You have just practiced descriptive communication to modify some problematic behavior. Your subordinate replies, "I have an excuse ... it is not my fault." What should you do?
A) Point out (without causing defensiveness) to your subordinate that it really doesn't matter if it is his/her fault; the problem still exists
B) Keep trying to describe the problematic behavior until the subordinate understands
C) Refocus the communication away from blame or fault toward counseling
D) None of the above
Answer: C
Explanation: A) Incorrect. This response abandons principles of descriptive communication by becoming defensive (it doesn't matter if the problem is the employee's fault).
B) Incorrect. This ignores important principles of supportive communication. It is disjunctive rather than conjunctive because it fails to focus on the subordinate's concerns.
C) Correct. When you are attempting to modify problematic behavior through descriptive communication and the subordinate displays defensiveness or a lack of concern, this becomes the new problem. The solution then is to refocus the conversation on the new problem.
D) Incorrect. When you are attempting to modify problematic behavior through descriptive communication and the subordinate displays defensiveness or a lack of concern, this becomes the new problem. The solution then is to refocus the conversation on the new problem.
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A) Blogging B) Podcasting C) Information sharing sites D) Social networks E) Wikis
One of the appeals of social media is what?
A) The feeling of conversation B) Less need to traditional writing conventions C) The ability to create large volumes of content inexpensively and quickly D) Being able to say whatever you want on social media without anyone knowing who you are E) The high level of control over the message