Question 1
Explain and give an example for each of two major obstacles to effective interpersonal communication.
Question 2
Find Somebody Else
Ron Davis, the relatively new general manager of the machine tooling group at Parker Manufacturing, was visiting one of the plants. He scheduled a meeting with Mike Leonard, a plant manager who reported to him.
RON: Mike, I've scheduled this meeting with you because I've been reviewing performance data and I wanted to give you some feedback. I know we haven't talked face-to-face before, but I think it's time we review how you're doing. I'm afraid that some of the things I have to say are not very favorable.
| | MIKE: Well, since you're the new boss, I guess I'll have to listen. I've had meetings like this |
before with new people who come in my plant and think they know what's going on.
| | RON: Look, Mike, I want this to be a two-way interchange. I'm not here to read a verdict to you, |
and I'm not here to tell you how to do your job. There are just some areas for improvement I want to review.
| | MIKE: Okay, sure, I've heard that before. But you called the meeting. Go ahead and lower the |
boom.
| | RON: Well, Mike, I don't think this is lowering the boom. But there are several things you need |
to hear. One is what I noticed during the plant tour. I think you're too chummy with some of your female personnel. You know, one of them might take offense and level a sexual harassment suit against you.
| | MIKE: Oh, come on. You haven't been around this plant before, and you don't know the |
informal, friendly relationships we have. The office staff and the women on the floor are flattered by a little attention now and then.
RON: That may be so, but you need to be more careful. You may not be sensitive to what's really going on with them. But that raises another thing I noticed—the appearance of your shop. You know how important it is in Parker to have a neat and clean shop. As I walked through this morning, I noticed that it wasn't as orderly and neat as I would like to see it. Having things in disarray reflects poorly on you, Mike.
MIKE: I'll stack my plant up against any in Parker for neatness. You may have seen a few tools out of place because someone was just using them, but we take a lot of pride in our neatness. I don't see how you can say that things are in disarray. You've got no experience around here, so who are you to judge?
RON: Well, I'm glad you're sensitive to the neatness issue. I just think you need to pay attention to it, that's all. But regarding neatness, I notice that you don't dress like a plant manager. I think you're creating a s
| ubstandard impression by not wearing a tie, for example. Casualness in dress can be used as an exc |
use for workers to come to work in really grubby attire. That may not be safe.
| MIKE: Look, I don't agree with making a big separation between the managers and the employees. By d |
ressing like people out on the shop floor, I think we eliminate a lot of barriers. Besides, I don't have the
| money to buy clothes that might get oil on them every day. That seems pretty picky to me. |
RON: I do
| n't want to seem picky, Mike. But I do feel strongly about the issues I've mentioned. There are so |
me other things, though, that need to get corrected. One is the appearance of the reports you send into division headquarters. There are often mistakes, misspellings, and, I suspect, some wrong numbers. I
| wonder if you are paying attention to these reports. You seem to be reviewing them supe |
rficially.
MIKE: If there is one thing we have too much of, it's reports. I could spend three-quarters of my time filling out report forms and generating data for some bean counter in headquarters. We have reports coming out our ears. Why don't you give us a chance to get our work done and eliminate all this paperwork?
RON: You know as well as I do, Mike, that we need to carefully monitor our productivity, quality, and costs. You just need to get more serious about taking care of that part of your responsibility.
MIKE: Okay. I'm not going to f
| ight about that. It's a losing battle for me. No one at headquarters will ever decrease their de |
mand for reports. But, listen, Ron, I also have one question for you.
RON: Okay. What's that?
MIKE: Why don't you go find somebody else to pick on?
Does Mike need coaching or counseling? What evidence do you have to support your conclusion?
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