What is a diplomatic way to tell a professor that progress hasn't been made because of their lack of communication?

Question

Here is the scenario: in a collaborative effort, our group was to work with another group/professor to write a paper on some work we had previously done. I, a grad student, am to be the main author/architect of the paper. But, and this was said explicitly by him and my own professor, I was to write it with lots of help from the collaborating professor, and under his guidance and direction.

In other words, I would talk to him, get direction like "you should focus on this topic for the paper" or "don't pursue this, it won't be interesting to reviewers", and I would do the actual work/research/writing.

However, since making this agreement, months ago, he has gone basically incommunicado. I'll send him an email and not get a reply for literally a month. I've asked to set up a short (<1hr) meeting, at basically any time of his choosing, and just no response. Several times, too.

Let me be clear about this too: I'm not really that upset about the lack of communication itself (though, I'll say this single thing about that: when he is actually in person with me, he is constantly checking/answering his email on his phone, so I know he does do it, just apparently not with me). I'm not dying to write the paper, it's not a cutting edge thing that will get scooped, and I have several other projects. It's a little annoying in general that he has been flaky, but I'm plenty busy with other stuff, so again that's not too bad.

Here's what my question is about. I both suspect, and from my short interactions with him I've had in the past few months, that he is going to ask to see what work I've done on it since he became uncommunicative, to which the answer is "minimal". The reason is that I am busy with other projects, and because he wasn't doing his part of this, I didn't know which direction to take. I could certainly speculate and choose one, but that is very risky (timewise) for me: if I spend several weeks pursuing something and it turns out he doesn't think it's a good fit for the paper, welp, I just wasted several weeks. And that has happened to some extent.

Because it seems like I wasn't clear about this initially, I'll say it explicitly here: my goal is not to attack him, or bring this up. If he seems fine with the (lack of) progress made, then I'm very happy to leave it be and just continue on. But I strongly suspect (and he seemed to say) that he expects me to have done more. For this question, assume that the professor will ask why more hasn't been done on the paper, so the subject will come up.

So, how do you say this tactfully? You can't really respond with "because you were uncommunicative, I didn't get very much done, because it very possibly could have been for naught", because that's pretty accusatory and will ultimately not help solve the problem.

Is there a good way to say this?

Answer 1

What is a diplomatic way to tell a professor that progress hasn't been made because of their lack of communication?

You don't.

That is, I don't think that would be very productive, diplomatic or not. I wouldn't focus on their lack of communication in the next meeting you have with them at all; I would instead focus on using that next meeting you have with the professor to come to some resolution on the things that are delaying progress on the paper/project.

As you mentioned in the comments:

I essentially have done everything I can, within reason. I've selected and done background on directions for the paper.

So, this is what you have, and this is what you show them. Additionally, any questions about the scope/direction of the paper, etc. should also be brought up during the face-to-face meeting.

To address additional information posted by OP:

But I strongly suspect (and he seemed to say) that he expects me to have done more. For this question, assume that the professor will ask why more hasn't been done on the paper, so the subject will come up.

We all have limitations. You were in charge of certain aspects of the paper/project, but you were not able to achieve a certain level of progress that was set. Just be upfront about that. Specifically, tell the professor what it is you are stuck on and ask them during your face-to-face meeting if they have any feedback to offer.

Answer 2

I will repeat something that one of my committee members told me about working with my chair -- "The answer you are going to get will inevitably depend on the question you ask."

So I am going to suggest trying to ask different questions, because it sounds like A) This isn't important to the professor and B) He isn't going to make time to think deeply about it.

You are going to be the one to think deeply about this paper, and, best case scenario, he is going to react.

Instead of asking "When can we meet?" to get a meeting, ask "Can you meet on September 1st sometime between 1 and 5 PM?" (And then, to be polite and deferential, say you are certainly flexible if he/she would prefer a different date.

Instead of asking "What direction should I take?" ask, "I am thinking about taking this direction. Does that work?" Or, if you think there are multiple valid ways, say, "Which of these two specific approaches would you like me to take?"

Answer 3

I've found that the only way to break through things like this is to set regular meetings; during the meetings, everyone gets a list of tasks to be done by the next meeting.

However, you've said that you tried to set up meetings and got no response.

At this point, I'd drop the project and move on to something else.

By the way, anyone who is constantly checking email/their phone when you're meeting with them (in an actual meeting - not a "drive-by") is, in my opinion, a jerk. Nobody is so busy that they can't set their phone/email down to talk to someone and give them their full attention. My opinion only.

Answer 4

It seems like this project has become a confrontational affair for you? Honestly is there a diplomatic way of communicating with anyone, even family? Collaboration is not direction.

if the work had been documented prior to this exercise I'm guessing the point of the task was to provoke engagement in a collaboration, which is always going to initially be confronting to one degree or another.

We collaborate as equals, we put ourselves in each other's shoes. You can always start by asking him if he is ok to brainstorm some frameworks together or with the group?

Now is a good time if you have time? An appointment would soon be made if he was not available immediately.

A month is a fair amount of time to follow up an email. A verbal follow up would be appropriate after a few days.
Of course he's going to want to see the work.

What was the nature of the project? Was the content less important than the collaborative component?

Communication can be difficult.