Case 8.1: Earl’s Family Restaurants (B)The Role of the Chief Buyer

DOI: 10.4324/9781003331490-28

Among the more difficult to master, yet less obvious, of human communication skills is that of listening. For many managers, listening often seems more of a luxury than a necessity. Time is short, pressures to accomplish work goals are substantial, and communication often takes on a one-way character: it’s my job to speak, it’s your job to listen.

As managers rise from junior to more senior positions in an organization, they gradually discover that more and more of their time is spent in interpersonal communication, face-to-face with subordinates, peers, and superiors. They are less task-oriented and more process-oriented. Gathering information ...

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