Delivering Bad News Tactfully and Effectively

 Published assignment for COM480 – Communication Studies Capstone - Instructor Larry Sexton

September 24, 2012 - Ashford University

Forbes.com

DELIVERING BAD NEWS TACTFULLY AND EFFECTIVELY

Almost every manager will admit that the least favorite part of their job is disciplining employees.  Not only for the simple fact that it is not easy, but, most managers have not had sufficient training in this area in order to handle difficult discussions appropriately and effectively.  Managers may simply hope that the Human Resources department will handle those situations for them when they arise.  Unfortunately, that luxury is not often afforded to managers whose responsibilities include having a team of employees.  It is the expectation of most organizations that department heads tackle adverse situations that occur among their designated staff.  In the case study presented for this assignment, I will discuss how I would approach a difficult conversation with tact and effectiveness.

Although preparation involved in strategic positioning for an organization is reserved for anticipating conflict in high profile and public situations, I would approach a potentially uncomfortable conversation with an employee in much the same way because it still reduces risks for the organization (Cameron, 2008).   To accomplish this, the first step I would take upon learning about complaints about an employee’s performance and confrontational behavior would be to gather as much information available documenting or supporting the claims of misconduct.  I would review past performance evaluations to see if there is a pattern that has been noted or if it is in stark contrast to how the employee has conducted themselves in the past.  Once I felt I had gathered enough information, I would set a meeting with the employee in an environment that is neutral, like a conference room, in order to minimize interruptions during our discussion.  If I were to conduct the meeting in my office, other employees might walk in or a ringing phone could disrupt the conversation at a critical moment.  The employee may also appreciate the undivided attention especially considering the topic is so personal.

I would start by asking the employee casually how he or she feels the job is going.  It could be just the question an employee has been hoping to be asked by their manager and the floodgates of conversation could be wide open at that point.  If not and the employee responds with a quick and closed response, like, ‘fine’ then that might reveal to me that this employee is aware of the purpose of the meeting and wants to ‘get on with it’.  If that’s the case, I would continue to ask what his or her perception is of the rapport and camaraderie around the office with other colleagues.  If after asking the employee if all is going well with the job and with other employees there is still no substantial response, I would give the employee one last opportunity to provide their own impressions of the workplace before beginning to explain the purpose of the meeting.  I would encourage the employee to speak openly.  I would explain that the meeting would be the best opportunity to explain his or her perceptions, positively or negatively, and that I would listen for as long as I needed to for understanding of potential issues within the department or organization.  At this point, I would expect the employee to have the floor and speak freely about his or her impressions of the work environment.

If the employee is unfamiliar with the reason for the complaints, I would begin asking about the situations that are the basis for the complaints and still allow the employee to elaborate or tell his or her side of the story.  The first reaction I would expect from the employee would be defensiveness and confusion if it is unwarranted.  If this employee has a reputation for creating conflict, I would imagine that he or she may begin attacking the integrity and work of the other employees doing the same work.  Instead of allowing the employee to criticize others, I would ask him or her to provide examples of how his or her work compares on a level of productivity to others in the office.  I would want the discussion to remain professional and focused on output instead of reactive criticism.

After giving the employee ample opportunity to talk about each situation, I would reinforce the importance of cooperation and collaboration in a professional environment.  I would remind the employee of any ethical practice standards that apply to as well as protect him or her from others who might behave in a manner that is substandard at the office.  With a professional pool that exists in this scenario, it isn’t difficult to refer that employee to standards applying to principles, competence, confidentiality, integrity, credibility and resolutions of ethical conflict similar to what can be found with the IMA (www.imanet.org).  If there are any past concerns documented in the evaluations, I would also take this opportunity to discuss that an immediate improvement will need to begin and that there will be status meetings in one month, 3 months and 6 months to gauge the employee’s progress.  If the employee’s situation hinged on the effects of something personal, I believe the same time frame would be appropriate to ensure that the employee is making personal as well as professional improvements.

