Study on Language Improvement with Native Materials

[smallwhite]

But we had a progress-monitoring system. There should not be any surprises at this point - end of month 8. I don't think the 20 people submitted their timesheets diligently for 5 months and then suddenly MIA'ed after month 6. How many timesheets were received at the end of months 3 and 5?

EOM 3 = 1 (yours)
EOM 5 = 2

I have waited 5 days, taken 50 deep breaths, and have counted to 5000.

Obviously the 22 other participants had not been diligently recording their minutes day in day out, only to not email the timesheet to you. Most of them likely stopped studying and/or recording minutes. So it wasn't like they'd be able to submit their data later; unless they made numbers up.

And some of the 22 must have informed you of their decision to withdraw - I cannot imagine LLorg regulars just disappearing on you, especially those whom you've met in person at polyglot gatherings. Or your daughter.

So why didn't you tell me way back then to stop?

[jeff_lindqvist]

I sent one report in the beginning of October, missed the second one, but sent a full report by the end of the project (the end of January/beginning of February).

[smallwhite]

I sent one report in the beginning of October, missed the second one, but sent a full report by the end of the project (the end of January/beginning of February).

I would have been too ashamed to write that in public if I were you. I submitted my 6 timesheets 1, 2, 1, 3, 1 and 1 day after the end of the month.

But my question is to organiser rdearman and it is specific:

EOM 3 = 1 (yours)
EOM 5 = 2

So why didn't you tell me way back then to stop?

[Systematiker]

I withdrew after missing, what, the first time sheet? I admitted pretty early on I should’ve not joined in the first place, too much other stuff going on.

[rdearman]

I sent one report in the beginning of October, missed the second one, but sent a full report by the end of the project (the end of January/beginning of February).

I would have been too ashamed to write that in public if I were you. I submitted my 6 timesheets 1, 2, 1, 3, 1 and 1 day after the end of the month.

But my question is to organiser rdearman and it is specific:

EOM 3 = 1 (yours)
EOM 5 = 2

So why didn't you tell me way back then to stop?

A few people did tell me they were withdrawing, about 4-5. This still left ~15 people who might still be working but not communicating. So even if half of those had given up without telling me I would still have 7 results plus yours which should have given me enough results. So I waited and hoped. I appreciate your hard work and I'm sorry my hope wasn't rewarded, but if I'd had only a couple more results, but had told you to stop, then I wouldn't have your results. So I had to wait until the end to see what would get returned.

If I had known I would get so few results I would have asked you to stop, however my Crystal Ball was broken.

[smallwhite]

... my Crystal Ball was broken.

Thanks for the answer.

My crystal ball worked. In my world, customers need timely chasers to pay, colleagues need encouragement if not coercion to submit work, and projects need close tracking to survive. Waiting doesn't work. Unless I'm waiting wrong

[jeff_lindqvist]

I would have been too ashamed to write that in public if I were you.

Life came in the way.

[smallwhite]

I would have been too ashamed to write that in public if I were you.

Life came in the way.

Or to write that.

[coldrainwater]

... my Crystal Ball was broken.

Thanks for the answer.

My crystal ball worked. In my world, customers need timely chasers to pay, colleagues need encouragement if not coercion to submit work, and projects need close tracking to survive. Waiting doesn't work. Unless I'm waiting wrong

Half of my life is corporate. In my more recent experience working on a major integration project, it takes tactful but firm and frequent follow-ups to ensure progress at any step. If the ball lands in yours or your team's court, the game is to get it out as quickly and efficiently as possible. Small teams (as small as 4 for example or even 2), with a fire lit underneath them tend to be competitively productive and sometimes even generate eustress along the way. On a personal level, the number of concomitant workstreams that I can undertake at once is rather limited. The same thoughts, however, applied to study participation, are often extremely difficult to bring to fruition and I have seen many a business go under banking on participation that never happened. Definitely no shame in giving it a good effort. Waiting falls flat about 90% of the time in my humble experience even though logic tells me it shouldn't.

[smallwhite]

This is a great opportunity to learn and grow.

You rent a home on a monthly payment contract, you pay rent monthly. You don't pay, you get kicked out.

There was already a progress-monitoring system in place - monthly timesheet submission. Life is easier for both parties when things that can fall due have explicit due dates. Without explicit due dates, a month's data would naturally be due within the following month before yet another month's data becomes available as well. The organiser could send reminders before due dates and send chasers after, initially in bulk and later in person as appropriate. Special arrangements may be made if the organiser is so willing. If neither timesheet nor response is received by the end of the due month, there is no participation from the part of the participant, and they no longer qualify as a participant. They are simply disqualified.

So, 22 out of 23 participants could have simply been disqualified by month 3 if not earlier. The 1 remaining participant could have been relieved of her duty. The organiser could have save his and her time. A new and improved study could have been set up if desired. Today being month 9, this new and improved study could have been nearing its finishing line already.

There was an effective progress-monitoring system in place. You just have to use it.