Scenario
You’ve been working as Sun City Boards’ Director of Manufacturing for several weeks.(You can refresh your memory of Sun City Boards by reading the Why It Matters and Putting It Together sections of the Planning and Mission module.) You developed a plan for staff hiring and job assignments. Prior to you starting, Tom Wilson gathered his six employees, announced you as the new Director of Manufacturing, and informed them that there would also be two more new hires coming soon. Since coming on board (no pun intended) a short time ago, you’ve observed some behavior that concerns you.
- Whenever you approach a group of employees, they immediately become quiet and even disperse. This has happened frequently, whether you greet them or not.
- You asked Sarah Balance for some historical wage information and were met with a blank stare. You still have not received the information.
- You have begun reviewing emails via your personal account, but are unsure whether you are seeing all of the relevant business messages.
- Yesterday, you were in the warehouse and observed the arrival of a seemingly large shipment of laminating resin. You asked Jack Ovalltrades if he had ordered the material, and he snapped, “What do you think?”
You haven’t even begun to implement the staffing plan, and you’re very concerned about how you will make the changes you plan, given the apparent attitudes of the staff.
Preparation
In this assignment, you will develop your communication plan for your staff hiring and job assignments based on the information you’ve been given and the communications concepts you studied in your reading.
- Thoroughly read the Communication module.
- Carefully consider the models, flows, characteristics, possible barriers, and channels of communication presented, and consider them for Sun City. Develop your communication plan.
Your Task
Write a four-paragraph essay describing your plan. Your essay must include three properly referenced and defined terms from the module reading. For example if you believe that Sun City should adopt a formal method of communicating, what should it be? How does your plan address the disturbing behavior you observe? Answer these questions:
- What method/medium of communication will you use to communicate your operational plans?
- What essential business information will you require to be part of formal communication and reporting?
- Is there a place for informal reporting? How will you include it?
- What are some of the inherent barriers to communication at Sun City Boards? How will you address them?
- What is your preferred communication method and style? What one characteristic of good communication can you adopt to improve your communication effectiveness?
Additionally, include one paragraph of your “opening remarks” to the Sun City staff. This paragraph would be included in your chosen medium as described above.
You are encouraged to use appropriate illustrations or charts to describe your plan and in addition to the text, you may also reference reliable and properly cited Internet resources. You may also draw from your personal work experience with appropriate examples to support your references.
Grading
Your written assignment will be graded using the Written Assignment Rubric (the Microsoft Word version of the Written Assignment Rubric is available here). Please review and keep it in mind as you prepare your assignment. Each component is weighted as follows:
10% Organization and Format
Adequate: Writing is coherent and logically organized, using a format suitable for the material presented. Transitions used between ideas and paragraphs create coherence. Overall unity of ideas is supported by the format and organization of the material presented.
40% Content
Adequate: All required questions are addressed with thoughtful consideration reflecting both proper use of content terminology and additional original thought. Some additional concepts are presented from properly cited sources, or originated by the author following logic and reasoning they’ve clearly presented throughout the writing.
40% Development – Critical Thinking
Adequate: Content indicates original thinking, cohesive conclusions, and developed ideas with sufficient and firm evidence. Ideas presented are not merely the opinion of the writer, and clearly address all of the questions or requirements asked with evidence presented to support conclusions drawn.
10% Grammar, Mechanics, Style
Adequate: Writing is free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors, allowing the reader to follow ideas clearly. There are no sentence fragments and run-ons. The style of writing, tone, and use of rhetorical devices is presented in a cohesive style that enhances the content of the message.
