Effective communication is lacking in ABC Limited between the employees and management. Some of the things that have led to this situation include operational differences, level differences, time, and previous relationship history. Organizational operations can hinder great networking relationships in a working environment. Working in various departments or functions can make it appear unnatural. Different managers and objectives create a competitive surrounding instead of a collaborative one. Looking at ABC Limited, the differences in the floors are a barrier as it dictates which staff interact with who. Therefore communication cannot flow smoothly from management to employees and vice versa (Grayson & Baldwin, 2011). additionally, how a building is constructed matters a lot in ensuring that there is effective communication. For example, at ABC Limited, there were separations using floors which created a barrier between employees’ shop floor and management.
The case study shows that the shop floor employees were denied access to meetings unless something was wrong. The result is that the shop floor workers developed a confident attitude towards the organization’s management. Instead of sharing ideas with the administration on how to do things better, they opted to remain quiet most of the time and only respond to requests and demands from their bosses. Furthermore, the idea that the shop floor employees had separate washrooms and lunchrooms is a barrier in itself. Constant interaction between individuals who work for the same organization is crucial as it ensures that they all stick to the organizational goals and help each other achieve personal goals.
The author of the case study was wise enough to identify the issues between the management and the shop floor employees. The steps he took, for example, meeting the shop floor employees every day, were great and commendable. By the time he started his job at ABC Limited, the relationship between shop floor employees and management was strained. Identifying this and getting to the root of the matter by getting some intel from the employees was great (Grayson & Baldwin, 2011). His strategies worked since the shop floor employees copied him and even saw him as one of them or a different manager.
Getting to employees and letting them understand that it is possible for management to have a relationship with them is essential. It provides an avenue for them to open up easily and share what needs to be done. In addition to how the author handled the issues at ABC Limited, I would call a meeting now and then with the shop floor employees and ask them to air their problems.
Working together in a harmonious environment helps everyone raise because everyone is going after a particular goal at work. Understanding each other and helping one another means that all will grow and enjoy coming to work daily.
John was upset at the end of the case because he thought that the management was not appreciating what he had done, and that is why he received the chance to attend the seminar. The problem here is the individual who communicated the information to John and George. George had not had any good relationship with the shop floor employees, especially John, for a long time. Communication between them mainly happened through memos, as the author highlights in the case. Even when George thinks he is complimenting John, he finds out that he is offended and gets surprised, which could be the same thing. George and John must regularly interact with everyone because they may all be meaning well but do not each other.
Reference
Grayson, C., & Baldwin, D. (2011). Leadership networking: Connect, collaborate, create (Vol. 125). John Wiley & Sons.