Bob Pierce, a kindly man of about 50, is the president of ABC Construction Company. The company is considered the most progressive and innovative in highway, bridge, and dam construction in the area. Pierce has served in different functional areas of the company, is fairly well educated, and is oriented toward engineering. Before becoming ABC’s vicepresident of field operations, Walter Horton was the chief engineer of a rival firm. He has a reputation for being a very good project manager and for knowing intimately the details of ABC field operations. Pierce has just returned from sick leave. His bad cold is still slowing him down. It is now noon, and Pierce, who has finally caught up with the backlog of work, is preparing to go to lunch. Just then, Horton walks into his office. Horton has been trying to get in touch with Pierce the past few days for his decision about the construction plan for the new dam. Horton spreads his blueprints on the president’s desk and starts his presentation. After the presentation, the following conversation occurs.

Horton: Well, how do you feel about the plan?

Pierce: (somewhat absently) Well, uh, pretty good . . .

Horton: (a little too quickly) Is there anything I haven’t made clear?

Pierce:Mmm . . . no. . . .

Horton: OK, good. Now I would like to present the plan to the board of directors and maybe. . . .

Pierce: Board of directors? Wait a minute. You’ve moving pretty fast.

Horton: You agreed the plan’s a good one, didn’t you?

Pierce: (Not with it at all) Well, yes.

1. What are the physical and psychological listening barriers Pierce faced during the presentation?

2. What assumptions is Horton making about Pierce’s ability to grasp the situation?

3. What could Pierce have done to prevent the situation?

4. What are Horton’s shortcomings as a communicator that would complicate the situation for anyone listening to him?