The Unread Message
Listen To The Following Reading
Rosa and Mark worked together on a design team. Rosa had sent Mark an urgent message about a client update that needed approval before the end of the day. When she got no response, she handled it herself. The next morning, the manager praised Rosa for being proactive—but Mark was visibly uncomfortable during the meeting.
Later that afternoon, Rosa vented to her coworker,
“I sent that message hours before the deadline, and he never even got back to me. I had to step in or the whole project would’ve fallen apart. I’m not trying to throw him under the bus, but he needs to follow through on his work. It’s not fair when one person carries the load for two.”
That evening, Mark told his wife,
“I didn’t ignore her message. I was in a client call that went overtime, and by the time I checked, it was too late. She could’ve just checked in before taking over. I know I should’ve touched base sooner, but it feels like she’s blowing things out of proportion. I wasn’t trying to leave her hanging, just juggling too much at once.”
Discussion Prompts
Explain what Rosa was feeling after not getting a response.
What did Rosa mean when she said:
got back to me
step in
throw him under the bus
follow through
Explain what Mark was feeling after hearing about Rosa’s reaction.
What did Mark mean when he said:
checked in
touched base
blowing things out of proportion
leave her hanging
What do their words reveal about assumptions and communication in professional teamwork?
