X is a junior Manager in his early forties who joined his company at the age of sixteen. He sticks to a strict routine, arriving and leaving work punctually. He is married with two children at school. He has always worked in the functional section which he now manages and he is regarded as one of the company’s most experienced employees in his particular field. He is however, not familiar with the latest developments in data processing and feels that he is being swamped by an excess of useless information. He claims that he is, in any case, aware of the information he needs, but his subordinates worry because they notice that he ignores information which does not agree with his opinions.

D is a young graduate who has recently passed her CIMA finals. She works in the management information department. She has been promoted quickly to supervisor, having joined the company a few years ago straight from University. She is single and lives close to the office and often works late because she loves computers and is fascinated by their potential. She is expert in computer language and has no time for ‘stick – in - the muds’, who don’t see the advantage of the information revolution. She frequently and fluently tells anyone willing to listen that the company is old fashioned and needs to be dragged into the 21st Century. X hears this, disapproves but does not comment, and carries on his usual way. Although D and X are located in different buildings on the same site, their work requires them to co-operate regularly. Their relations are getting more and more strained and their work is suffering.

Required:

problem 1: Identify and recognize the barriers to communication between the two colleagues;

problem 2: Suggest how these barriers can be overcome.