Article: Aim for short conversations at first, say 5 to 10 minutes. Don't expect to talk to her too often in the beginning. Weekly conversations are perfectly okay. As time passes, gradually increase how long and how often you talk. There are no set rules in how and when to take these steps. Let the relationship develop naturally. When you're acting natural, it's easier to keep the conversation flowing. Take deep breaths and speak at your normal pace. Speak loud enough for her to hear but not so loud that she'll feel uncomfortable. Use relaxed, slightly animated, body language. In all likelihood, you'll likely have to start the conversation. Ask her about her hobbies, favorite books, or sports. Just avoid making the conversation all about her, or she might feel overwhelmed. You could say: "I really like that guitar pin on your backpack. Do you play?" From here, you could segue into favorite musicians or your shared appreciation of music in general. (After looking at the cover of the book she's reading): "Oh, you have a copy of 1984. I feel like I'm the only one who's never read it. I'd like to hear your opinion." This way, the spotlight will be on the novel, as opposed to her. After you've broken the ice, she might become quiet. Don't use this as an excuse to dominate the conversation. Create pauses where she can make a comment or just an affirmation like "Yeah," or "Okay." Eventually she'll make lengthier contributions to the conversation. It's up to you how personal you want the topic to be. She'll make a comment about what you said or reply to a question you threw in. She might even say something about herself. Talk about something that happened in a class you're both in. If you work at the same place, mention something that happened on the job. You could also bring up a new addition to the menu at a restaurant you both frequent. This will give her an opportunity to chime in. If you've been talking about that hot new TV show on Netflix, don't try to prevent silence by switching to your desire to upgrade your phone. Gracefully end the conversation if you can't think of something. You could say something like, "Well, I have to get going, but let's meet up for lunch!" This might help you get a better understanding of how she feels around you. Try to make short periods of eye contact with her when you stumble upon a common interest or even dislike. As you get to know each other better, try to hold her gaze longer. Don't worry if she doesn't want to keep eye contact at first. She might prefer to glance at you, rather than locking eyes for the entire conversation. If you're not seeking a romantic relationship, make that very clear in the beginning. You don't want her to remember you as the phony jerk who only pretended to like her. Avoid flirtatious behavior, such as putting your arm around her. Be friendly, but also make it clear you're interested in other people. This way, she'll at least know that you're not romantically interested in her without hurting her feelings.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Start small and gradually build up. Act natural. Pick a friendly icebreaker. Pause every so often. Share something about yourself. Find something both of you can relate to. Don't jump to an unrelated topic. Pay attention to eye contact. Don't lead her on.
Article: To avoid using passive voice and start using active voice, start by figuring out the verb in the sentence. This will make it a lot easier to spot passive voice in your own writing and avoid it. The verb is the action word in the sentence, and it can be either active or passive. Most verbs are active, like kicked or graded, but the verb phrase "to be" and its conjugations (is, was) are passive. For example, the sentence: Mark kicked the ball. The verb in the sentence is kicked. In this sentence it's past tense. It's the action. The act of kicking. The ball is passive because it's not doing anything; it's just being kicked. The next step is to isolate the subject in your sentence. Start by figuring out the verb, the action, because this will make it easier to find the subject. The subject of the sentence in the active voice is who or what did the action. Let's go back to our example sentence: Mark kicked the ball. Kicked, as we have already established, is the verb. Ask yourself, who or what did the kicking? Answer: Mark. That's how you determine the subject in the active voice. Recognize that sometimes the subject is not a person. Example: The plane stopped the traffic. The action, and thus, the verb, is the act of stopping. Who or what did the stopping? The plane. Thus, the plane is the subject of the sentence.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Identify the verb in the sentence. Identify the subject in the sentence.
Article: If it's possible to give your friend another chance, creating a concrete time frame for them to improve performance by coaching or training them toward a specific set of goals. Schedule weekly meetings to discuss improvement. Make it clear that your friend's job will be terminated if the new set of goals is not met in the time discussed. If it doesn't happen, go through with the termination knowing that you gave them as much of a chance as possible. Document your discussion and keep this report with your employee records. You may need to deal with objections by referring to the documentation of your previous conversations, so keep good records. If it's in your power, you might consider reorganizing your friend's job to essentially demote your friend, or give them an opportunity to save face by quitting. You'll need to have a similar conversation, letting them know that their performance isn't up to par, but that you value their friendship and wanted to offer them this opportunity in a job with fewer responsibilities. Organize the position such that your friend's weaknesses might be lessened by the new position, making it a win-win. Your friend either gets to leave the company for greener pastures, or stay on in a position in which there is an opportunity for success. Alternatively, consider a promotion or a transfer. While this might be considered "passing the buck," if you can get rid of your friend without firing them outright, you can avoid the ugly confrontation. If you can get your friend a new job with a similar company, you'll have solved both your problems. It may be that there is too much conflict of interest involved in your firing your friend. In this case, talk to either a supervisor, subordinate, or the HR department at your company to plan for another course of action.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Lay out a plan for improved performance. Change your friend's job title or job description. Let someone else do it.