Change

MGT 3810 1

Management 3810 Professor Phillips

Change Letter Assignment Change hurts: we humans are often resistant to change because it threatens the status quo, that precious space where we have created a “comfort zone.” Organizations, (particularly large, complex bureaucracies) are perhaps even more resistant to change than individuals.

Nevertheless, change is all around us every day; it’s what moves the business world forward—or backward. Successful business leaders are often those who can weather the seas of change and guide organizations toward successful outcomes after a major change (a massive market fluctuation, say). Further, they often initiate change for the better. One of their primary tools in this process is writing.

Writing can pack a punch when it comes to effecting positive change. And the better you write—the more audience-centered and persuasive your work is—the more power you have to change an organization for the better.

This assignment asks you to advocate for a particular change in an organization. It should be a great way to apply the expert writing techniques we are reading about.

Assignment Details

Write a letter in block or modified block format (200-400 words1) in which you make a recommendation for improving some aspect of an organization with which you are familiar (your workplace, say, or a place you do volunteer work). See examples in the textbook and/or the course lecture video on letters for a document format guide.

The letter should address an actual situation or problem. You have two primary options, though I am open to alternatives (discuss with me well in advance):

1) Write about an organizational problem (staffing, workflow, whatever) in an

organization with which you are affiliated or about which you have knowledge. We’ll discuss some possibilities/ideas in class.

OR

2) Write about a customer service situation you experienced. Offer a critique and

ideas about how the organization’s customer service could be improved (this critique can include what is going well, too). We’ll flesh out this idea in class as well.

1 Going over this limit? Revise, restructure, and reduce word count. Still not working? Talk to me.

MGT 3810 2

Write this to an actual person, a decision maker who could move on the recommendation you offer. You may need to do some sleuthing to find out who the recipient should be.

Caveats

Try not to make this about particular people (“Kristina is a slacker with a bad attitude who takes too many smoke breaks. I recommend we force her into counseling”) or interpersonal issues. Avoid addressing a problem that would be decided politically (by elected officials).

Grading Criteria

Your letter should:

• Establish that there is a problem • Advocate for a particular solution or a range of possible solutions • Back up assertions with sound reasoning and good evidence (examples, for

example) • Address counter-arguments • Take into consideration the needs of possible secondary readers and stakeholders • Use an appropriate tone given the audience • Effectively use letter format • State in the opening the main point and purpose of the document • Present ideas following a logical pattern of development • Employ unified paragraphs (focused on only one idea), with topic sentences that

introduce the topic of the paragraph and provide a transition from the previous paragraph

• Contain no errors in grammar and mechanics (including spelling, punctuation, and capitalization)

• Show understanding of all concepts and practices discussed in the course thus far, both in class and in lecture videos

Guiding my assessment

When you submit the letter, include any information I need to know about the audience in the comment box (for example, if you’re very familiar with the audience, the tone may be a bit less formal than I might expect). In addition, define any terms that you think I might not understand. You will want to do this for your classmates, too, during the peer review for this assignment.

In addition, list two or three good pieces of advice you got through peer review and how you responded to them (i.e., how you revised your letter in response).