PART A – PLEASE RESPOND TO CLASSMATE DISCUSSION WHETHER YOU AGREE OR NOT & A DETAILED WHY: Master – Part One: My Script

I will be as straight and as transparent as company policy allow me to be. The company is indeed plannings reorganization, and there will be a mass downsizing across all departments. It will not come as a surprise to you as we know the company has been losing revenue for quite some time. It must be a hard decision for company leaders to make such a tough decision. I want my team here the news from me first hand rather than from rumor mill.

I promise it will not be easy for the next few weeks. We may lose some colleagues, but I will assure you I will try my best for my team. I will like to hear what you have to say. I would also like all of you to suggest the ways we can recommend to save on expenses and generate more revenue.

We will be scared. I will be honest with you; I am afraid. We have to focus on our work. We have projects that are in flight. Staying focus on the job is the only we will be able to go through this phase. We control our destiny, and we do not want a decision about us to be made easy.

I will share any information I receive as soon as I am able to share it with you. I will be scheduling one on one session with everyone over the next couple of days. If you have something urgent, please feel free to walk into my cube. I will schedule a short half an hour meeting every morning to go over the update and talk about daily deliverables.

We are highly motivated individuals in the team. We have achieved many victories together. We will pass these rough seas with the same courage. I will like to take you guys out for lunch today. Let us celebrate the successes we had as a team.

Part Two

What is your communication strategy with your team? My Communication strategy is Tell/Consult. As a leader of the team, you are breaking bad news to the team. Team interest is running high on what you have to say. It is beneficial to go right to he the point. The message strategy needs to be direct. One may not have all the information, but the situation demands a leader to approach the situation with respect, candor, and transparency.

How often will you provide communication to your team about updates? You need to keep them informed, but not panicked.

I plan to hold daily meetings and update the team as soon as I can share information with them. I want to provide a channel for the team to voice their concern rather than keeping it within themselves. The team will feel relax, and with negative thoughts out of their mind, I can hope they stay focus on the task at hand.

How will you get your key message across, while keeping your team productive? It is the most challenging task as a leader to keet the team motivated during downsizing. The daily morning meeting will help them voice their concern and stying on top of the daily task.

What can you do to reduce the challenges of distraction and the rumor mill for your team? I will communicate strategically, focusing on important news. I will be transparent in my communication. I will share any information with the team as soon as possible, squatting the rumor mill.

PART B – PLEASE RESPOND TO CLASSMATE DISCUSSION WHETHER YOU AGREE OR NOT & A DETAILED WHY: The focus of any organization is to maximize financial gain. If the company increases its profit, then management will reduce costs and maximize revenues. Therefore, an organization may decide to downsize its employee teams to reduce costs. It’s vital to choose an appropriate strategy to convey the bad news to the affected workers.

The appropriate strategy to pass bad news – As a middle manager, I will explain the background and give the necessary information to make the affected employees understand the causes of extreme action. I will let them know our appreciation for their hard work and provide alternatives for them. I will inform them that they are very competent and qualified to quickly secure a working opportunity in many organizations that intrigue them. I will assure them that the organizations will write a recommendation on their behalf.

Frequency of communication – For their departure, it is necessary to avail of relevant and sensitive information always to ensure a smooth transition. I will ensure the payment for their salaries on time and other benefits within the specified time period. I will also allow them to raise their views and concerns because communication is two-way traffic.

Getting the message across but keeping productivity – Be able to maintain productivity as normal; it should be clarified that the decision was taken for prosperity of the organization, and those who retained their positions should work hard to achieve the goals of the organization. The same, the team members should be allowed to give views on how to execute the duties as per the expectation. When workers can be part of the decision-making process, they feel appreciated and will work hard as they will take what they are doing as their own.

Mitigating challenges of distraction and rumor within the team – To avoid distraction and to rumormonger, I will avail sensitive information frequently, and I will dismiss any misleading messages should officially. The news should be passed quickly to eliminate gossip (King, 2009).

Strategies – Be respectful, Be transparent, Provide clear information and explanation, and Acknowledge employee’s emotions