9. Listen to an employee’s explanation.

In the Write Experience exercise, “A Matter of Convenience,” you are Karl Martin, the manager of Crikey, a convenience store. You received several complaints from regular customers that the store was closed for about an hour and a half after opening time. From video footage, you know that Anne Jackson, the employee who was expected to open the store, showed up one and a half hours late. Further, she reported these hours on her timesheet, even though she clearly didn’t work the time.

In front of the class, have two students role play a discussion between Karl and Anne.

As Anne, admit that you were not at the store, but give the following explanations:

●● You had to go to the doctor to follow up on your recent kidney transplant.

●● You are a widow and support three children, one of whom has special needs.

●● You often work overtime to prepare the store for the next day, and you never claim those hours.

As Karl, you will want to listen to Anne. Be sure to use good paraphrasing and reflecting skills. Also explain that Anne should put in for overtime pay—which she fully deserves—but that she is expected to work regular store hours. Try to solve the problem with Anne to avoid this situation in the future.

Students who observe the interaction should use the checklist provided in Exercise 8.

After the discussion, first have Anne describe how she felt. In what ways did she feel that Karl was empathizing with her? Next, students who were observing the scenario can give Karl feedback: for which skills did you rate Karl most highly, and which skills could Karl most improve?