Delivering Bad News Tactfully and Effectively

It is always a good idea to meet with employees who are not getting the job done or have an attitude problem. The company or organization has already invested time and money into this employee, so it is in best interests to share some of your knowledge in an attempt to increase the investment (Doh, 2003). Take time to coach the employee even if it is just for one minute. Coaching sessions do not have to be very long, they need not exceed ten minutes and should only state the problem and an action plan towards a solution. Some employees may not be aware of what they are doing wrong or how to fix it. If an employee has an issue early on, then it should be addressed quickly and effectively (Ivancevich, Konopaske, Matteson, 2007).

I only suggest one to two coaching sessions to explain to them the problem in hopes they change. I would make it clear they are on the edge. I defiantly do not want to surprise them when I let them go. I would also give them a written explanation of the issues as well. This will make the confrontation when firing them a bit easier and help avoid potential legal issues, as I will have a written record of the problem and the employee will not be surprised. I think for unethical behavior, I would skip this step and just fire the person immediately. If an employee shows absolutely no desire to improve after a couple of coaching session…terminate immediately. There is no need to give them any more warning “shots”.

When someone shows resistance to improvement, then that is not the type of employee to keep around. It does not matter how skilled that person is, if they are not willing to improve then having them will stunt the company’s growth. Because this employee may be bringing down office morale, I would give one brief warning and not much more, because it is really not a fire able offense. But that negativity must be nipped in the bud immediately. Negativity spreads like wildfire. More simply put, as soon as employees are bringing down office morale and harming production, it is time for them to go (Stogdill, 1989). It would be unwise to fire a person without providing at least some direction. Nevertheless, it is even more unwise to spend too much time and energy trying to turn the marginal employee into a star. You owe it to yourself to at least put some amount of effort into helping them, but you are also not a babysitter. If an employee has been told what should change and you do not see improvements from that employee with a week or two, it is time for that person to go.

 

My formal letter of warning would go as such:

Dear Mr. Annoying:
Re: Written Warning

In accordance with AP 2-2 of the collective agreement, this letter serves as a written warning for instances of a verbal altercations that occurred between you and several co-workers as well as several clients. After receiving various complaints, I called you into my office to discuss these allegations and ask for your input. I asked you if you had any explanation for your behavior, and you stated that you had been having some personal difficulties at home, but you did not elaborate.

I have decided to give you a written warning for your misconduct. At this time, I expressed that you are expected to treat co-workers and customers with respect. You forewarned that repeated incidents of such behavior would lead to further discipline or dismissal. You have failed to follow my direction to not be confrontational, and I have no choice but to impose this written warning against you. This letter will be entered into your personnel file for one year from today’s date, in accordance with Policy AP 2-2.

Once again, I must take this opportunity to remind you that any future repetition of disrespect or swearing towards co-workers will lead to further discipline, up to and including dismissal. Also,
if there are any personal concerns you wish to talk to me about, please feel free to contact me. In addition, our insurance carrier, provides coverage for professional and confidential counselling, which you may decide to take advantage of.

Sincerely,

Shamika Esquibel

Division Manager

References

 

Doh, J. P. (2003). "Can leadership be taught? Perspectives from management educators". Academy of Management Learning and Education

Ivancevich, J., Konopaske, R., Matteson, M. (2007). Organizational Behavior and Management. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Stogdill, R. M. (1989). Stogdill's Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and Research. Bass, B. (ed.) New York: Free Press.

Four Types of Media Technologies

Media and technology continue to grow and advance on a daily basis. There are many different tools that can be used to communicate and different ways in which information can be shared. Many forms of media are being used to reach millions of people throughout the world. Four types of media that will be further discussed are: social media, digital media, print media, and television commercials. These are all forms of media that impact the communication world and help to keep people connected and informed.


