Is septic inspection really necessary?

Some buyers say ‘water test’ is enough to assess condition

DEAR BARRY: When we bought our home, we did not have the septic system professionally inspected. Instead, we ran water at the sinks, bathtub and shower for more than an hour. There were no backups, so we thought everything was OK because our water test exceeded normal use. Recently, the system was serviced, and we learned that the septic tank is substandard and will soon collapse if not replaced. Are the sellers and real estate agent liable for their failure to disclose this condition? –Ryan

DEAR RYAN: The sellers and agent were required to disclose the problem only if they knew about it. It is highly unlikely that the agent knew the condition of a buried tank. The sellers, on the other hand, may or may not have known, depending on whether there was a septic inspection during the time they owned the property.

But regardless of who knew, your agent and the sellers’ agent should have recommended that the septic system be inspected. That would have been normal procedure in the course of the transaction. There was simply no excuse for letting that go by. If you were advised to have a septic inspection but declined to have one, that was a decisive mistake.

It was also a mistake to think that a water test would provide an adequate evaluation of the system. There are many kinds of septic problems that are undetectable by merely running water down the drains. A proper septic inspection involves opening the tank and draining the contents to expose the condition of the interior. The fact that sinks and showers were draining had no bearing on the condition of the tank. A septic tank can be collapsing and still allow water to drain. Someone should have advised you accordingly.

DEAR BARRY: When we bought our house, the home inspector said he suspected a gas leak in the crawlspace under the building. The seller hired a plumbing company to find the leak. According to the plumber’s invoice, all gas lines were checked and no leaks were found. He determined that the house had been vacant for months and the dry drain traps were allowing sewer gases to enter the building. But after we moved in, the gas smell persisted, so we called the gas company. They found a gas leak that was so dangerous we were ordered out of the house immediately. Do we have recourse with the seller or the plumber? –Becky

DEAR BECKY: The sellers apparently acted in good faith. They hired a licensed plumber to repair the gas leak that was discovered by your home inspector. They appear, therefore, to be free of liability. The plumber, however, appears to have been professionally negligent, having failed to discover the gas leak or its source. What we don’t know is how the plumber tested the system for leaks. A common method, after checking all fittings and fixtures, is to turn off the supply valves at all fixtures and then to observe the gas meter to see if the reading changes. Unless the gas leak was intermittent rather than continuous, the plumber should assume some responsibility for the repair costs.

The other day I was facilitating a strategy meeting with a group of executives. During the meeting, I started to notice a familiar pattern of listening that you all have observed in the past. Of the 8 participants, two of them would ask questions of the others in the room, and shortly into the answers from others, these two would interrupt and throw in their opinions without letting the other person finish.

As facilitator, it was my job to redirect the conversation back to the person who was interrupted. During the break, I put on my executive coaching “hat” and took the two executives to the side and shared my observations with them. And not surprisingly, they were totally unaware of their behavior. Upon some further questions and dialog, it became clear that both of them had fallen into a similar trap.  Prior to asking the question, they both had decided what the answer should be and once answers to their questions started down a divergent path from their answer, they simply jumped in to prove that they were right.

They had started down the right path by asking some good powerful questions that provided the responders to dig deep for an answer.  Their questions generally started with “How could we….”? or  ”What would….”? And they started to listen, and then stopped.

The problem is that they never moved from listening to active listening. So what’s the difference and why is active listening so important? First of all active listening takes a lot more energy than listening because listening is more automatic. When we listen what we interpret is based on our mood, our personal experiences, biases, and preferences. Our listening is also impacted by the self-talk that is occurring within us which is a huge distraction. In the situation described, they were biased to their own answers and their internal voice started saying “they have it all wrong, the right answer is”

So are you one of those leaders who ask a question and then interrupt half way through the answer or do you know someone who is? I would argue that we all have interrupted another person’s thoughts. The question is, do you do it enough where it is impacting your team and your effectiveness. Has it become a de-railer for you, which could hold you back from future success?

Here are five techniques to move from listening to active listening.

1. When you ask a question which is going to lead to a complex answer, listen to your inner voice first.  Do you already have your own opinion? If so, before you become rude and interrupt, jot down your idea, and continue listening And next ask yourself, “what proof (actual data) do I have to support my opinion?” Then focus on what is being said, and ask more questions to fully understand the other person and gather additional data. When all your questions have been answered, before you jump in, ask others for their opinion if others are involved in the conversation.
2. Before going into a meeting or one on one conversation, make sure you write down anything that is currently on your mind that may distract you from staying focused on the current dialogue. This takes practice but the more you jot down those items/issues that can potentially distract you  the more time you can “stay with” the conversation.
3. Be conscious of your mind wandering during the conversation. If you find that you may have missed a point or are unclear about what was said, apologize and share with the person that you became distracted and ask for clarification from the person talking. This will demonstrate that you care about what they are saying.
4. Take a temperature of your mood and emotions while in an important conversation. If you are at an emotional point where you can’t listen without heavy filters, ask for a time out and regroup after your emotions have settled down.
5. Restate what you have heard to confirm your understanding of what has been discussed and reach agreement of the understanding.

Active listening will provide you with a deeper understanding of a situation and will show employees that you value their thoughts and opinions, ultimately driving better organizational results. It can also impact an organization’s innovation and competitive advantage. So the next time you are in an important conversation, remember the 5 tips for active listening.

Author: Beth Miller    Beth Miller on Twitter Beth Miller on LinkedIn Beth Miller RSS Feed

Beth Armknecht Miller, of Atlanta, Georgia, is Founder and President of Executive Velocity, a leadership development advisory firm accelerating the success of senior executives and the companies they lead. Her career spans over 30 years and includes management positions in Fortune 500 companies as well as several entrepreneurial ventures, one… View full profile

This article originally appeared on Executive Velocity Blog and has been republished with permission.

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