The technologist did not ask for assistance despite being unsure of what to do. Her decision not to contact the on-call supervisor was influenced by the supervisor having been perceived as non-supportive in the past. Which of the following possibly contributed to the technologist not asking for help?
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Technologist is shy and needs to be more assertive
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Technologist feels intimidated and makes poor decisions
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Supervisor suffers from stress that adversely affects her interpersonal skills
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Supervisor lacks patience with those she perceives as less capable than herself
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Communication between supervisor and staff is faulty
All are possible contributing factors. An important underlying issue is poor communication. For example:
The technologist needs to find ways to
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clearly express why she cannot solve a problem independently
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tactfully convey that the supervisor's approach feels intimidating
The supervisor needs to find ways to
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understand the technologist's perspective through active and empathetic listening
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focus on the issues and communicate expectations
