Solve the problem of delivering bad news

Assignment Help Business Management
Reference no: EM13890605

Bad News Message

Instructions

In this assignment you will complete a collaborative project designed to solve the problem of delivering bad news.  Communicating bad news is one example of a complex workplace problem.  Incorporate strategies for analyzing group dynamics, resolving conflict, and communicating in a multicultural environment to complete the project. Each group has a dedicated discussion area to work on the assignment which begins with an individual effort. 

Situation:  Giving Bad News to a Customer

You are the sales manager at Easy to Be Green.  One of the company's services is to design and install energy-efficient heating, cooling, and insulation systems in both new and existing buildings.  Because these systems are custom-designed and involve a variety of sub-contractors, no changes can be made to the design after a date specified in the contract. 

This morning one of your sales people, Chris, comes to you with a problem.  The construction manager at Greenfield Community College, a new client with a huge campus and many ongoing construction and renovation projects, has written to Chris requesting a change in the location of a venting apparatusto accommodate a change in the campus's overall design plan.  The request was made two weeks after the date specified in the contract and a month before the planned beginning of the installation.

 Chris contacted EBG's design engineer who said that the change could be made even though it was past the deadline, though making the change at this point would add about $5000 to the overall cost."Great," you say. "Forget the deadline, and we might even absorb the added cost. We want to make this customer happy.""Not so fast," says Chris. Apparently there is a zoning restriction on this kind of venting location.  This restriction is not well enforced, and many businesses in the area violate it. EBG naturally has a policy against violating zoning restrictions. The engineer told Chris that occasionally they have bent the rules on this particular restriction since it is so weakly enforced and since it doesn't have environmental implications; the restriction has more to do with the visual profile of the building. 

Chris consulted the legal department to get their input, which was not encouraging.  The company lawyer told Chris that EBG was currently working with city council members to have some (unrelated) environmentally-friendly but controversial legislation passed, and it would not look good for the company to be found in violation of another city ordinance while this other legislation was being debated. The opponents of the legislation would certainly bring any company violations to the public's attention and make the most of the situation.

You know that the answer will have to be no, and the client will not be happy, nor will Chris.  In fact, Chris asks you to communicate the bad news to the client, and you agree that this is a good idea.  It's important for Chris to maintain a good relationship with the client, and this will be easier if the decision comes from someone else.

You ask Chris to stop by in the morning, along with the design engineer, to help draft the letter.  You want to write this letter carefully because a lot could be at stake. 

Assignment 

Write a one-page letter to Greenfield's construction manager informing him/her that you cannot make the requested change.  Note that you have chosen to write a letter rather than simply making a phone call or writing an email because this message might be considered a kind of addendum to the contract; therefore, you want a written record and you want it to be more formal than an email.

One of the most important features of a bad news message is the reason for the bad news, which ideally should be airtight and should not cause you to lose the good will of the recipient.  The best reason in terms of maintaining good will is the zoning rule because that takes the decision out of your hands, but this client may know that the rule is often not enforced.  However, you certainly can't get into an explanation of why the company cannot bend the rule at this point.  The most airtight explanation is the contract deadline, but customers never like to be told no on the basis of "policy," and clients who are spending a lot of money are accustomed to having exceptions made in their favor.  You want to explain the negative decision in a way that will allow you to keep the good will of this client, and both of the possible reasons that you could give have both strengths and weaknesses.

 As you think about how to write this message, you need to consider what reason(s) you will give for saying no, how to present the reason(s), and whether you will offer anything to this client to soften the blow of the bad news.  As you draft the message, you need to consider how you will write the buffer, reason, bad news, any other needed explanations, any alternatives, and a closing aimed at maintaining good will. 

 Note that in writing this message, you will need to select the necessary information to include (as in the other writing assignments, some of the information is provided as background but would not be appropriate to include in the message), organize this information effectively for a bad news message, and put the information as much as possible in your own words and sentences.

Planning and Drafting

Bad news messages often start with a buffer that establishes goodwill with the reader. This is immediately followed by a clear and carefully worded statement of the bad news. The rest of the message provides support in the form of additional reasons, potential positives, possible alternatives.  A bad news message concludes with any follow up actions for the reader or from the writer, and ends on a cordial note to re-establish the goodwill of the reader.

