Let’s go back to the “lazy butt” conversation between Emma and Marshall and assume that, instead of using Skype (which allowed them to see and hear one another), the members were communicating by computers and could see only the typed words being sent back and forth.
1. Describe at least three ways in which Marshall could have reduced the risk that Emma would get insulted or hurt by his comment.
2. Describe at least three things that Emma could have done if she was hurt or offended, or if she wasn’t sure whether or not Marshall was kidding.
3. What if the members in the United States had never met Emma before, but she had expressed an interest in serving on their committee once she returned to the university after her semester abroad.
How could members have gotten to know her and to have figured out ways to include her in their group—not just in the task of the group, but in the relationship fabric of the group?