Case study-“You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services. You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service. One of your employees, who have been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous complaints from customers and coworkers. In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment. You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.”
It is never easy to deliver bad news, but it is very important to deliver it tactfully and effectively. As a manager, my responsibilities are to ensure that all employees are performing well, providing great customer service and working as valuable team players. Whenever an employee does not do those things I have to meet with them to discuss it.
The first thing I would do is to prepare for myself for the meeting with the employee. “Preparation is the most extensive and, in many ways, the most important stage of the confrontation process” (Cahn & Abigal, 2007). It is important to make sure that all of the issues, needs and documentations are prepared for the meeting.
The second thing I would do is to schedule a meeting with the employee to discuss their work performance. I would make sure that the meeting happens rather quickly to avoid any other issues. The third thing I would do is to meet with the employee. I would start the meeting out with asking the employee how they think their work performance has been for the past two years. I would use the S-TLC method and stop, think, listen and communicate. When dealing with a conflict, the S-TLC system suggests that you stop and take a moment to gather your thoughts, calm down, and focus on the issue at hand.
After I listen to the employee explain how well their work is going, how great they are with the customers and other employees. I will discuss their substandard work performance, the customer complaints and their confrontational behavior. I will make sure that the employee is fully aware of the companies’ policy on appropriate workplace behavior. I will also explain the type of disciplinary action that will be taken and what will result if things do not improve. I will schedule another meeting in one month to see if there were any improvements made by the employee. If there are no improvements made, then the employee will be terminated.
Four Media Technologies
In order to ensure effective communications, you must have an understanding of the components of the communication process. I think the most important components are the channel or medium. The text states, “The channel conveys the message to the receiver, either verbally and face -to-face (air provides the medium), or in another mediated fashion by telephone, written memo, videotape, or electronic mail” (Roebuck, 2006).
There are many technologies that are currently used to enhance the effectiveness of communications today and they are the email, cell phones, television and internet. In my blog below I will discuss these four media technologies.
E-Mail:
E-mails are the most used form of written communication and it has revolutionized the way mail is sent. The text states, “In fact, e-mail is the primary communication mechanism for most businesses” (Roebuck, 2006, p. 2). E-mails allow for you to request information, reinforce agreements, clarify previous messages and deliver reports in a short amount of time. The target audience is people who send and receive e-mails. I spend most of my time at work sending and receiving countless e-mails. I have found that it is a great way to send one message to several people at the same time. Sending e-mails not only saves time, but it allows for me to have written documentation of things. It is definitely one of my favorite written ways to communicate. While e-mails are a good form of communication, it can also be a very damaging. Once an e-mail has been sent it is very difficult to erase the documentation trail. For example, recently a Goldman Sachs executive was called before congress to explain an e-mail that he sent that placed a negative light on products he was selling to the public. So you have to be very careful about the information you send in emails and also the tone you use in emails. Emails are also used to send various viruses and scams. Most companies have very good security measures in place to avoid issues.
Cellular Phone:
The cellular phone is a widely used communication device that has also revolutionized the way we communicate. The cell phone not only allow for us to talk to people anywhere at any-time, but it also allows for people to email, surf the internet and send and receive text messages, take pictures and used as GPS devices. The target audience ranges from teenagers to older adults. “In a recent poll, a majority of Americans said the cell phone is the invention they most hate but can’t live without” (Roebuck, 2006, p.3). Cell phones like the iPhone have continued to evolve phone technology. The iPhone is a phone and so much more, you can search the internet, send text messages, send e-mails, and take pictures. There are also various iPhone applications that you can download from ITunes that can do anything from playing games to activating your home security system. It is so amazing how many things you can do with this cell phone. I can’t imagine my life without my cell phone and I feel like a part of my life is missing without it. The cell phone is making the landline obsolete. The cell phone is a global phenomenon, when I recently travelled to the Bahamas people were using cell phones everywhere.
Television:
The television is the most popular medium of choice for Americans. The television provides many services such as entertainment, education, relaxation, religious information, advertisements and companionship. The target audience ranges from small children to older adults it depends on what is being televised. The highest rated T.V. shows are labeled “reality T.V.” and they are shows like American Idol, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars and Jersey Shore. I have to admit that I really enjoy watching reality TV shows and I find them to be very entertaining. For example, see the listing of top rated TV shows below ( http://tvbythenumbers.com/).
Top Rated TV shows for adults 18-49 viewing for the week ending April 25, 2010
Rank Shows R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere Net 18-49 Rating 18-49 Viewers (000)
1 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 6.9 9,055
2 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX 5.9 7,752
3 GLEE FOX 5.3 6,919
4 DANCING WITH THE STARS ABC 4.8 6,296
Cable TV is a very popular and it is a paid service that offers a large variety of TV programming from movies to sport shows.
Internet:
The internet is one of the greatest technological innovations ever. It can be used for almost any human activity from researching to dating. The internet provides endless sources of education, information, entertainment and companionship. The target audience ranges from young to old. The internet has become an important staple in most people’s lives. The internet is the “Information Highway” and you can find just about any kind of information on it. There are so many different search engines such as, Google and Bling that can help you to locate any kind of information. The internet allows for you to communicate with people all over the world anytime of the day. The Internet has become the “Gateway” to private information about companies and people. Hackers have gotten into banks, government records and private companies. The more access to information you have the more criminals will try to retrieve it. There are also many websites that you can anything from watching TV shows to attending school online. Now with other technologies like Wi-Fi technology people are able to access the internet anywhere. I can’t wait to see what wonderful new internet technology is coming in the future.
References:
Roebuck, D.B. (2006). Improving business communications skills (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Website: http://tvbythenumbers.com/).
There are many technologies that are currently used to enhance the effectiveness of communications today and they are the email, cell phones, television and internet. In my blog below I will discuss these four media technologies.
E-Mail:
E-mails are the most used form of written communication and it has revolutionized the way mail is sent. The text states, “In fact, e-mail is the primary communication mechanism for most businesses” (Roebuck, 2006, p. 2). E-mails allow for you to request information, reinforce agreements, clarify previous messages and deliver reports in a short amount of time. The target audience is people who send and receive e-mails. I spend most of my time at work sending and receiving countless e-mails. I have found that it is a great way to send one message to several people at the same time. Sending e-mails not only saves time, but it allows for me to have written documentation of things. It is definitely one of my favorite written ways to communicate. While e-mails are a good form of communication, it can also be a very damaging. Once an e-mail has been sent it is very difficult to erase the documentation trail. For example, recently a Goldman Sachs executive was called before congress to explain an e-mail that he sent that placed a negative light on products he was selling to the public. So you have to be very careful about the information you send in emails and also the tone you use in emails. Emails are also used to send various viruses and scams. Most companies have very good security measures in place to avoid issues.
Cellular Phone:
The cellular phone is a widely used communication device that has also revolutionized the way we communicate. The cell phone not only allow for us to talk to people anywhere at any-time, but it also allows for people to email, surf the internet and send and receive text messages, take pictures and used as GPS devices. The target audience ranges from teenagers to older adults. “In a recent poll, a majority of Americans said the cell phone is the invention they most hate but can’t live without” (Roebuck, 2006, p.3). Cell phones like the iPhone have continued to evolve phone technology. The iPhone is a phone and so much more, you can search the internet, send text messages, send e-mails, and take pictures. There are also various iPhone applications that you can download from ITunes that can do anything from playing games to activating your home security system. It is so amazing how many things you can do with this cell phone. I can’t imagine my life without my cell phone and I feel like a part of my life is missing without it. The cell phone is making the landline obsolete. The cell phone is a global phenomenon, when I recently travelled to the Bahamas people were using cell phones everywhere.
Television:
The television is the most popular medium of choice for Americans. The television provides many services such as entertainment, education, relaxation, religious information, advertisements and companionship. The target audience ranges from small children to older adults it depends on what is being televised. The highest rated T.V. shows are labeled “reality T.V.” and they are shows like American Idol, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars and Jersey Shore. I have to admit that I really enjoy watching reality TV shows and I find them to be very entertaining. For example, see the listing of top rated TV shows below ( http://tvbythenumbers.com/).
Top Rated TV shows for adults 18-49 viewing for the week ending April 25, 2010
Rank Shows R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere Net 18-49 Rating 18-49 Viewers (000)
1 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 6.9 9,055
2 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX 5.9 7,752
3 GLEE FOX 5.3 6,919
4 DANCING WITH THE STARS ABC 4.8 6,296
Cable TV is a very popular and it is a paid service that offers a large variety of TV programming from movies to sport shows.
Internet:
The internet is one of the greatest technological innovations ever. It can be used for almost any human activity from researching to dating. The internet provides endless sources of education, information, entertainment and companionship. The target audience ranges from young to old. The internet has become an important staple in most people’s lives. The internet is the “Information Highway” and you can find just about any kind of information on it. There are so many different search engines such as, Google and Bling that can help you to locate any kind of information. The internet allows for you to communicate with people all over the world anytime of the day. The Internet has become the “Gateway” to private information about companies and people. Hackers have gotten into banks, government records and private companies. The more access to information you have the more criminals will try to retrieve it. There are also many websites that you can anything from watching TV shows to attending school online. Now with other technologies like Wi-Fi technology people are able to access the internet anywhere. I can’t wait to see what wonderful new internet technology is coming in the future.
References:
Roebuck, D.B. (2006). Improving business communications skills (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Website: http://tvbythenumbers.com/).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)