Communication Plan:
Riordan Manufacturing is planning to change existing customer management system. Presently sales employees are using different ways to manage their customer’s information. The company is planning to implement a uniform customer management system to maintain customer information. This change needs to communicate internal stakeholders of the company. While deciding upon communication channel and activities we need to consider that chosen activities should be able to communicate messages properly.
Selection of Channels:
There are mainly two types of communication channels exist in the organization;
Formal Communication Channels: message in such channels flows from top to bottom, in a proper hierarchy. In formal channels messages gets communicated to employees through e-mails, policies, processes, employer’s manual, business plan, newsletter, review meetings and reports.
Informal Communication Channels: it is not always necessary that message follow a proper hierarchy. Sometimes message gets communicated in an informal manner for example during the lunch time, training programs, while team work and during any activity taking place among employees.
In the given case the target audiences to whom change needs to communicate is sales staff of the company hence formal channel will be the most appropriate channel to communicate an important message to the employees. The message should come from the top management in a form of e-mail so that employees are aware that: why this change is taking place, who will be effected by the change, why this change is very important for organization as well as for employee and how this will be implemented. After e-mail a common meeting and proper presentation will help in clearing all the doubts of employees. Common meeting and presentation help in involving employees in the change process. It will also make communication two ways hence sales staff will feel that they are part of important team. The message later on can be covered in newsletter and reports.
Once the message is communicated to all sales staff other employees will also be informed about the change with the help of e-mail, newsletter and poster at various locations inside the organization. Screen saver and desktop wall paper having the change message is also very effective.
Barriers to communication:
The major barriers to communications are: language, information overload, filtering, emotions, silence, selective perception, apprehension, gender differences and politically correct message.
Message:
As you all are aware that we are working in a very competitive market and to grow further in the business it is very important that we deliver best products and provide full customer satisfaction. To provide good customer services it is imperative that we keep track of all their information. Presently we are using traditional approach to maintain customer information which is leading us nowhere; we are unable to do any kind of research and analysis from that information. To improve our process we have decided to introduce customer management system to store customer information in the system. This is a software solution which will be integrated in all your systems and all employees can use it easily. Our sales department will be using this system. We need to implement this change on an urgent basis so that we do not waste our further time.
Next Step:
All staff will be given a training program to learn how to work on the software. To get use to with technology various practice sessions under supervisors will also be organized.
Reference
Mary Ellen Guffey, Mary Ellen Guffey, Kathleen Rhodes, Patricia Rogin, Patricia Rogin and Kathleen Rhodes. (2009). Business Communication: Process and Product. Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
Tutorials Point. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2012, from www.tutorialspoint.com: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_concepts/communication_channels.htm