Social mediais growing and advancing to the point in which it is important to gain an understanding of what social media is. “Technology is now playing a major role in the way we express ourselves and communicate with the world. “Commenting, liking, tagging, and tweeting are now becoming technological norms that people socialize with” (Nicholls, 2011). There is large proportion of individuals who use social media on a daily basis to communicate. It has such an impact that cellphones and PDA’s now have internet access in which individuals can connect on social websites and post while out and about. Social media is used to describe technology that occurs on the internet and webpages. Social media can include blogs, Facebook, Twitter, podcasts, and wikis. (Marsh, et. al., 2009) Because of this social media is way for people to stay connected and communicate with each other. Twitter is a website in which individuals can post within seconds what they are doing or thinking. These postings are called “Tweets” and people can follow the Twitter page, and connect with an individual in that manner. It is very popular for celebrities to use this website. Social media is used for networking, sharing information, and connecting with individuals. It is apparent that social media is an important part of how people are communicating with each other, and it can reach a large variety of audiences throughout the world. Individuals can share information and ideas, advertise products, and have conversations on the social networking sites. Again these sites consist of Facebook and Twitter. Social media will continue to impact the way we communicate and express our feelings.

Digital media is another form of technology in which individuals use to communicate. Digital media, “is any storage device that holds digital data” (The Computer Language Company INC., 2011). The purpose of digital media is to share as much information as possible and to reach a large amount of audiences. Digital media can consist of social media and in fact because the information is stored on a computer, it can cover the internet as well as social networking sites. Some examples of digital media are USB drives, multimedia, and magnetic discs. These all store information necessary for us to use while we communicate and saves information. As mentioned earlier cellphones and PDA’s (smartphones) are an important tool for individuals to use to help stay connected. As technology has advanced cell phones now have the ability to download music and connect to the internet. Because of this, individuals are able to stay connected, share information, and communicate within seconds. Businesses and companies understand the importance of digital media and the impact it has.“An organization’s ability to manage the fast moving digital currents of today’s world is increasingly important. It’s a safe assertion and conservative one, that an organization’s ability to ‘respond and navigate digitally’ ties to profability, efficiency and overall reputation”(Lipsey, 2010). Digital media stores information and helps individuals to communicate and reach a large audience. Anyone who is comfortable with technology and the computer is more likely to use digital media. Digital media is broad and can be tied with social media as there are many tools that are linked together.




 Print Media is another effective tool that is used to communicate. Print media can consist of pamphlets, books, newspapers, magazines, and brochures. Print Media is a medium in which can be used to distribute information. The purpose of print media is to share as much information as possible and reach an audience that may not be familiar with computers or technology. It is another way to disseminate information to an audience. Magazines are a popular form of print media and can have a variety of topics. Magazines can have articles about different topics and hobbies. US Weekly is an example of a magazine and it specifically shares information about celebrities. Newspapers share information in regards to what is going on in that specific state, or can share information from around the world. Having a hard copy can be easily distributed and is tactile unlike the internet. Print media is an effective way to advertise and throughout colleges are ways to notify people of upcoming events. Consumers and producers of products use print media to sell products, explain directions, and provide information. Social Media and digital media may be able to reach out to an audience that is technologically savvy, but to individuals who are not, print media is an effective way to share information. Print media is an effective way to share information and reach a specific audience. Although it appears that technology and social media are continuously advancing, print media is a great way to share information. Print media can target different audiences that are not as technologically advanced. Because of this, print media will continue to stick around.


Visual media is used to inform an audience through telling a story with pictures. Many people watch TV to entertain themselves. From soap operas to sports, to the news television delivers a large amount of information. Because people watch TV, we are bombarded by TV commercials besides our TV programs that we watch. Television commercialsare another effective way to share information. The purpose of television commercials is to “motivate the viewer to take a desired action, usually in the form of a marketplace transaction” (Marsh, et al., 2009). Televisions can be found throughout the world and are in millions of homes. It can reach many different audiences at one point. TV Commercials can target a different audience through the varying television stations. Different shows attract different age ranges and with that commercials can be produced in which can target that specific audience. Television commercials use sound and picture to draw attention to their product. A lot of TV commercials use sex appeal, famous celebrities, humor, and athletes to gain the attention of an audience. TV commercials can deliver information in a short amount of time. One way to show that TV and TV commercials impact consumers is the Super Bowl. According to Forbes, marketers are willing to pay “$2.6 million for a 30-second spot on Sunday’s game”(Forbes, 2007). It is quite obvious that TV commercials are an important way for advertisers to get their name out. With that being said, TV commercials will continue to impact consumers and share messages. The audiences of TV commercials are individuals who possess a television in their household.









