Question

1. As manager in an organisation, explain the channel(s) you would use in communicating the following information: a. That an esteemed colleague has died overnight. b. That there will be a change to the weekly meeting time next week. c. That “some staff members” have been skipping their designated duties. d. That four staff members are to be retrenched over the following month. e. That the employer has granted all employees an immediate 15% pay rise. f. That a serious external issue threatens the existence of the organisation.

2. a. What do you consider to be your strengths as a communicator? b. What do you see as your main weaknesses as a communicator? c. What can you do to further develop your skills as a communicator?

Answer 1

As manager in an organisation the channel I would use in communicating the following information are as follows:-

a. That an esteemed colleague has died overnight :- In case of death of an employee I would prefer to firstly personally communicate with the employees who are close to them. In this situation the employee has died overnight so I would prefer not to tell anyone in night. In the morning I will personally communicate with deceased close employees. And then meet with deceased family members along with the close employees. After meeting with the family members I will arrange a small gathering of members where this information will be shared with everyone.

b. That there will be a change to the weekly meeting time next week :- In this situation I would prefer to provide information through a memo. It is short and provide to the point information to large number of people.

c. That “some staff members” have been skipping their designated duties:- In this situation I would prefer to have face to face conversation with the staff members. I will talk to them in a polite manner and address them about what is their actions and ask them the reasons for not performing their duties.

d. That four staff members are to be retrenched over the following month:- In this situation I would prefer to have face to face interaction with them. A memo should be distributed detailing the reasons for retrenchments.

e. That the employer has granted all employees an immediate 15% pay rise:- In this situation I would use written form of communication by proving them letters.

f. That a serious external issue threatens the existence of the organisation:- In this situation I would prefer to be calm in front of the employees. I will discuss this information with top level managers only and try to find solutions to tackle this problem without disturbing the current working condition.

Ans 2:- Strength as Communicator

• Good Listener - I am a good listener as I always listen to both my superiors and subordinated carefully.I love to listen what people have to say, by listening I can actually know what people think about.
• Good Speaker - I am a good speaker as I communicate my information in the most effective way. I speak fluently with a clear voice.
• Confident – I always prepare myself before communicating any information so that I can be confident at the time of communicating information.
• Feedback - I always take feedback from employees in order to know that i have provided them with sufficient information or not. I take feedback and work on my negative points.
• Respect – As a manager I respect all the colleagues, employees & workers as well.
• Clarity – I always communicate my message according to the needs of the members. I communicate with different members with different means.

Weakness as a Communicator

• Reactive:- Sometimes I react quickly to the situation which leads to further problems.
• To the Point:- I prefer to communicate my message in a short way rather than a long lecture. Sometimes my to the point information is not understood by people.

Develop Communication Skills

• To improve the reactive nature I can do meditation everyday to calm down the quick reaction to the unauthenticated information. Try to avoid the unnecessary attention to the situation in front.
• I try to communicate with the members personally which makes better understanding between both parties and it enhances communication skills.