Poor Listening Habits 1

Running head: POOR LISTENING HABITS IN ORGANIZATIONS

Poor Listening Habits in Organizations

Angela Gunnells

COMM/102 Communication Skills

For Career Growth

Earnest Pressburger

March 15, 2005

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Poor Listening Habits in Organizations

An example of poor listening habits causing a bad situation occurred with a woman that

worked within the same organization that I work for. We will call her Jane and the organization

Communications as I describe the events that happened. Her manager will be called Jill. Jane’s

poor listening habits caused many disturbances at Communicators. Jane had a habit of hearing

part of a conversation and then would jump to her own conclusions before the speaker even

finished talking. One day Jane’s manager Jill was talking to her not very long after she started to

work with at Communications. “Jane I want you to know that I think you are doing a excellent

job” Jill expressed . “Thank you Jill, I am doing my best,” said Jane. “Jill, I was wondering, how

many people put in for this job before you hired me?” said Jane. Jill thought it was an innocent

question and replied back to Jane telling her that there had been about five interviews before she

was hired. “The human resource manager had a couple more people that he wanted to interview

but I felt that you were the one for the job so we stopped the interviews and hired you,”

expressed Jill. With this statement Jill thought that Jane would be pleased that her manager

thought she was so qualified and stopped interviewing. Jane took this comment to mean that her

manager had a vendetta against the human resource manager and stopped the interviews for

spite. Jill, not knowing that Jane had a plan and was documenting everything that people were

saying for personal gain, went on her way think everything was fine. As time went on Jane began

to become distant with other people at work and started calling them names. Jill called her in her

office and asked her what was going on and why had her attitude changed so much. Jane was

defensive at first but then said that she just had a lot going on at home and that her nerves were

bad. Jill said, “Jane I will gladly let you take some time off if you need to so you can straighten

things out.” “No, I have to work and I will be better with everyone,” Jane said while she way
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crying. Jill replied, “That will be fine just be careful about taking things out on others.” “I will,”

said Jane. The meeting ended and Jill thought again all is well. Three weeks have gone by and an

incident occurred that was going to cost the company about $3000.00 dollars. Jill was upset that

Jane had written a release form up and sent it to a customer claiming that Communications

would pay for all damages. “Well Jane we may both loose our jobs over this one,” Jill said with

derision in her voice. After explaining to the VP what had happened Jill decided to call the

customer and let them know that since the piece was out of warranty that Communications

would prorate and pay damages by those rates. The customer was happy and a release was

signed for $700.00. Jill gladly took all of the blame and kept Jane’s name out of the whole mess.

She felt that if she had read the release before she signed it this whole thing would have been

avoided. Jane asked the human resource manager about hiring her sister and he said he would do

what he could. Jane heard that the quality manger had hired someone besides her sister and took

it on her self to call the quality manager and said, “ I want you to know that my sister would have

been the best person you ever hired and you made a mistake,” slamming the phone in her ear. Jill

was called immediately after the conversation and told what had happened by the quality

manager. Jill’s office was right across the hall so she hear the commotion and was wondering

who she was talking to like she was. “ Jane would you please come in my office?” said Jill.

“Jane you can not talk to another manager like you did and think there will not be any

repercussions from it,” said Jill. “Do you realize her boss is a VP and if you think he will not get

upset with what you have done, you are badly mistaken. You need to apologize right now,” Jill

said with disapproval in her voice. Jane done as she was told and even showed remorse for her

actions. The job that the human resource manager had in mind for her sister was not even the job

that Jane had gotten upset about. Her sister was hired within a week only to walk out with no
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notice about two months after she was hired. Jane became very distant after the event and did not

work well with them team any more so Jill tried to talk to her about it. Jill decided to include the

human resource manger in the discussion to lighten the tension. When Jane was asked what was

going on she became very angry and said that since she had been with the company that Jill had

threatened her job three times and made her worry all the time. “Jill is always on my case and

blames me for everything. By the way did you know she told me that she had no intentions of

hiring the person you wanted for this job? Did you know she told me that the VP and the quality

control manager was having an affair and I would loose my job if I did not apologized to the

quality control manager? Do not let her fool you with the garbage she tries to feed people, she

screamed out.” Jill was so shocked at this point on how the conversation was going that she

never said a word. Jane was sent home while her accusation of Jill were investigated. Jane

returned to work in three days and met with the VP and Jill. Jane said she was sorry and really

want to keep her job. “Jane, I am not sure where all of this animosity is coming from but if you

are willing to change a few things I am will to let you stay on” said Jill. “ I will change I

promise,” said Jane. Jane went back to work only to do the same thing again within two months

because she did not like the way her desk had been turned to incorporate another person in the

office. “ Jane what is wrong, I thought you were fine with this lay-out, I showed you the layout

before the changes were made and you agreed to the plan” said Jill. “ I am not happy here and I

hate this desk, I do not like cubicles, I do not like someone else coming in here when we did not

need her. Why would you make such a stupid move? I do not like her at all,” Jane screamed.

“Jane I would like to make it better for you what can I do to make it better for you?” said Jill.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing, you do not listen any way. If you will give me my checks I will go

to the house and resign today,” screamed Jane. “Jane that is not what I am trying to do, I want to
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help you through this, help me to help you.” said Jill. “NO, NO, NO, you do not do anything to

help,” Jane yelled. Jill gave up and said, “ Fine, I will get your checks. Clean out your desk and

wait in the foyer.”

If Jane had been an empathetic listener she would have realized that Jill was on her side

and would have still had her job. In fact Jane took parts of the conversation and applied those

parts to make the conversation look negative. It was true that Jill had spoken to her about certain

things but not in the manner she implied. Jane felt like everyone was against her so there was no

way anyone would be trying to help her. This attitude is what made her listen with such

skepticism and take what was said as being against her. Jane’s bad listening habits had a very

negative affect on her business relationships. Not only with her manager but with her co-

workers. After she left it seemed that the whole office was relieved to see her go. The tension

that was in the air is no longer there and her co-workers seem to be laughing again. As for Jill

this event has made her cautious about people and she does not talk to her employees as much.

She has become very business oriented and when she speaks it is about business and she does

not interact as mush as she use to.