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Listening
We've all had encounters with people like Miranda Priestly in the workplace. Leaders like her certainly have strong visions and the self-confidence with which to execute their goals. Their position of power also enables them to break all the rules of good communication, such as those outlined in Adler & Proctor's (2011) text Looking Out, Looking In. Miranda Priestly does not always communicate ineffectively. At times the domineering facade falls away to reveal a more sensitive side as she confides in Andrea on a few occasions. In one scene towards the end of the film, Miranda speaks with an uncharacteristically soft tone of voice and does not interrupt as she usually does. However, Miranda hears -- she does not listen. She does not care about what Andrea or anyone else actually has to say because frankly, Miranda Priestly does not have to care. Her role as chief editor of Runway is not being challenged in any significant way and thus, Priestly does not experience the immediate need to change.
Most other leaders would need to completely rethink their communication style if they intend to succeed, motivate a team to achieve its goals, and maintain long-term business success. We can learn from Miranda Priestly's poor listening habits. For example, she does not like to listen to the input, opinions, and especially the objections of other employees. By stifling opposition, Priestly runs a tight ship with a false sense of camaraderie. As...
Miranda generally refuses to listen to others because of her inflated sense of self-importance; she stops listening because she finds everyone else "unimportant or uninteresting," (Adler & Proctor 2011 p. 237). At several occasions in The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly overtly looks or acts bored, or actually comes right out and telss people things like "Details of your incompetence do not interest me."
One of Miranda Priestly's most annoying bad listening habits is her incessant interrupting. In the scene with the blue sweater, each fashion consultant raises input or suggestions only to be rudely cut off mid-sentence. Andrea watches with amusement, but the employes being cut off simply never have the chance to contribute their energy to the work at hand. In many organizations, such a poor communication style would never work. Valuable employees like Andrea would end up leaving, just as she did in the movie.
Granted, Miranda Priestly never pretends to listen; she does not engage in what Adler & Proctor (2011) call "pseudolistening," (p. 237). What Priestly does do often is stage-hogging. She shifts focus from others' problems to her own, underscoring her narcissistic attitude. Moreover, Adler & Proctor (2011) note that interruptions are the hallmark of stage-hogging. Priestly does damage relationships with her stage-hogging, which is…
References
Adler, R.B. & Proctor, R.F. (2011). Looking Out, Looking In. Boston: Wadsworth.
Frankel, D. (2006). The Devil Wears Prada. (Feature Film).
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