 Use the following format:

  • Block letter formatting (see textbook)
  • One-inch margins all around
  • Left-only justification
  • 12-point regular Times New Roman font.  (Although 11-point Calibri is Word's default font, serif fonts like Times New Roman are more reader friendly for longer texts because the serifs draw the eye forward, while sans-serif fonts like Calibri are more effective for very brief texts in which you want to hold the eye.)

Reference no: EM13890605

Questions Cloud

Describe the investing advice provided in the article : Describe the investing advice provided in the article and explain how market forces will make different industries perform differently in the same stage of the business cycle.
Core pillars of the cress theory of color confrontation : Identify and explain the two core pillars of the Cress Theory of Color Confrontation and Racism. Use stories from thenews, personal experience and observations, and information from Dr. Frances Cress Welsing's book
How do the concepts of microeconomics help : How do the concepts of microeconomics help
Dangers of quicker and easier communication : Do you think the advances in technology made communication amongst team members more efficient or the opposite and What are the dangers of quicker and easier communication?
Solve the problem of delivering bad news : Complete a collaborative project designed to solve the problem of delivering bad news.  Communicating bad news is one example of a complex workplace problem.  Incorporate strategies for analyzing group dynamics, resolving conflict, and communicating ..
Period''s earning of prior unearned revenue : 1.For each of the following entries, enter the letter of the explanation that most closely describes it in the space beside each entry. (You can use letters more than once.)
Practice of recording prepaid expenses and unearned revenues : Arnez Co. follows the practice of recording prepaid expenses and unearned revenues in balance sheet accounts.
Demonstrate the growth in presidential power : Question was:  Using the accredited sources listed below please provide two, specific, historical examples that demonstrate the 'growth' in presidential power during the 20th and 21st centuries.
Hershey''s occasions : 1. Our product is called "HERSHEY'S OCCASIONS", we took the idea of a fortune cookie, and made it better. The reason being that our product isnt like an actual fortune cookie is because on the inside, instead of the message being a fortune, its a com..

Reviews

Write a Review

 

Business Management Questions & Answers

  Accommodating spiritual perspectives in the workplacehow

accommodating spiritual perspectives in the workplacehow should management accommodate a variety of conflicting

  Impact of job fulfillment on business act

Impact of Job Satisfaction on Job Performance in Bank Muscat - Aim of this study is to discover out the impact of job fulfillment on business act. In other meaning the researcher desires to meet altered ideas of opinions, views and thoughts in dema..

  Marketplace police unethical business behavior

Should the law impose ethical requirements on small businesses or privately held companies or can the marketplace police unethical business behavior? Provide support to justify your position.

  Employee training for technology in the workplacechoose a

employee training for technology in the workplacechoose a topic of choice or one from any one of the topicsquestions

  Business ethics of the national enquirer company

Business Ethics: The National Enquirer, Inc., is a Florida corporation with its principal place of business in Florida. It publishes the National Enquirer, a national weekly newspaper with a total circulation of more than 5 million copies.

  Manage cross-cultural conflict in global organizations

Examine the roots of cross-cultural conflict in global organizations and evaluate the most common causes of cross-cultural conflicts within organizations, as cited by the experts.

  Job enrichment mean in herzberg''s two-factor theory

What is the best decision-making method? Explain why it differes from others and what does job enrichment mean in Herzberg's two-factor theory

  Strategies in organizational leadership1 culturedefine

strategies in organizational leadership1. culturedefine culture and describe the terms related to culture. define and

  Fraud triangle

It seems we can only regulate the first of these three elements.

  Conflict is negative toward constructive controversythe

conflict is negative toward constructive controversythe book of johnson johnson and tjosvold discuss the need for a

  Illustrate what would be the base calendar you would use

If you were doing a senior project, illustrate what would be the base calendar you would use for students working on the project also illustrate what adjustments would you make to it?

  Compare and contrast issues the board may consider at a

compare and contrast issues the board may consider at a teaching hospital compared to a community hospital. feel free

Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd