Delivering Bad News

The Dilemma

“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 has 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.”

Consider the Situation

In order to deliver bad news to an employee, one must consider the response of that employee and plan accordingly. There are situations where individuals have shown signs of aggression or violence and it is important that these are not ignored especially when that individual is about to receive news that will likely displease them.

Prepare Mentally

Regarding the situation listed above, as a manager, I would approach this employee very cautiously. Their past behavior has displayed an inclination toward confrontation which could easily escalate when they receive the news that their performance is no longer going to be accepted.

Additionally, I would consider the possibility that there is more to the situation than I am aware of. This is an employee of two years that has obviously not had a history of low-level work since this is the first time that I am speaking to them. There may be some personal situations that are causing them to respond in manners that are not common and they may not even notice that they are doing it.

Question

In order to initiate conversation with this employee, I would begin by asking questions about them. I would check on how they were feeling and offer them an opportunity to discuss any matters that might be impacting their work. When they responded, I would listen to them so that I could understand why they are acting as they are in the workplace. Following this, it would be important to relax and begin a response that includes information from the employee’s last sentence to prove that I was listening (Sittenfield, 1999).

Present Facts

After gaining an understanding of the employee’s situation and providing them with the opportunity to speak about their situation, I would discuss the reasons that I brought them in to speak with me. I would tell them about the information that has been presented to me by both our customers and our employees. I would then take the time to explain the importance of great customer service as well as a safe and friendly work environment.

Anticipate Response

            Speaking to this employee will be, in no doubt, a difficult task to accomplish. However, it is important to do so in order to maintain a successful business. I would anticipate that the employee would be appalled with their behavior and the way that it is affecting their customers as well as co-workers. Being that this employee has been with the company for two years and this is the first incidence of its nature, it is unlikely that the employee will dismiss the conversation.

            However, I would take precautions and have security nearby in case this particular employee continued their mannerisms that got them into this situation to begin with. Though I would be prepared in this way, I would try my best to empathize with whatever feelings arise as a result of this conversation. “Bad news comes with very strong emotions—and you must always acknowledge those emotions” (Sittenfield, 1999). Again, with history of aggression and hostility, one can never be too safe.

Reference

Sittenfeld, C. (1999). Good Ways to Deliver Bad News. Fast Company. Retrieved April 25, 2012 from, http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/23/buckman.html

Nonverbal Mix-up

Society

In our society, it is not unlikely that we come into contact with individuals from different cultural backgrounds than ourselves. In the United States, we are surrounded by people who have themselves immigrated to this country or come from a recent line of immigrants. Many of us ourselves can be grouped in this category. The United States is unique in this manner as there are many different cultures blended together to make one.

Intercultural Communication

It is for this very reason that we all take the time to understand and respect that we all communicate differently. There are nonverbal movements that one culture finds acceptable and another can become offended by. Language can be a barrier. There are times that those that do not speak the same language as their first language could misinterpret the meaning of words.

Many situations can arise that will force us to interact with someone that comes from a different background than ourselves. Companies house very diverse employees. In these situations, it is not unlikely to have a meeting with individuals that come from different cultures or speak different languages as their first language.

Personal Experience

My experience does not deal with a business interaction. Instead, it deals with a personal trip to the Dominican Republic. My father is an immigrant who was born in the Dominican Republic. The two of us now travel to this country annually in order to maintain our land and bring items to those that live in the poor town that our house was built in. This is the same town that my father grew up in.

In the United States, it is not uncommon to wave goodbye to another person with your palm facing them and your four fingers, excluding your thumb, moving up and down in a waving motion. I attempted them farewell to a child when they were leaving my home. As a result, they approached me. Not long after, they looked confused.

What I later learned was that the nonverbal communication that I expressed did not mean goodbye. To them it was a way of informally calling someone over to yourself. After this was explained to me, I could understand the confusion of the child when I did not express any need for their presence.

Essentially, I broke one of the ten commandments of intercultural communication. I was not aware of differing body language (Hahn, n.d.). I simply acted as I always did and expected the same result. I was shown that this is not the best way to communicate.