 “Actual conflicts do not follow a linear path” so one cannot rely on one single and perfect technique to resolve them (Brahm, 2003).  However, there are five basic conflict episodes that scholar Louis Pondy says helps us visualize conflict as a process and analyze specific conflicts can provide useful understanding when assessing the stages of conflict: latent conflict, perceived conflict, felt conflict, manifest conflict and conflict aftermath (Shockley-Zalabak, 2009).  Latent or underlying conditions this employee might be experiencing from the organization or individual relationships could be personal or professional.  The perceived conflict could prove to be completely baseless and just be misunderstood actions or comments.  This alone could improve the employee’s awareness of misconstrued comments and how their comments have been the perceived or felt conflict which impacted his or her colleagues.  The manifest conflict, or actual conflict, that was detrimental to productivity and interactions with others is what is preventing further productive and collaborative efforts in the department.  Finally, the conflict aftermath and how to recover from all of these conditions would have to be addressed with the employee but would the expectation to resolve the conflict would rest heavily on the future actions of the employee.  These stages are seen as influencing one another, and the total interaction determines whether the conflict is productive or counterproductive (Shockley-Zalabak, 2009).

References

Brahm, E., 2003.  Conflict stages.  Beyond Intractability.  Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess.

Conflict Information Consortium.  University of Colorado, Boulder.  http://www.beyondintractability.org/bi-essay/conflict-stages

Cameron, Wilcox, Reber and Shin, 2008. Public Relations Today: Managing Competition and

            Conflict. Pearson Learning Solutions.

IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice, N.D.  The Association for Accountants and

Financial Professional in Business. http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/pub/content/e00df6ce-0c14-4e71-88e8-bdb52240eca6/Statement_of_Ethics_web.pdf

Shockley-Zalabak, 2009.  Fundamentals of Organizational Communication: Knowledge,

            Sensitivity, Skills, Values, 7th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions.

Oral History Interview Paper

Oral History Interview Paper

COM 360 – Advanced Communications in Society

Kathleen Serra

July 30, 2012

ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW PAPER

            “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew.   The development of this paper has given me the courage to ask tough questions in order to learn about another culture and to better understand another human being’s experience and perspective.  I appreciate an open mind and willingness to share, even if the memories are difficult.  Understanding the journey of an immigrant’s quest to live in America has changed my own perspective about how fortunate I am to be born an American.  I appreciate my new friend, Said (Sigh-eed), for sharing with me the cause and effects of emigrating from Iran in the late 1980’s at the height of the war between Iran and Iraq.

Culture Influences Perception by Rick Nauert, PhD explores the differences between Chinese and American approaches to a task.  It did not surprise me to read that taking into account another person’s perspective was more work for the Americans than for the Chinese participants.  This project made me realize that I have not been exposed much on how to ask people appropriate questions about their background and culture in order to learn more about them.  I have only been accustomed to wait for a person to share anything they want to share with me at the time they feel it is right for them.  I was pleasantly surprised that Said was such a willing participant in this project.  He seemed almost glad that someone, especially an American, was interested in his story. 

            Although Said came to America from Iran, his cultural background is as diverse as those who already live here.  He is of Turkish and Persian descent but, during out conversation, he mentioned certain instances that supported a strong push for cultural identity in Iran with the shared system of symbols and meanings and norms for conduct (Jandt, 2013) which derived greatly from the Koran.  As a child, he couldn’t relate to a lot of what was being taught in the Koran.  He was glad to be free to choose not to follow the teachings of the Koran once he arrived in America.  The teachings of the Koran are an overreaching system of law, a code of ethics, and a way of life which embrace all areas of human affairs, from the most personal to international relations (Jandt, 2012).  Said agreed that the goal of the religion is more than just a spiritual guide.

