Running Head: COMMUNICATION ISSUE
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Marisa Hyland
Period 7
SLCC Communications 1010
Personal Relationship Improvement Proposal
COMMUNICATION ISSUE
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Table of Contents
OVERVIEW:
Introduction of the problem……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Proposal of a solution for the problem…………………………………………………………………………………………….…..3-4
DESCRIBTION OF COMMUNICATION ISSUE:
Explanation of communication issue…………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..4
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Proposal of possible steps to improve the communication problem……………………………………………….……4-5
CONCLUSION:
Summarization of the problem……………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..5-6
Summarization of the recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
Explanation of how the recommendations will improve the communication issue…………………………………6
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
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The Lazy Co-Worker
A wedding is a stressful event that is a huge stepping stone in people’s lives. Some
women dream about their wedding for their whole lives. Could you ever imagine ruining that
special day for someone? This is a stress I have every time I go to work. I work at The Old
Meeting House, which is a reception center for weddings and events. I share the position of an
event hostess with another woman named Leslie. Each member of The Old Meeting House has
specific duties and responsibilities that they must accomplish by the end of the night. Leslie and
I are in charge of the actual event. We alone have to set up the ballroom and chapel, help the
bridal party throughout the whole day, and clean up afterwards. The issue I have with Leslie is
she never does her job and when she does she has some of the kitchen staff help her finish.
This is a problem because this distracts the kitchen staff from doing their own responsibilities
and even with their help it still takes her twice as long to complete her job.
There are several solutions that I could implement to solve this problem. These
solutions are; talking to Leslie about the problem, talking to our boss about the problem, or
establishing a list of tasks needed to be done by each individual worker. Talking to Leslie will
give her a chance to explain her side and give us a chance to work out a solution where we both
win. Talking to our boss Natalie will give her the chance to deal with the problem the way that
works best for her and her business; this might hurt Leslie in the end and create more
problems. Finally, establishing a list of tasks needed to be done by each individual worker will
provide a way to make sure everyone is on task. The list will also be a good reminder of what
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someone should be doing when they get off track. The solution that will benefit everyone at
work is talking to Leslie about the problem.
Leslie’s lazy work ethics may not seem like a communication problem but as we learned
in the book Communicating at Work by Adler and Elmhorst, communication is unavoidable
(p. 9). This means that a person is always communicating whether or not they are meaning to.
Leslie is unintentionally sending the message to me that she does not care about this job.
Another contributor to the communication problem is that there may be physical or
physiological barriers that might be conflicting with Leslie’s work (Adler and Elmhorst p.72). I
must consider that Leslie might be filling ill, or having other relationship problems that might be
distracting her from her work.
The proposed solution of talking to Leslie about the problem is going to be a challenge.
It will be a challenge because communication is not a panacea (p. 10). Sometimes
communication does not solve the problem and can even create a worse problem. This is why a
step by step plan of what I am going to say is necessary and will improve the effectiveness of
our communication (p. 10). I first need to realize what organizational interaction I want to use. I
plan to use horizontal communication because we have equal power at this job (p.16). Using
Downward or Upward communication will only end in negative results. I need to think about
how I am going to tell her what the problem is without sounding like I am attacking her. I chose
to use Descriptive “I” Language (p. 128). An example of Descriptive “I” Language is instead of
saying, “your report is too sloppy,” you would say, “I don’t think we understand the criteria of
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the report; we should retype it.” This will focus on the problem and will avoid the chance of
Leslie accusing me of judging her. Next, I need to focus on the problem at hand and not on
controlling her. I need to consider Leslie’s point of view and establish a solution that fits
everyone’s needs (p. 129). Another type of communication I need to be aware of is my
nonverbal communication (p.116). Nonverbal communication can send negative messages to
Leslie and in return she may put up her guard. I need to stand up straight to look confident,
look at her in the eye to show her I care about what she is saying and show more confidence. I
need to be aware of the way I am standing. The way you stand can tell a person exactly how
you’re feeling. Also, I need to be aware of personal space and distance. “The distance we put
between ourselves and others also reflects feelings and attitudes, and thus it affects
communication,” (p. 110). After considering all these factors I am ready to talk to Leslie. I am
going to approach Leslie at work when we are alone. I am going to present the problem and
give her time to say what her opinions on the matter are. The possible positive response is that
Leslie will agree and then we work on a solution together and the possible negative response is
that Leslie will take offense to what I say and not listen to me. If the negative response occurs I
then will result to talking to my boss about the problems that have been occurring.
Even though my co-worker is lazy and has others do her work, I need to consider the
fact that there may be some kind of barrier preventing her from performing to her best
abilities. I also need to realize that the message I am decoding from Leslie may not be the
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message she meant to encode. It is possible that I may be decoding the message in a
completely different way than she intended. With this is mind, my solution to solving this
problem was simple. I must simply talk to Leslie about the problem remembering all the steps
to receiving the most effective communication I can. This solution is the greatest for my
problem because it keeps relationships with all the co-workers good and it does not embarrass
or degrade Leslie. If I adopt the descriptive “I” language, remember the communication
principles: communication is unavoidable and is not a panacea, and keep equality in mind then
my communication will improve and therefore will enhance my relationship with Leslie.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adler, Ronald & Elmhorst, Jeanne. (2010). Communicating at Work. New York: Mcgraw-Hill.