Paige Speake

IDS 301

19 October, 2022

Wed. Writing: Transfers

1. Remind me what your problem was and Describe what the problem is.

How do I find a balance between making close relationships/friendships with my

coworkers when I am also their boss on shift? This is complex because I want to be

friends with a lot of my coworkers and I am but I do not know how exactly to lead and

manage them while also being their friend. I always feel really weird when I have to talk

to them about stuff they are doing wrong, things they can improve on, and handling

conflict between all of them when I am close friends with most of them.

2. ​With this problem in mind, the goal now is to use the question discussed above to

identify potential solutions to the problem. Stated again:

- Does this problem remind me of anything? Is this problem like anything I've ever

seen before? If nothing comes to mind, sometimes it helps to think about the

problem a bit more, in order to see beneath the superficial elements.

​ This problem reminds me of three different situations, one being a parent and a child.

Some parents want to be their child's friend as well as their parent and this brings in the

same issues as my problem of where the line is drawn. Along with this, is a student and a

teacher. Some teachers want to be their students' friends and this can become a bit messy

and confusing. Lastly, another situation that reminds me of my problem is an RA in a

dorm. Most RA’s are around the same age as the students in the dorms and will likely
 make friendships, but where do they draw the line with their job and the friendships they

form.

- 'What does this situation strip down to? What are the key ideas, tensions, mental

pictures, or analogies that capture the main idea of the problem? "The problem is

basically a problem of…"

This situation strips down to where the line is drawn when asserting power or control

over people who are my friends or people I am trying to become friends with who I also

work with. Also, having respect from both sides when it comes to the power I hold. Some

key ideas are respect, power, and friendship. Key tensions would be controlling someone

I am friends with and people I am trying to become friends with, but also the higher

status in the job I have. Overall, the problem is basically a problem of respect and power.

3. Write down any interesting connections that come up using these questions.

An interesting connection I found is that usually people feel like they cannot be in control

of someone they are friends with. This is because no one likes being controlled and

especially not by their friends. This connection makes sense because if a person is in a

position above their friends, the friend can take them telling them what to do in a wrong

way and could potentially become offended. Also, the person in the high position can feel

awkward having to boss their friends around especially if the friend becomes upset by it.

4. Explain what is similar between your problem and what you said it reminds you of,

which helps you gain some leverage over it. And explain the potential solution to the

problem suggested by the analogy.

The similarities between my problem and the problems that remind me of it are power

and not knowing when a line should be drawn. In the situation of the student and teacher,
they can both feel like they are friends but the student could say something that maybe

the teacher should not know or the teacher could assign or tell them to do something and

the student could become offended. This is similar to my problem because sometimes I

feel like I am told things that maybe I should not know because I would have to tell

higher management and that would break their trust in me or if I tell them to do

something they could become offended or upset. This is the same for the other situations

that remind me of my problem, the parent and child and the RA and students living in the

dorms. The potential solution to the problem suggested by the analogy would be to

realize my place in power and know what kind of respect I should be given and what kind

of respect I should give my coworkers/ friends. Also, learning how to balance being a

boss and a friend.