Said immigrated to the United States at the behest of his parents who were concerned about his safety and those of his 7 other living siblings.  He lost an older brother who fought on the front lines in the war and the family was not willing to risk the loss of another child to war.  He travelled with an older brother through Italy and Turkey and stayed in hostels or with other family until they could make their way to the United States where two other brothers were living and attending school.  As anyone could expect, it was difficult for Said to deal with a different culture at 13 years old.  He felt the understandable confusion that comes with learning the differences in cultures he was now surrounded by in the United States.  The contradictions between different beliefs made acclimating to a new culture especially hard.  Simple pleasures like enjoying certain music in his house was challenging because of the beliefs of his older brothers who were raised in Iran. 

Although he has succeeded in finding the balance and independence to live happily and comfortably in the United States, he continues to reconcile between the Iranian and American ways of life.  He finds it emotionally draining at times to be torn between cultures.  As he defines himself within one culture he is also adapting to what is acceptable, who he is and what he believes in another culture.  He feels comfortable to speak his mind even if the position might be wrong or widely accepted which is what he defines as “the American way”.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, he still thinks about having to accept everything he is told regardless of his own thoughts which is the Iranian way.

This idea is explored in the article Reconciling Faith and Freedom by Scott Marian.  The focus of the article is one Muslim’s experience, Ishrad Manji, and her efforts to serve up an “indictment of Muslim attitudes toward women, human rights and Israel (Marian, 2011).  She feels that "multiculturalism has been sanctioned as this way of celebrating diversity when in fact it's only superficial diversity.  The more meaningful form of diversity, which is diversity of thought, is being completely papered over".   There are some countries and cultures that “turn a blind eye to injustices allowed in the name of diversity” and even go so far as to justify mercy killings in the name of culture.  Manji says about these extremists that "They've been raised in an era in which they've been told culture is wonderful.  But what they haven't been told is that sometimes what happens in the name of culture is morally wrong and unconscionable."  It isn’t until people from other cultures experience the fundamentals of American freedoms, such as having the option to decide for oneself on such matters, that certain injustices become apparent.

Because of the freedoms that Said is now enjoying, he believes in his heart that he is never going back to Iran and that he feels more American than Iranian.  He has enjoyed the multicultural experience of the United States and knows that it is an experience that would never come out of Iran.  He feels that the superiority of race and culture that is emphasized in Iran would never allow for it.  He is also an American citizen now and would not give that up to return to his native country.  He has visited on occasion and sees that the economy is weak.  Most families must work two jobs in order to survive.  Families are tired and have less opportunity to enjoy visiting with one another as they once did when he was a kid.  He enjoys being part of a co-cultural society which allows him to enjoy his friends in the U.S. who are of Iranian descent which exposes him to certain enjoyable segments of his heritage and culture.  However, he definitely identifies more with American culture as an adult and enjoys the new traditions that he has developed with his American friends.

 Many of the experiences that are most vivid to him are both positive and negative.  Traveling around the United States when he first arrived was the most exciting for him, especially a trip to Washington D.C. from Raleigh, North Carolina where he lived for some time while his brother studied at the local university.  There were a lot of occasions for him to travel with his brother and their friends by car and he enjoyed taking in the scenery.  The positive experiences he enjoyed did not come without the normal experiences of culture shock that is an inherent response of an immigrant (Furnham & Bochner, 1986 as cited by Jandt).  A very difficult adjustment to the American culture was in learning about distance between boys his age in America.  In Iran it was not uncommon for boys to walk around holding hands as a sign of very strong friendship.  He mentions not being able to find such friendships here “for obvious reasons” which I took to mean for misperceptions of homosexual relationships.  Saddled with the already difficult task of mastering English and adopting new customs, Said did not want to give kids any reason to treat him badly or not include him because he was different than any other kid in the group. 

