Introduction to Management – Unit 9 Assignment

February 12, 2019.

To: Branch Managers.

Cc: Information Technology Manager, Human Resources Manager, and Executive Level Managers.

Bcc: All Supervisors.

Re: Automated Customer Service

Greetings to You all,

We are thankful that business at our eight locations has grown at unprecedented levels. As the owner and as executive level manager, I appreciate that it is our collective inputs that have worked to ensure that customers keep coming back. However, it is imperative that we as the senior management team understand that the only constant in our business is change. Customer volumes have increased dramatically and I have deemed it necessary that we integrate technology as an innovative way through which we facilitate engagements between the food production staffs and our valued customers. It is imperative that we act as the primary agents of change within the company in line with our five year business expansion strategy. Upon making broad based consultations, I have determined that we will adopt the Kotter’s 8 Step Process to ensure that integration of the electronic customer ordering system in all eight branches and ensuring successful organizational change.

Kotter’s 8 Step Process is straightforward and easy to understand but more challenging to bring to fruition. However, I believe there is only one way to go about change in this company and that way is up. A good understanding among all managers on the urgency of change is a critical first step (Pollack & Pollack, 2015). This is evident from the increase in customer numbers to the effect that inefficiencies are being noted as registered through customer complaints. As managers, we all want this problem off our backs. The second step involves creating a building coalition to guide, coordinate, and communicate with all our team members so that they are fully aware of what is needed of them (Pollack & Pollack, 2015).

Thirdly, we have a vision which is to become a nationally endeared brand in five years. In accordance to Kotter’s fourth step, this will be achieved depending on how well we communicate this vision towards encouraging new behaviors that make sure all stakeholders from the employee to the customer feel valued in a wholehearted manner (Pollack & Pollack, 2015). This entails keeping to Kotter’s fifth step requiring other gain the empowerment necessary to act on the vision (Pollack & Pollack, 2015). Quality service delivery is our short term target which will depend on how well each member is able to ensure that their team members embrace the need for the urgent change agenda. This is in line with Kotter’s sixth step.

It is important that each manager understands that change cannot be hurried. However, it is also dependent on how well the manager is able to generate relationships with team members (Pollack & Pollack, 2015). This means that as managers, we not consolidate short term wins into each individual branch’s organizational culture but also towards an innate drive to achieve more desirable change process outcomes as envisioned by the entire company. Lastly, our objective is to anchor change into the entire organization’s culture in a manner that we can clearly articulate how far we have come to achieve the point at which we aim to be.

Sincerely Yours,

The Owner and Executive Level Manager.

Effectives of Email Communication

I believe that email is an effective means for the organization’s leader to reach out to their mangers in a fast and efficient way. It allows for receivers to attain timely communication from an authority they can trust in a pro-active way (Addas, Pinsonneault, & Kane, 2018). It saves the company time and resources as it eliminates various geographical challenges. It also ensures that there is transparency of information as it exhibits the sender’s openness to dialogue.

However, there are pitfalls associated with communicating within a company via email. It may be fast and dedicated means of information dispersal in comparison to other communication avenues such as board meetings or telephonic conversations but it lacks that unique personal touch (Addas, Pinsonneault, & Kane, 2018). The Kotter’s eight step process may seem simple to some managers while other managers may consider it as some complicated jargon. It can therefore lead to unnecessary complications stemming from information overload.

To eliminate such pitfalls, it is imperative that the sender follows up this communication with a more personal form of communication such as one to one meetings with the location managers. It is also necessary that each manager appreciates that they have the permission to call to confirm receipt as well as ask for clarification on what the email’s purposes entail.

References

Addas, S., Pinsonneault, A., & Kane, G. C. (2018). Converting email from drain to gain. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(4), 16-18.

Pollack, J., & Pollack, R. (2015). Using Kotter’s eight stage process to manage an organisational change program: Presentation and practice. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 28(1), 51-66.