Question

Listening is a two-way street. James Matthews clearly should have listened more intently to the grapevine and asked questions to understand what was really going on in the relationship between Thomas Smith and George Harris.

What aspects of the do’s and don’ts of good listening did James violate?

In your opinion, what were the barriers that hindered James’s ability to get at the problems that George Harris was having with Thomas Smith?

Answer 1

What aspects of the do’s and don’ts of good listening did James violate?

James does the right thing by continuing to ask Harris what is going on every time he hears something. What he does incorrectly is not confront the actual problem, Smith. He should have taken matters in his own hands after hears something for the second time and dealt with the problem.

In your opinion, what were the barriers that hindered James’s ability to get at the problems that George Harris was having with Thomas Smith?

The main thing was the fact that James never actually heard these things for himself, and the fact that Harris constantly told him that he had the problems taken care of. Harris was a person he trusted, therefore, he believed that the issues were resolved.