Question

>> So Plant Fantasies, we're landscape contractors that are based out of Manhattan, and we do interior and exterior landscaping and maintenance, design, green roof, contract flowers, and holiday decorations.

>> Steve is like my right-hand person in selling, in handling the customers, and in execution.

>> I think we both listen differently. So a lot of times I go in meetings with her, and she'll hear some of it, and I'll hear, you know, other things. So we both take away different things from the meeting. Theresa tends to really get into the relationship, but I'm more into the specifics. You have only so much time face to face with the client. So you really need to get as much information as you can, you know. Just be really blunt --

>> We do need to communicate on what we're sending out this week --

>> Yeah --

>> Because I'm a little nervous that the flower department doesn't exactly know what the new design is.

>> I don't think they do. Yeah. Yeah.

>> So I'm not sure how that happens. How does that happen? I thought I went over it --

>> It's like you said before. They tell you they understand when they actually don't --

>> Okay --

>> Understand.

>> I'm a big communicator. I think I'm really clear. I do get the feeling that no one listens to me sometimes, but I think I'm pretty clear. I maybe communicate too much if anything. That would be a fault of mine. Two of the designers are taking an OSHA class. You know, I already e-mailed them, like ten times today because I got, we're bidding on Mount Sinai, which is a really great project that we want to do the landscaping for, and I got some updates on the blueprints, and I wanted to make sure that they got them. So, you know, that was, like three or four e-mails, and some other questions, and, you know, I'll have, I'll chirp them later when they get a break.

>> I think that for me, I'm somewhat of a control freak. That I always need to know what's going on. That I will, I constantly check in. You know, nobody's stopping to look at the clock, and see okay, it's 4:00, let's call Steve because everybody's busy. So I kind of beat them to that. I don't think you can be, I don't think you can ever be too annoying.

>> Out of anxiety, there have been times in my career, you know, maybe even last year where I wasn't handling that anxiety as well. I used to e-mail, like all night sometimes, but then I started to feel like it was invasive and not fair to my employees. So I started, so now I write the e-mails, and I save them, and then in the morning I shoot them all out. We all have BlackBerrys so we all do Direct Connect, which is really helpful for us because I've got the trucks going around and people going around, and there's a lot of Direct Connect.

>> I think e-mail is probably the best way to get the basic information across, but for me, the back and forth on e-mail for a conversation you can have on the phone that would take a minute is a waste of time. I'd rather just make the phone call, you know, and get the right information and just move forward with it. When you can do it, when there's time, I think it's a great idea to always try and do face to face. You know, it's good for the customer, too. They really, you know, you want them to see you. You want them to remember you. You want them to see that you went through the time to come there. You didn't just shoot them an e-mail, you know, in a cab going somewhere else. They want to feel important. When I first started, I used to send out brochures and then chase them down, and, you know, you get a few hits from that, but most people I don't think actually look at them, and I think, unfortunately, it's the same thing with e-mail. You know, I get some e-mails sometimes, and I don't even, I just delete them because everything happens so fast. You're, like, all right, I don't have time for this. It's an advertisement. I don't care, you know. I think it's more of a, you really need to, you need to meet these people, and, you know, put this, so I can put a face with the name.

1-When Teresa talks about communicating with her employees, she says, “Now I write the emails and I save them. And then in the morning I shoot them all out.” Teresa’s emails are an example of

Upward communication

Downward communication

Horizontal communication

Parallel communication

2-This form of communication might not be effective if Teresa

Is communicating the weekly inventory totals to all of her her project managers

Wants to share an article about “green” certification standards with all of Plant Fantasies’ landscaping customers

Needs to tell someone in the flower department that customers have complained about his or her work

Is telling Plant Fantasies’ website designer what blog posts to use to update the site

Answer 1

Ans 1:

Downward communication

Explanation: Downward communication is where messages are sent from the top of the organization structure to lower levels in the organization structure. It is a communication from superiors to subordinates. Emails sent by Teresa to her employees are from boss to employees hence it is a downward communication. Generally, it is the manager telling about decisions, which are already made or giving specific instructions or directives.

Upward communication refers to information, which flows from bottom to top normally in the form of reports or feedback from employees to the supervisor. Parallel communication refers to intra-departmental communication where colleagues at the same level communicate or discuss departmental issues, it improves coordination, eliminates confusion and saves time. Horizontal communication flows laterally between the same levels in the organization.

Ans 2:

“Wants to share an article about “green” certification standards with all of Plant Fantasies’ landscaping customers”

Explanation: She is using external communication i.e. communication between manager and external groups like bank, vendors, customers etc. Here she is communicating with the customer.

Downward communication is formal messages, which are authoritative and directive. They are basically to share policies, procedures and significant notices that are relevant to the working of the organization. It is basically to keep all employees or team members on the same page. Sharing an article about green certification standards shared with customers is information sharing and form of advertising it is not directive or authoritative. It is to share the salient features of the organization. She is using a form of digital advertising.