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Abwicklungsvollstreckung
n.d.Ges.d. Staates Delaware
Aug 2, 2019 01:40
4 yrs ago
German term

dem gestellt hat

German to English Social Sciences International Org/Dev/Coop
"Mitmachen ist easy“, bestätigt Frau X, die im letzten Jahr über „YYY Portal“ ihr Anliegen gepostet hat. „Dem Vorstand meine Sorge so direkt mitteilen zu können, tat gut – zumindest schwarz-auf-weiß weiß er nun davon. Außerdem wurde über die Voting-Funktion deutlich, wo es wirklich weh tut. Und, dass sich der Vorstand im direkten Dialog ***dem gestellt hat***, finde ich gut.“

I am just not following what "dem" is referring to. Vorstand, I guess. But the sentence isn't clear to me.

Context: This is a quote from a staff member about how easy it is to ask the Vorstand a direct question through an online portal (other staff can vote on how important the concerns are).
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 addressed this
5 +3 Deal with this issue
4 willing to face the spotlight
4 faced the issue
3 +1 discuss (them) openly and directly

Discussion

Ramey Rieger (X) Aug 3, 2019:
@Michael Been there, done that.
Michael Martin, MA Aug 3, 2019:
It would be helpful if somebody posted their solution along with the rest of the sentence translated. I don't think this can be resolved by looking at the isolated word meaning alone.
Ramey Rieger (X) Aug 3, 2019:
Still not satisfied I read this this morning and am still not satisfied with the suggestions. The issue is not dealt with at all. It is faced/ confronted/looked at/taken into account. But since this is done in 'direkten Dialog', the text implies that 'where the shoe pinches' is discussed openly with those involved.
David Hollywood Aug 3, 2019:
wriggle and jiggle but "addressed" is ok
David Hollywood Aug 2, 2019:
doesn't necessarily imply "deal with"
David Hollywood Aug 2, 2019:
We have to be careful here as the idea in the original is to take note of and do something about the issue/matter so I'll stick with my guns and say that "addressed" is the best way to go in this context
Björn Vrooman Aug 2, 2019:
PS Edited. Sorry for line and who. Was trying to cram too much into one paragraph, I guess.
Björn Vrooman Aug 2, 2019:
Hello Gordon Ok, I guess we agree on two counts (wo es wirklich weh tut + face up to something); I'll try to explain a bit better why I don't agree about Sorge.

Asker said: "This is a quote from a staff member about how easy it is to ask the Vorstand a direct question through an online portal."

And that's what she did: "Dem Vorstand meine Sorge so direkt mitteilen zu können, tat gut..."

However, you are ignoring the second bit of this sentence: "...zumindest schwarz-auf-weiß weiß er nun davon." Her concern was, say, noted--nothing more (yet).

In the next sentence, she says: "Außerdem wurde über die Voting-Funktion deutlich, wo es wirklich weh tut."

Außerdem=in addition (or the like). This part starts a new train of thought. You can't "reuse" the word Sorge from before.

She goes on to say: "Und, dass sich der Vorstand im direkten Dialog dem gestellt hat, finde ich gut."

This sentence refers to the previous one, to those concerns which have been upvoted as being the most pressing and that's where the board of directors comes in (also @Mack): It specifically says "Dialog," which means it can't be her Anliegen, since it hasn't even been processed yet!

Best wishes
Mack Tillman Aug 2, 2019:
@Björn and Gordon As I interpret it, "Frau X" has a problem (issue). She can communicate her problem to the "Vorstand" via a company online platform. All the issues that employees post, that they are concerned about, can be voted on. And in doing so, very probably, a ranking of important to non-important issues is created. Anyway, the "Vorstand" uses this means of communication to face the problem/issue an to enter into communication with the employees. Having faced the issued does not in any means mean that they have dealt with the issues because then they have either been solved/remedied or remain open.
Gordon Matthews Aug 2, 2019:
Response to Björn I take your point that "dem" cannot refer directly to "meine Sorge". It surely refers to "wo es wirklich weh tut", which I am convinced is the "Anliegen"/"Sorge" which these few sentences are all about.
The author concludes by saying that she is pleased that the Vorstand faced the issue/concern in direct dialogue. You are right about "sich etwas stellen" meaning to face up to something and not necessarily already deal with it.
I don't know why you have an issue with the word "issue", although I would agree that "concern" (Anliegen) might be better.
Björn Vrooman Aug 2, 2019:
Gordon What you're saying is grammatically impossible and logically unsound, though I agree it's not the voting function.