One of the most vivid memories he has of being the target of negative behavior came not only from the kids in a computer class but also from a teacher.  He hadn’t mastered English at that time so he wasn't completely sure what was being said, but he knew their laughter was directed at him.  He recalls the look on the face of a girl sitting next to him who was horrified at what was happening and was looking at everyone else in shock by what was happening.  Although the American Creed calls for an open, pluralistic, diverse multicultural region and nation, there are still those who evaluate immigrant more negatively because their definition of an American and Americanism is quite restrictive (Griffin and McFarland, 2007).

Said described Iran as the oil rich country most Americans recognize it to be.  However, Iran’s vast concentration of natural gas and minerals makes it more than just an oil rich country.  But due to corruption throughout the government and the society in addition to the embargo that was placed on Iran by the U.S. and European countries, the people are not rich by any means.  The middle-class is very small, the percentage of poor is big and there is a small percentage of rich people who are usually “in bed” with the government.  Since the 1979 revolution that removed the Shah from power and put Khomeini in power, Khomeini considered himself the "Supreme Leader" and was "god's representative" as they were told.  Whatever Khomeini said was the law and whatever he rejected was gone instantly.  Khomeini brought hardcore theocracy to Iran and women were forced to cover themselves from head to toe.  People could not date freely and openly and people were expected to dress "modestly”.  It was only after Said left Iran that he started to see that society was becoming a bit freer ranging from their attire to Presidential elections and selecting parliament members.

            Intellectuals like Fourough Farrokhzad, a twentieth-century Iranian poet, writer and actress may have been a large contributor to the openness is now observed in Iran.  Her poetry has been adapted to operas, can be heard in alternative rock music as well as stage adaptations and photography here in America (Darznik, 2010).  Jasmin Darznik’s essay describes Fourough’s work as an embodiment and exploration into issues of gender, faith, social justice and human rights, discourses of feminism and of Iranian modernity which made her a scandalous but influential figure of her time.   This reputation is probably one of the main reasons Said didn’t know about her until recently.  Although she was not Iran’s first woman poet, she was the first to rise to fame without the support of a prominent male figure (Milani 1992 as cited by Darznik).  The last poems Farrokhzad wrote before her death talked about Iran as “a land consumed by a hunger for Western commodities, its women arrested in postures of submission, the men indifferent and inaccessible”.  It is in this description that I can understand the desire in people like Said to leave and never return to their native country.

The Iran news media was completely controlled by the government.  As an adult Said can now understand the extent of the propaganda that was fed to Iranians on a regular basis in almost every show, through every media outlet, and at every hour.  As a kid, people had painted an unrealistic picture of the United States to him in that America was some place magical, like Disneyland.  At the same time, the government propaganda made him think that the U.S. government was evil and responsible for many crimes. With the help of maturity and logical, critical thinking, he had the opportunity to research and sift through the information and find the truth in those matters.  Although the only image of Iran that was portrayed in U.S. news was negative and horribly skewed to imply that Iran was a country of fanatic and backwards people, he knew the truth that more than 80% the Iranian people adored the U.S. which was completely opposite of what the U.S. media portrayed to Americans about the people of the Middle East.  Although the United States that Said has come to know doesn’t quite meet the expectations of “the happiest place on earth”, he is certainly more pleased with his experiences here than in Iran.

Part of Said’s success of acculturation has much to do with his personality and age at which he immigrated to the United States.  As Jandt points out in Chapter 12, Immigration and Acculturation, younger immigrants adapt more easily than older ones.  It also helps that Said was well educated in general subjects in Iran, but, he was already learning English in his coursework also.  One thing that Said feels is special in Iran is the country’s emphasis on education.  Education is extremely important to Iranians and the educational system was something everyone was proud of in Iran.  Regardless of any anti-American sentiment that may have been prevalent in Iran, they understood the importance of teaching their citizens the English language.  Because of this exposure, not only did he have familiarity with our country’s principal language but it provided him the confidence needed when migrating to a new country.  However, “a person’s personality can determine how readily she or he will desire to blend in with a new culture” and Said’s experiences clearly showed that he possesses the curiosity and outgoing personality to help him manage the risk involved in taking on such a life changing move and adapting and assimilating to a new country.

