# meedenkend



## MerelBlackbird

Hoi allemaal,

I'm looking for a translation for "meedekend", like what do call a person with this quality.

De oorspronkelijke zin is als volgt (van een referentiebrief):
"Hij is flexibel en meedenkend, prettig in de omgang."

My attempt so far:
"He is flexible, [?] and pleasant to work with."


Any ideas?  



Bedankt!


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## Suehil

Difficult one.  'Participative' perhaps, or just 'co-operative'?


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## jippie

Suehil said:


> Difficult one. 'Participative' perhaps, or just 'co-operative'?


 
I also thought of co-operative.


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## sound shift

Yes, it is difficult. "Willing", perhaps? Or possibly, if you don't mind corporate clichés, "a good team player"?


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## MerelBlackbird

Yeah, "a good team player"  was my first idea, but I thought meedenken means something different (putting everyone's heads together). But I guess when it is used as an adjective, meedenkend, then it basically means someone who works well together with others.  

It's a corporate letter, so I'll go with the corporate cliché!

Thanks everyone for the help!


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## Elisabeth85

What they want from the person with this "meedenken" is someone who is is not passive, who is not just waiting to be handed a task or opinion but who forms his own and shares this knowledge. Someone who will not only participate when asked, but who knows what is going on and comes up with ideas and suggestions.

In the end "the team player" I guess. Some words can be translated but miss the intend when done so. Goes both ways.


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## Suehil

'Pro-active' is a buzz word that seems to have the same general idea.


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## George French

Elisabeth85 said:


> What they want from the person with this "meedenken" is someone who is is not passive, who is not just waiting to be handed a task or opinion but who forms his own and shares this knowledge. Someone who will not only participate when asked, but who knows what is going on and comes up with ideas and suggestions.
> 
> In the end "the team player" I guess. Some words can be translated but miss the intend when done so. Goes both ways.


 
Ugh! Anything except "team player" please.

Supportive & co-operative.

"empathy" is a good word? Thanks to http://www.proz.com/kudoz/dutch_to_english/bus_financial/434228-meedenken.html

GF...

PS Have you ever found a good "meedenker"?

Personally I would hope that any meedenker was
"supportive, analytic, critical and a realist" 
& that he/she did not interfere. 

Never met anyone like that....

GF...


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## Elisabeth85

But the OP is not asking if such a person exists! That is a whole different discussion!

And empathy (the ability of a person to feel for the other person, to be able to place himself in his position, to understand as well as can be what the other person is feeling or experiencing) might have something to do with it slightly, though hardly ever used in the business environment. Empathy translates in empathie and I have never seen this used in a job add or job description. 

If you ask what is most used (because translating "meedenkend" one on one in this context is no use) I would still say "team player". I think when that is used they MEAN to say exactly the same!


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