What Would You Do? Communication Confusion
By John West Hadley
The Stepping Stone, November 2021
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Communication Confusion
Carlos is building his bench strength for his small actuarial department and hires Jin, an ASA with good skills but a strong Asian accent that can sometimes be difficult to understand. As they work together, Carlos’ ear gets acclimated to Jin’s accent, and Jin enthusiastically agrees to have Carlos review all of her written communications and help her edit them before release. She gets along well with everyone else in his operation, and Carlos considers her a valuable asset. Freddy, Carlos’ boss, is not as patient with Jin’s accent, and regularly comments on how difficult she is to understand.
Jin has a young child and feels conflicted about the time she is devoting to studying, and after failing an actuarial exam a second time, tells Carlos she no longer wants to pursue her FSA. Carlos needs to convince Freddy that there is room for a career ASA, and Freddy agrees, though he suggests it will be difficult for her to receive any future promotion. He also comments on how surprised he always is that it is so difficult to understand Jin when she talks, but she is able to write beautifully.
If you were Carlos, would you:
- Let Freddy know about the writing help you have been giving Jin?
- Share any of Freddy’s comments with Jin?
- Share any of Freddy’s comments with anyone else?
If your answer to any of these is yes, how would you go about that communication?
Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries, the newsletter editors, or the respective authors’ employers.
John Hadley is a career counselor who works with job seekers frustrated with their search, and professionals struggling to increase their visibility and influence. He can be reached at John@JHACareers.com or 908.725.2437. Find his free Career Tips newsletter and other resources at www.JHACareers.com. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwesthadley/.