her feelings to her coworker and ask her for an apology.

Explanation:

• Option a: Avoiding the coworker doesn't resolve the underlying issue or the miscommunication, so it's not the best approach.
• Option b: Samantha's frustration comes from her own career dilemma, not the coworker's actions. Blaming the coworker was a misdirection, and recognizing that her own professional stress is the root allows her to address her feelings without unjustly accusing the coworker.
• Option c: Staying late to prove value doesn't address the conflict with the coworker or her own job dissatisfaction, so it's not relevant to resolving the situation.
• Option d: The coworker was offering help, so asking for an apology is inappropriate as the coworker didn't do anything wrong.

Answer:

b.) She should avoid blaming her coworker when really Samantha is upset about her professional dilemma.