Team Case Analysis Final Outlne (1)

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University of Nebraska, Lincoln *

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Communications

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Feb 20, 2024

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Communication Difficulties Leading to Bob’s Meltdown Informative Presentation By: Abby F., Abby C., Hannah, Lucy, Madison, and Alyssa General Purpose: To Inform Specific Purpose: To inform the audience of the key communication problems that lead to Bob’s meltdown, the underlying cause for the workplace argument, and possible solutions that could be utilized to repair the hurt relationships due to the poor communication. Introduction: Attention Getter: Work: a place that is not notorious for the great fun it inspires. With the constant pressure by your boss, the never-ending paperwork, and the sleep-inducing meetings, it seems fair that most employees can’t wait until the clock ticks to 5:00 and they can be released from their prison-like cubicles. But for most employees, the stress doesn’t even begin in the workplace. Family obligations, frustrations with kids, and an assortment of other factors can all lead to an employee starting their day off with a poor attitude. I want you to imagine the following situation. You are the CEO of a company. You get a call that one of your employees has caused a disturbance in the workplace and that an employee, Bob, screamed at one of your new hires, Annette, and she is extremely shaken. However, after talking to bystanders of the incident, the incident goes much deeper than expected. Do you fire Bob, who was under pressure professionally and personally and feels terrible about his actions? What do you do about Annette, who is new and still learning the culture of the company? Who

do you believe is right in the situation? Belle Ragins, a professor of management, says that stressful events outside of work can “spillover” into the workplace, and, for most people, this “spillover” often causes disagreement, tension, and arguments between employees (Ragins, 2014). If such situations are not remedied with good communication skills, the workplace can soon turn into a desolate disaster. Bob Dunn, the senior Vice President for Concord Machines, is not immune to these difficulties and during a particularly intense day at work, he loses his composure and shouts at a new employee, Annette. Though he is terribly sorry for his unprofessional response, Bob feels the situation was not entirely his fault and that others should be held responsible for their actions as well. Credibility Statement: Given this, we researched the many communications difficulties that produced Bob’s meltdown and considered different ways we could remedy the situation so Bob’s company could communicate with greater success. Thesis Statement: Understanding the communication difficulties that lead to Bob’s meltdown and the possible solutions that could be used to repair the situation can help reduce the possibility of such an inflammatory situation occurring again within Bob’s company. Preview of Main Points: To do this, we must first understand (1) The key communication difficulties that lead to Bob’s meltdown. Then, we will discuss (2) The underlying cause for the conflict between Annette and Bob. Finally, we will propose

(3) Possible solutions to both remedy the tension in Bob’s workplace and prevent future situations from occurring ever again Transition Statement: To begin understanding how to reduce the possibility of Bob having such a fierce argument again, let’s first discuss the key communication difficulties that led to Bob’s meltdown. Main Point 1: Bob’s meltdown occurred because of many communication issues, including the lack of clarifying questions, the poor listening skills exhibited by Annette, and the failure of the team to schedule a follow-up meeting after the incident. A. One of the first communication issues that led to Bob’s meltdown was the lack of clarifying questions on the part of both Annette and Bob. a. Even before the incident, Annette admitted she felt out of place at the company and that her unique ideas, although encouraged by Jay, did not seem to fit well with the company’s typical business style. Despite knowing her ideas were slightly different than what her co-workers were used to, Annette was quick to assume she held her co-worker’s approval at her proposed Knowledge Management Committee. According to a 2019 article published by Megan Hartford in the Journal of Language Awareness, it is the job of new employees, in particular, to pay a lot of attention to their new company’s culture and lingo, as understanding how each employee communicates with one another is vital to fitting in to their

new workplace (Hartford, 2019). Annette, unfortunately, does not take this advice. After being briefed about her proposition, Jay simply said her plan “looked like a promising idea”. Annette, excited about her manager’s interest, didn’t take the time to speak with Jay about the next steps of the project or make any clarification that she should fully proceed with it. Ronald B. Adler, a professor of Communication, says that listening is the most important communication skill a person can have throughout their career. If Annette had taken the time to listen to what Jay was actually saying and ask detailed questions, that would have saved her from misreading her superior’s interest as complete approval, which later led to Bob’s frustration. According to b. In addition to this, Bob neglected to contact Annette about her proposal or make an effort to learn more about her plan before becoming antagonistic. Although it is not wrong that Bob disagreed with her point of view, he let his emotions take control of the situation before even fully understanding what Annettee was proposing. If he had simply called a meeting with her or emailed her some clarifying questions as to what his portion of the project would be and the time commitment that would be expected of him, the two could have worked out the disagreement in a civil and professional way. By asking Annette questions calmly, Bob wouldn’t have had to make a scene in the lunchroom and could have used the situation as an opportunity to get to know and respectfully welcome a new co-worker.

B. Bob’s meltdown was further problematic due to the team’s failure to schedule a follow-up meeting after the incident. a. The many differing perspectives in this workplace, combined with the varying levels of experience and the unique personal situations each employee was experiencing added to the conflict. According to a 2006 article written in the Journal of Politeness Research by Fred Bargiela- Chaippinu, most office arguments stem from frustrations in the personal lives of employees and traditionally have very little to do with the workplace (Fred Bargiela-Chaippinu, 2006). We can see this very clearly in Bob’s meltdown. Annette, being a new employee to the company, was still uncomfortable with the unique company culture and language, and as such, might not have understood Jay’s response to her proposal to be one of hesitance. b. In addition, Bob was under severe stress and pressure on multiple levels, both professionally and personally, and his outburst was not totally without cause. Both Annette and Bob had reasonable explanations for the way they acted in the scenario and could have benefited from a calm and rational team meeting with one another after the event. This would have allowed them to express their point of view, explain their actions, and formally apologize to one another. However, the team did not hold such a meeting. causing both Bob and Annette to feel disrespected and hurt by the day’s events. This example of poor communication hurts not only Bob and Annette’s relationship, but also the morale and culture of the entire

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