The U.S. media has been instrumental in how Said sees other races and cultures in that it has helped him to understand and accept people from other minority races and cultures.  He has gained a greater understanding of himself by learning about other cultures and being exposed to options among different societies in what they believe and how they choose to live their lives without the harsh judgment of a religious group or tyrannical government.  He is no longer deterred by the judgment of certain people who he recognizes as not willing to know what it is like to walk a mile in his shoes.  He has had the advantage of gaining a new perspective from where he has stood and from where he stands now.   And from where he stands now, he truly understands how fortunate he is to be the type of person and character to find his own personal success as a citizen of one of the greatest countries in the world.

References

Chen, K., (2012). University faces heat for Khomeini event; Student-run. National Post, A.9. 

            Retrieved July 7, 2012, from Banking Information Source. (Document ID: 2699627291).

Darznik, J., (2010).  Forough goes West:  The legacy of Forough Farrokhzad in Iranian

diasporic art and literature.  Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, Vol. 6, No. 1, Winter 2010, pp. 103-116.

Griffin, L., McFarland, K., (2007).  In my heart, I’m an American.  Regional attitudes and

            American identity.  Southern Cultures; Winter 2007; 13, 4; Research Library, pg. 119.

Jandt, F., (2013).  An introduction to intercultural communication.  Identities in a global

            community.  Sage Publications, Inc.

Marian, S. (2011).  Reconciling faith and freedom; Irshad Manji, as impassioned as ever, keeps

encouraging her fellow Muslims to ask tough questions.  The Gazette, First page E.24.  CanWest Digital Media

Nauert PhD, R. (2007). Culture influences perception. Psych Central. Retrieved on July 24,

2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2007/07/13/culture-influences-perception/1011.html      

Planning Proposal for Ashford University

Below is a Planning Proposal I wrote for another class and I wasn't sure I wanted to share it with the University. If you read it and have any feedback, I would definitely welcome any comments!  It may inspire me to submit it afterall.  

Planning Proposal

Lezli Stroh

COM 340 – Technical Writing

Instructor Andrea Roberson

June 25, 2012

 Dear Ashford University Administrators:

Introduction: Ashford University is actively participating in one of the most cutting edge methods of educational instruction by its use of distance learning technology.  Studies performed by agencies like iNACOL, The International Association for K-12 Online Learning, show that distance learning is successfully providing the opportunity of education to those who cannot travel to a local classroom or modify their personal work and family schedules to participate in traditional classroom instruction.  I am also among those who would not be able to complete my degree without access to on-line learning.  However convenient and accessible online education is, there is an area of concern that I believe Ashford University can easily correct by implementing a real-time, interactive classroom environment in a cost-effective way because the technology already exists.

Body:  There is growing concern about the online classroom environment creating a disconnected and impersonal experience because of the lack of face to face classroom interactions with Instructors and other students.  On a formal level, I found a study entitled The Limits of Information which reveals this concern in their study. 

“We believe it is just this focus on information alone that is potentially damaging to the “softer” goals of education. Given that instructor-student and student-student interaction is important in achieving the “softer” goals of the classroom experience, it would stand to reason that anything that intervenes between the instructor and the student (and between the students as well) would tend to inhibit the achievement of these goals. In particular, technology-mediated communication may limit the feelings of belonging to the class, and studies in other contexts have demonstrated this to be the case (cf. Salisbury et al., 1997, 1999).

In my own personal experience as a student of Ashford University, I have received emails from different classmates who go beyond the Ashford Café to reach out to all students in the course in hopes to establish a more personalized connection that could be of value in the professional environment through networking.  What the Ashford Café lacks is the dynamic interaction that happens naturally between students or Instructors in a traditional classroom setting.   Even upgrading the technology just to allow for real-time dialogue through a discussion forum or chat room could alleviate the sense of disconnect online students complain about.  Classmates who are in the classroom environment at the same time could not only respond to a post of a required discussion, but, could also have a dialogue with one or more students at the same time about relevant topics in a more social tone.  Interactions with Instructors during a particular hour could allow students to ask questions and get a real-time response which would improve the sense of connection in communicating with an Instructor.

