Finding Solutions

Written by Ernest Ramos, Employment Case Manager
A student recently had a loved one pass away. She had been stressing about it for several days and the funeral was scheduled in a few days. They also had an encounter with another student at work which stressed her even more.  She asked to meet with her team to request some time off because she could not handle going to work in light of all the stress she was going through.

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​The team met with the student and after her version was validated, they asked her to come up with some solutions she felt she could take in light of two of the empowering statements we had been looking at, 1. I have the flexibility to solve life’s challenges and 2. I am in charge of my future.  She finally determined she could talk to her supervisor about the work incident.  One of the team members talked to her supervisor about what she was going through before she met with him  and her willingness to speak with him about the problem.
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The supervisor listened to her and wisely reminded her of a session they had just had regarding being open about feelings and about the teamwork they were trying to build on.  He allayed her concerns and reassured her that he did care about her and that the other workers was also important.  He stressed openness and communication to solve the problems she felt she was having.  The student felt she was heard and agreed to work on these with her coworkers, especially the coworker she was having issues with.  She felt so much better that she resolved to continue working for the rest of the week.