In "Conversation Style: Talking on the Job," Tannen tells the story of how Amy,a manager,tried to tell her employee,Donald,how to change an unsatisfactory report.Her approach led to misunderstanding because
A) she was too direct.
B) she put Donald in a one-down position by demonstrating her superior knowledge.
C) she praised the good parts of the report before suggesting changes.
D) Donald took her comments as a personal criticism.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tannen explains that Amy's approach of praising the good parts before suggesting changes led to misunderstanding because Donald interpreted the praise as indicating the report was satisfactory, so he was confused by the subsequent suggestions for changes.

In "Conversation Style: Talking on the Job," Tannen Tells the Story