As the supervisor of a large and diverse group, Mike is aware that communication problems are bound to happen. When one employee said he "didn't care to" do a particular job, Mike at first thought he was refusing to do something-until he learned that for the employee, who grew up in the rural South, "I don't care to" meant "I don't mind." In his role as manager over this employee and many others who come from various cultural backgrounds, Mike's most important job as a communicator is to

Question

A) invite the expression of all viewpoints, no matter how controversial, because conflict is good for an organization.
B) let employees know that there is a right way and a wrong way to communicate, and they had better learn the right way if they want to succeed at their jobs.
C) conduct seminars on communication, so that in time everyone will full understand what everyone else is saying in any situation.
D) realize that he has been conditioned to communicate in a certain way, and that he is no more capable of changing that than he is of suddenly speaking a foreign language.
E) encourage employees to let him know their real feelings and opinions, rather than simply assume that they agree (or disagree) with him.

Answer 1

E) encourage employees to let him know their real feelings and opinions, rather than simply assume that they agree (or disagree) with him.
Explanation: Diversity also can lead to errors and misunderstandings. Group members may assume they interpret things similarly when in fact they do not, or they may disagree because of their different frames of reference. For example, if managers do not actively encourage and accept the expression of different points of view, some employees may be afraid to speak up at meetings, leaving the manager with a false impression that consensus has been reached.