Dispersing Workplace

1. What communication problems can you identify in this case?

Some communications problems that are identifiable in this case are lack of standards, failure to disperse communications, and assumptions of reliability. Without communication standards in the workplace, employees and management lack consistency in how and when they communicate. Hal and Marge rely too heavily on their daily meetings before Marge’s shift and communicating through post-it notes. Dispersing workplace communications often relies on a chain of employees sharing information with others. In the case of Marge only receiving the note that Bill had called off at 5:00, this left her out of the loop for an hour. In some cases, when employees and management are communicating, it can be interpreted incorrectly and assumptions are based on previous experience or information heard and read. Marge relies heavily on Bill Wong to do the work based on his performance from the last two quarters. Unfortunately, Bill called off and Marge wasn’t aware until sometime later after the start of her shift. Also, discussing company gossip is a little off topic for a rundown meeting before the next shift starts. Marge, for most of the meeting, was the receiver and did not get to discuss which issues that she needed to cover. Therefore, she ended up leaving a post-it note for an issue that Hal needed to know immediately.

2. What routines or procedures should be altered to prevent a similar situation from happening?

To prevent a similar situation from happening, establish a communication policy to standardize the methods used for communicating with both employees and management. Avoid relying too heavily on one type of communication because some information that needs to be communicated is more important than others. This prevents wasted time, missed meetings, and disruptions in the work flow.