Discussion Topic

Scenario: Lei received a quick phone call from one of the location managers about replacing some equipment. She agreed in principle that the equipment should be replaced, but mentioned that Dalman was investigating another source for the equipment and perhaps they should wait until she and Dalman had reached a decision. Two weeks later, Lei received an invoice for the new equipment! Visibly angry, she called the manager to inquire why he had ordered the equipment after their conversation. The manager stated that Lei had agreed that the equipment needed to be replaced. He was adamant that this was what he heard Lei say. The equipment was expensive and Dalman was hoping to order several pieces from one source to maximize discounts per unit.

Based on the section about Communication Pitfalls in the Bateman and Snell text, describe some ways that Lei could have avoided this situation.