References



Lacey, R. (2007, January 30). Is a super bowl ad a super deal?. Forbes, DOI:Forbes.com

Lipsey, D. (2010). Managing the fast moving (digital) currents: How DAM can help emerging
rapid response media centers. Journal of Digital Asset Management, 6(6), 332-335. 
Marsh, C., Guth, D.W., & Short, B.P. (2009). Strategic writing multimedia writing for public relations advertising and more. Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Retrieved January 9, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global.

Nicholls, J. (2011). Social media comes of age. Mental Health Nursing (Online), 31(4), 6. Retrieved January 9, 2012, from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source.

Communication Conflicts

 

 

Conflict is an inevitable part of human relationships. Depending on how it is approached and managed, conflict can be either constructive or destructive. Conflict arises when people disagree over something perceived as important. We live in communities and families with people who may not see things as we do. Conflicts occur on a daily basis, sometimes as small disputes, sometimes as violent battles. I will discuss some reasons why conflict occurs, conflict management, roles of personality types in conflict management, ethics and workplace conflicts, and forgiveness. I will share an explanation of the topic and how this can be applied in professional and personal settings.

 

 

Why Does Conflict Occur?

We each respond to conflicts based on our own particular personality and cultural background. People have different motivations, beliefs, values and goals. Two people can perceive and interpret the same situation very differently. Two people may speak the same language, but when a disagreement arises, one may discover the other responds to the same situation very differently. The way others respond to conflict may confuse or offend us. Problems and conflicts are natural in our daily work, and the key is finding the right way to overcome them and continue working productively. One tool is to work to overcome our own perceptions and prejudices, so we can see the other person’s viewpoint.

 

Conflict Management

Conflicts have the potential to benefit a team. In a successfully handled conflict relationships, mutual understanding and respect increase. Participants become aware and are able to cope with challenges. Conflict can promote beneficial change and adaptation. It enhances personal and psychological development.  Morale improves as the team overcomes conflict. It breaks the culture of silence. Unresolved conflict is a major source of stress and a waste of time.  It drains team energy that needs to be conserved for the work. Factions are created, productivity goes down, people fail to show up, and a sense of discouragement grows in the team. Creative energy is diverted and drained. An important issue always merits mediation (Stogdill, 1989).

 

Role of Personality Types in Conflict Management

Any successful team consists of a mix of personality types. A team in which everyone has the same personality type, is more likely to experience conflict between its members. When a problem arises in the team, everyone is more likely to try and take the same role in solving it. People communicate their thoughts, ideas, knowledge and fears differently in conflict situations.  Managers and team members should know and understand these different styles of communication to avert conflicts over perceptions of someone’s actions or words. Team-building exercises before field deployment help people to get to know each other and understand how their colleagues communicate. Empathy for another viewpoint greatly aids in prevention and resolution of conflict (Ivancevich, Konopaske, Matteson, 2007).

 

 

Ethics and Workplace Conflicts

Codes of conduct or business ethics exist to guide the expected behavior of honorable employees, but much of their origination occurred for the same reason as policies. Some employees conducted themselves in ways that are unacceptable to the business. In today’s workplace, potential charges of unfair treatment, discrimination, favoritism, and hostile work environment replace much management discretion. The many suffer for the few and sometimes, the best employees get caught in the equal treatment trap.

 

Forgiveness

At first, conflict and forgiveness seem at different ends of the spectrum. Conflict is the struggle between people who have opposing views, opposite goals, conflicting values, and inappropriate communication. Conflict does not necessarily mean that hatred and condemnation are involved, although both can be. But rather, most conflict and estrangements occur over misunderstandings and different points of view. According to Can and Abigail (2011) forgiveness can be defined as process of cognition that involves permitting the revengeful feelings go off and the wish to get revenge.

Conflict resolutions should be seen as works in progress. Make it a point to ask the other person from time to time how things are going. Something unexpected might have come up or some aspect of the problem may have been overlooked. Your decisions should be seen as open to revision, as long as the revisions are agreed upon mutually.

 

 

 

References

 

 

Cahn, D.D., & Abigail, R.A. (2007). Managing conflict through communication (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN:  978-0-205-68556-1

 

Ivancevich, J., Konopaske, R., Matteson, M. (2007). Organizational Behavior and Management. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

 

Stogdill, R. M.(1989). Stogdill's Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and Research. Bass, B. (ed.) New York: Free Press.