Respond (2) Colleagues D2W8 Walden

Communication Strategy

To announce the raise elimination I will schedule a team meeting/huddle. I feel that it is important to meet with the team to share this news and answer any questions. This will also allow everyone on the team to receive the news at the same time reducing rumors and gossip. After the meeting is complete, I will send an email to the team summarizing the update and all the details we discussed. The follow up email will serve as confirmation to avoid any misunderstandings or miscommunications. Other communication methods I’ve considered are:

Group Email-I will use group email as follow up communication, not initial communication.

Formal Letter-Although a formal letter can deliver the update, it is not the best option for this situation. When mailing a formal letter we can not control when it arrives. Some team members may receive the letter before others, this could cause rumors and miscommunications. Formal letters can also become lost, or miss delivered.

Individual Meetings/Phone Calls: Individual meetings/calls could give a personal touch. Doing individual meetings would prevent everyone from receiving the mews at the same time. The first person to receive the news could began to reach out to others that have not been informed yet. This could also cause rumors and misunderstandings.

When delivering this bad news, I will consider the following commandments (Bies, 2012):

· Thou shalt never delay-rumors have been circulating that the raise has been approved. Some employees may have already began making plans based on the anticipated raise. It is important that we communicate this update as soon as possible before anymore damage is done.

· Thou shalt never hide the facts-although this is a difficult message to share with the team, we must honestly share the facts and information. When sharing this update I would include the revenue and performance data that led us to this decision.

· Thou shalt always put it in writing-After our meeting is complete, I will send a follow up email confirming that the raise was not approved. Email confirmation will leave little room for misunderstandings.

· Thou shalt always treat people with respect and dignity-This is a tough update to share, there is no way around this. Individuals on the team have lives that will be affected due to this update. I will use a caring and understanding tone when communicating with the team. I will also make myself available for questions and concerns.

Communication Plan for Team Meeting

Opening Statement

Good Morning Everyone, thank you all for joining us this morning. We have had many rumors circulating throughout the company. I want to take the time to discuss an important update and clear up any miscommunications.

Bad News Delivery

As you all know, this has been a tough year for us here at Anthony’s Orchard. We’ve faced many challenges due to Covid, our revenue and performance has suffered greatly. Unfortunately based on this year’s performance, the annual 2.5% raise has been eliminated. I know this is not the news you all wanted to hear; I understand this is disappointing. We are working hard to improve company performance and develop a plan that allows us to restore annual raises. We are asking for your patience and understanding during this time.

Conclusion

I understand that this news may come as a surprise, please reach out to me if you would like to discuss further. I will be sending out a follow up email after todays meeting. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me directly.

References

Bies, R. (2012, May 30). The 10 commandments for delivering bad news. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2012/05/30/10-commandments-for-delivering-bad-news/?sh=426fee362169.

Quintanilla, K. M., & Wahl, S. T. (2020). Business and professional communication: KEYS for workplace excellence (4th ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.