Proposed Plan:  By implementing a program that allows for real time discussions with Instructors and Classmates, even if it is structured to be for one hour on a Thursday and one hour on a Monday, it would benefit both students and Instructors in a few ways.  First, active, real-time discussion would allow for more revealing Discussions which could provide an Instructor a more honest view of what their students know about a topic.  Instructors mention frequently in their Instructor Guidance sections that student interaction is critical.  However, it usually comes after the fact or as a reminder that students haven’t done enough to satisfy their requirement in a previous week.  If an Instructor sees that a student is checked into a real-time Discussion session and is actively participating, it would satisfy the ultimate goal of connecting with other students with a more effective outcome than the static responses, plus, the Instructor could gauge a student’s true understanding of a topic.

The importance of student interaction would be obvious if there were required sessions to meet.   On-line discussions could generate more true to life and raw discussions than the static environment we currently use.  Having the ability to write, re-write and ultimately reconsider our original ideas has its benefits.  However, real time Discussions would reveal real thoughts and ideas as they would happen in a face to face discussion.

            Ashford University could probably accomplish this new system with only the involvement of their current IT personnel to create an interactive feature within each classroom.  Student involvement would be required at least once per week and be given the option to attend one of three one hour sessions available during the week.  The Instructor would be available for questions during each hour, but, would mostly observe and monitor the interactions for content and to ensure students are adhering to school policy for appropriate discussions.  Students would be graded based on the same criteria as written Discussions but Instructors could get a real gauge more effectively at what level each student is learning.

Professors are grading our posts by how many other students we respond to, and vice versa, in order to get the most out of our dialogues with one another.  However, if we are actively sending and receiving messages on a topic then we could truly get the most out of an ongoing conversation.  The conversation does not have to be limited to one other student either.  If there were four or five students who could see that there is an “active” conversation happening, they might be inclined to join in on the dialogue.  Professors could get a real-time interaction between students recorded for review and could grade based on each student’s input on a Discussion topic.

            There might be some resistance to this idea of real-time interactions from both Students and Instructors.  Instructors may not want to commit to three hours a week where they must be available to all students who participate in the real-time discussions or chat rooms.  They might feel that they are creating more of a disconnect with students if they begin monitoring or “policing” their Discussions.  Students may resist the idea because they wouldn’t have the opportunity to revise their thoughts or responses before responding to a “live” question.  If they say the wrong thing, they would reveal their lack of understanding and may be embarrassed or choose not to participate.

Conclusion:  On-line students can step up their own game and improve the University’s collegiate rankings and accreditations by being innovative in creating a tool where real-time dialogue between staff and students is available.  Students could respond favorably to the occasion questionnaires and requests from the university to rate their experience when asked to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning instruments available to them in the distance learning environment.  

 References

The International Association for K-12 Online Learning iNACOL; "How States and Districts

Use Digital Learning to Support Education Reform". (2012, June). Technology & Business Journal,2160. Retrieved June 24, 2012, from Career and Technical Education. (Document ID: 2686542571).

Salisbury, W., Pearson, R., Miller, D., Marett, L. (2002). The Limits of Information: A Cautionary Tale about One Course Delivery Experience in the Distance Education Environment. e-Service Journal, Volume 1, Number 2, Winter 2002, pp. 65-81

Schultz, M., Schultz, J., & Schultz, J.. (2012). An Evaluation of Examination Results between Students in Management Courses Being Video Monitored Verses Those in a Traditionally Monitored Environment. The Business Review, Cambridge, 20(1), 76-82. Retrieved June 24, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2692211631).