First, it's die Sorge, not der oder das. Second: "...to which the author refers again..." is not right. As asker explained: "other staff can vote on how important the concerns are." Her concern was not (yet) important enough, since she said: "zumindest schwarz-auf-weiß weiß er nun davon." This means they have not(!) had a "direkter Dialog," as she says later on in reference to "wo es wirklich weh tut."

Dem is most likely short for "dem Ganzen (Prozedere)." If you need some antecedent in this text, it could only be "es." Also, issue simply isn't the right word here. Plus, as said, sich etwas stellen is rather willing to face something (head-on), not deal with it already (may be a nuance, but still).

For example:
"einer Herausforderung o. Ä. nicht ausweichen; bereit sein, etwas auszutragen"
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/stellen

Best
Gordon Matthews Aug 2, 2019:
"dem" refers to "meine Sorge" The author does not have a problem with the voting function, so there's no need for the Vorstand to deal with that as an issue. The issue that they have dealt with or addressed is the unspecified "Sorge" (concern), to which the author refers again: "wo es wirklich weh tut".
Björn Vrooman Aug 2, 2019:
Please... ...reread the sentence, carefully.

Dem refers to "wo es wirklich tut," though Michael is right that you only get there by inserting a word such as Verfahren. And sich etwas stellen doesn't mean dealing with something.

You could just make it similarly vague by saying they were "willing to listen," a popular phrase.

"This means being willing to listen to employee complaints, problems and ideas whenever they come up, as well as setting aside a specific time each week or month to hear how everyone is doing."
https://www.universalclass.com/articles/business/top-5-metho...

Best

Proposed translations

+1
1 hr
Selected

addressed this

question/issue

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-02 02:55:39 GMT)
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or: addressed my concern

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-02 02:59:27 GMT)
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in the sense of (correctly) took the time and made the effort to address the matter

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-02 03:04:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"address" meaning "deal with" or "do something about"

a couple more options so you decide on the register you think best in your context

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-02 03:08:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"rise to the occasion" is yet another option

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2019-08-02 03:58:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"sich einer Sache stellen" = "to respond to" or "to take a stand on" an issue

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2019-08-02 03:59:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

up to you to pick the best option as you see fit

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 52 mins (2019-08-03 02:33:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

getting back to this I'm pretty sure of my reading
Peer comment(s):
agree Barbara Schmidt, M.A. (X) : agree
3 hrs
vielen Dank Barbara
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you! This was a toughie, and I went with this suggestion."
2 hrs

willing to face the spotlight

"And I like that the executive team was willing to face the spotlight and engage in direct online exchanges."

Dem looks like a demonstrative pronoun here that requires no specific antecedent. You can substitute any noun that would make sense context-wise and grammar-wise. Of course, you can't do this in English so I had to come up with something to fill the grammatical hole..

This might work:
"Und dass sich der Vorstand im direkten Dialog dem GANZEN VERFAHREN gestellt hat, finde ich gut.“
Peer comment(s):
agree STEPHANE BISSENE ATANGANA
7 mins
Thank you, Stephane.
neutral AllegroTrans : "Face the spotlight" sounds just a tad too combative to my ears; I think the translation needs to be more neutral
5 hrs
I agree that the standard definition of sich stellen sounds more neutral but that may change as soon as you get to the question "sich wem oder was stellen? Once you flesh out that context the verb easily turns into something much more versatile
disagree Gordon Matthews : Please see my discussion contribution.
14 hrs
Whether or not "dem" refers to "Sorge" (which is not a dem-Word) doesn't affect my solution at all
Something went wrong...
+3
2 hrs

Deal with this issue

In fact, the issue to be addressed or dealt with is the voting function.
Therefore, " dem" clearly referes back to it.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2019-08-02 04:06:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

" Dem" is a demonstrative pronoun referring back to the voting function.
Peer comment(s):
agree Barbara Schmidt, M.A. (X) : agree
2 hrs
agree Gordon Matthews : "deal with this issue" is a good translation. However, I understand "dem" to be referring to "meine Sorge" (not the voting function). And it is important to note that the Vorstand has already dealt with (or addressed) the issue - past tense.
4 hrs
agree AllegroTrans
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

faced the issue

Just another alternative.
Something went wrong...
+1
1 day 8 hrs

discuss (them) openly and directly

It was a relief to be able to communicate my concerns with the board directly. They now have them in cold print. The voting function clearly pointed out where things are going (terribly) wrong and I was happy to see the board discuss them openly and directly (with those involved).
Peer comment(s):
agree Björn Vrooman : Since I don't agree about Sorge but also think spotlight is too combative, I'll pick yours. Maybe: "...see the board and those involved have an open and honest discussion about them."//Exactly, though I hope it's not used to create an enemies list...
1 day 4 hrs
Hey Björn! Yes, it's a process, not a solution.
Something went wrong...
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