The Problem Employee
Having an employee who is constantly late and who leaves food and drinks at the work station creates a situation that must be addressed. The best communication method for this particular situation is face to face communication. A major advantage associated with this method of communication is that an employee can see the disapproval and anger from the person making the complaint. By looking at the facial expression, the employee can ascertain how other members of staff perceive his or her behavior. This contributes significantly to helping the employee to rectify his or her behavioral pattern (Stuart, Sarow & Sturart, 2007).
There is another advantage of using face-to-face communication in such a situation. The affected employee is in a position to explore the non-verbal gestures from the complainant during the communication process. It is important for the person making the complaint to document his or her conversation with the employee so that it can be used for future references. During the documentation process, the employee should be warned not to try engaging in such practices in the future (Thompson, 2002).
Through face to face communication, it becomes a lot easy to obtain immediate feedback from the employee. However, it should be noted that this form of communication has no privacy because the third party can overhear the information being discussed. Also, face to face communication does not provide any form of record that can be used for future references, especially when disputes arise (Thompson, 2002).
Special Event Announcement
There are instances when it is appropriate to address the entire company, especially if it has a very high number of employees. The fact that there is a special upcoming event for all the employees, the most appropriate method for this type of communication would be a memo. There are several reasons why it is vital to make use of a memo when announcing special events. One reason is that a memo provides room for delivering an elaborate description of the event. This includes the actual time when the event will take place, the venue, and other detailed aspects that relate to the specific announcement. Using a memo also provides employees with a hardcopy that contains an elaborate description of the event. This means that an employee can get an overview of how the event will be conducted and also use the copy for future references. Communicating through a memo also assists in eliminating cases of disputes because memos contain what has been said by the writer (Smith & Mounter, 2008).
Communicating With a Client
After hearing from a friend that one of your clients is about to sign a contract with a competitor, you notice that you should contact the client. The best communication method for this particular situation is a phone conversation. In such a case, a phone conversation can be very helpful, especially when there is a need to communicate confidential information. Also, a phone conversation can handle complex communication. It also helps the company representative to gain a clear understanding of the reason why the client is opting to shift to another competitor (Thompson, 2002).
According to Smith and Mounter (2008), a phone conversation is helpful in this particular situation because it makes it easier for the company representative to make a counteroffer with the aim of convincing or persuading the client from seeking the services of other competitors. It is important to understand that counteroffers are very effective when convincing a given client on the benefits of purchasing products from the company. A counteroffer may be in the form of reduced prices or an extension of a trade discount on all the products purchased from the company. However, it is worth to mention that a phone conversation may sometimes be ineffective because it requires the formation of a context for engaging in the phone talk. It is also cumbersome to engage in a phone conversation, especially when the client is busy with other activities such as driving. There are myriads of distraction when driving that can cause adverse effects like accidents.
Communicating With Management
There are occasions when communicating with management is necessary to come up with decisions. There have been three bids for an upcoming project, and it is time to get the manager’s decision. The most appropriate method for this type of communication is creating a meeting. The main reason why a meeting is very effective in this particular situation is that it is easy to bring management in a single place to discuss the issue. If a solution has been found, the managers present at the meeting can implement the decision that has been agreed upon by other members. This avoids wastage of time and other resources in arranging for other meetings to implement the decisions that have been reached. Another advantage of arranging for meetings is that managers can open all the sealed bids when everyone is present. This practice eliminates any acts of favoritism and gives the organization a good public image (Smith & Mounter, 2008).
References
Smith, L., & Mounter, P. (2008). Effective internal communication. London: Kogan Page.
Stuart, B., Sarow, M., & Sturart, L. (2007). Integrated business communication: In a global marketplace. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Thompson, S. (2002). Communicate in the workplace: BSBCMN203A. Chatswood, N.S.W: Software Publications.