Reference:

Hahn, M. (n.d.). Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication. Ezine. Retrieved April 24, 2012 from

Media Technologies--A Growing Trend

Media Technologies

Media technologies are constantly evolving. As a result, individuals and companies alike are able to promote their products and information in new and inventive ways in order to reach a specific audience.

Blog

            An example of such an innovation is the blog. If information is what one seeks, there is a blog for most every topic. There are blogs about recipes, tools, education and most any other topic that can be imagined.

Even businesses are expanding into the field of blogging. One company that most may recognize is Walmart. They have a blog that educates its audience on the good that they do emphasizing that they “…believe in a philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally” (http://www.walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/). Walmart is able to promote themselves in the image that they want to be identified in rather than whatever the media may reflect.

However, just as Walmart has the ability to promote the positive information that they want to, there are organizations and bloggers that are able to do the same in whatever manner they choose. WalmartSucksorg, for example, posts the negative aspects of Walmart. This is a blogger that posts stories of negative situations that have occurred within the walls of various Walmart locations in the country. The stories are sent in by different individuals that have either worked at Walmart, currently work there, or have experienced bad service while patronizing a store. This gives individuals with the same negative feelings toward this company the opportunity to vent and express their similar opinions while also reading the horror stories of others.

Another well-known company that posts information about their company is Apple. Through their website, you can find the latest information on their most recent products. The latest story at this time is mention of the newest iPad that offers details of its specifications as well as information on pricing (http://www.apple.com/hotnews/).

Apps

            Another form of media technology are applications or apps that are created for tablet PCs and smartphones. These come in a variety of forms and, as a result, reach a very large audience base. Apps are available to help in accessing school sites, such as the one offered through Ashford University, for entertainment purposes, news, weather, sports along with a variety of other forms.

            Ashford University offers an app that allows its students the ability to access their student portal, in a limited basis, from their smartphones. This application allows students to read their discussion posts in their classes, access their grades, and even view their student id cards (http://ashford.edu/student_services/ashford_mobile.htm). This type of application allows students to access their classroom regardless of where they are and makes it easier to ensure that they are always on top of their assignments.

            An app that is intended for entertainment would be Angry Birds. This is one that allows its users to play a very popular game that flings birds into the air at objects. The intended audience is youthful and more playful individual. Anyone that is able to function and utilize the application from a young age to young adult. Much of the online merchandise appears dedicated to youth (http://shop.angrybirds.com/).

            News and weather can be accessed through apps such as one offered for CNN or the Weather channel. Information is at one’s fingertips and the Websites that are visited normally through one’s computer can be accessed on-the-go at any time through applications on tablet PCs and smartphones. There is no limit to the possibilities.

Social Networking

            When it comes to social networking, it is rare that Facebook or Twitter not be mentioned. These are two very well-known forms of this media technology. Both allow for status updates in their own way. Facebook is a site that allows old connections to reestablish through people searches for people whose names are known. Then, users interact through posting pictures and stories to let their friends and families know what is going on with them. This is a great way to remain up-to-date with those that cannot be visited frequently.

            Twitter is a site that allows individuals to interact similarly to the way that Facebook does. However, these posts are called tweets and it is not necessarily intended for connections with people already known. Unlike Facebook, users do not create large photo albums that document their lives. They have one profile picture and their name. From there, their entire profile consists of tweets about any topic that they choose to use.

            Through both sites, companies, organizations, and individuals are able to promote themselves and their products. On Facebook, pages can be made that are dedicated to the cause of the author’s choosing. They can be for a company or a product. The page can be for an organization or a cause. On Twitter, companies can trend, which is where they are considered a popular topic and people post tweets about it in order to promote themselves for followers while, at the same time, promoting whatever the trending topic is.

Radio

            Radio has been in existence for a longer period of time than the previously discussed media technologies. This particular form of communication was around prior to cell phones and television monitors. It has passed information from one source to the next for years and continues to do so.

            Through radio stations, music artists promote their music. New and old songs alike are blasted through speakers in order to create listeners for a particular artist or group. Revenue is generated as a result when concert tickets and CDs are purchased in stores.

            Not only does the radio reach an audience interested in music, like apps, it offers news, weather, sports and traffic. Any audience interested in accessing information on their favorite sports team can find a radio station dedicated to this form of information. The same goes if someone is looking for information on the latest breaking news stories or weather.

            Also, companies and organizations are given the opportunity to promote their products, events, or information through the use of commercials. These can be targeted to the intended audience by choosing times and stations to run them on whose target audiences correspond to the ones that they want to reach.

            Additionally, radio can follow individuals around the same as many other media technologies. Many of the newer model phones have radio apps or software that allows users to access radio stations while on the go. Radios are accessed while in vehicles and at home as well. So, like the other media technologies, radio is far reaching.

           

References

Angry Birds (n.d.). Angry Birds Online Shop. Retrieved April 16, 2012 from, https://shop.angrybirds.com/

Apple. (n.d.) Apple Hot News. Retrieved April 20, 2012 from, http://www.apple.com/hotnews/

Ashford University. (n.d.). Ashford Mobile. Retrieved April 20, 2012 from, http://ashford.edu/student_services/ashford_mobile.htm

Harvey, K. (n.d.). WalmartSucks.org. Retrieved April 20, 2012 from, http://walmartsucksorg.blogspot.com/

Walmart. (n.d.). Community Giving. Retrieved April 20, 2012 from, http://www.walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/

Blog Guidelines: Creating an Effective Blog

          In order to create an effective blog, there are key elements that must be considered. First, the blog must have a purpose. Secondly, it must have an audience for which it is geared to. Thirdly, the information must be set in a design that the audience can understand. Finally, the content of the blog must be such that the audience remains captivated and interested in returning.

Purpose

           Blogs are intended for an audience to read and experience the information that their author wants to present. “You need a reason for your audience to visit your blog on a regular basis” (Nobles). There has to be a purpose attached to the blog that is consistent and easily understood by the target audience. The purpose has to create interest and find a way to maintain the audience’s attention through its design and content.

Audience

            It is important to understand and establish a blog for the reader that you are looking to reach. “Your ideal reader should be somebody who shares certain goals with you” (Problogger, 2010, para. 13). The audience is who will take the time to read the information that you post on the web. With this in mind, taking the time to understand what you want in an audience and then making a blog to reflect that is essential.

Design

It is important to focus on the design of a blog in order to attract the appropriate audience and effectively maintain their attention. “The goal behind effective blog design is to make your visitors take action” (iNBoundPRO). You want your blog visitors to take whatever action that you intend them to take whether that be to join a cause, learn about information you find useful, or showcase your talent as a writer. Any of these are actions that you want your perspective audience to take when they look at your blog. Taking the time to create a blog that meets the needs of your audience is key in doing so. We must “…think about the action we want our audience to take and then design a page that increases the chances of that happening” (iNBoundPRO).

Content

            With technology providing so many options to communicate, focusing on the content on one’s blog can be an overwhelming task. Not only is the written content important but now, so is the additional information that is included in the blog. There are podcasts and videos that can be included that can help to fuel interest in the audience while providing them with a different way to obtain the information that is being provided by the blog. A slideshow can be an addition to a blog that helps the reader interact with the content. Additionally, “…[slideshows] let you determine the “flow” of your content by pushing users in a certain direction…” (Blogging Tips). So, content is important to maintain interest and direct the audience.

References

Blogging Tips. (n.d.). 5 Types of Content to Help Your Blog Grow On-Site and Off-Site. Bloggingpro. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from, http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2012/01/31/5-types-of-content-to-help-your-blog-grow-on-site-and-off-site/

iNBoundPRO. (n.d.). Effective Blog Design: What Makes Your Audience Click? iNBoundPRO. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from, http://www.inboundpro.net/effective-blog-design

Nobles, R. (n.d.). Blogs with a Purpose. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from, http://www.searchengineworkshops.com/articles/blogs-purpose.html

Problogger. (2010). Build the Perfect Blog Audience for You. PROBLOGGER. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from, http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/10/15/build-the-perfect-blog-audience-for-you/

Say What?

Communication, the method in which we pass information between one another. We communicate both verbally and nonverbally. Our tone, body language, attire, and rate of speech are just a few of the ways that others gather information about us and our messages. We are constantly communicating, whether it be intentionally or not and what we communicate says a lot about us. Understanding communication is a necessary tool to success.