Communication Final Paper
- Introduction
During August 1988, Sperry/MacLennan’s director also the junior partner was creating a plan to further expand the services of the company and grow. The company, also called S/M, is an architectural company based in Nova Scotia and specializes in various recreational facilities. Throughout the 1970s, the company continuously grew in a rapid manner due to the economy expanding. Global markets were also growing during this time. Even though the architectural service market was considered to be an extremely competitive sector, the company didn’t stop growing and expanding. Unfortunately, this growth didn’t last long as the industry ended up taking a significant drop during the 1980s. This resulted in numerous architectural firms not being able to operate through a time that was considered to be very slow for housing markets as well. Sperry/MacLennan let go of their remaining partners to minimize losses.
At first, the company ended up finding recreational facilities to be an essential profit source that will lead to even more growth. Sheila Sperry even quoted ‘’ this helps companies in staying innovative’’. Later on, the company made the decision to focus on promotional efforts as well because this will result in getting a lot more work for the company and consolidating their unique ‘’pool designer’’ idea or image by also expanding Create Aquatics, the sister company. Creative Aquatics Company would only focus on the concept of pool design and add more growth to the company. Overall, the companies’ growth revenue was $1.2 million during 1987 and even though salaries were considered to be a significant business expense, this only accounted for about 4.5% of the overall revenue. During the end of August, Mitch Brooks begins reflecting on the new task which is planning for the winter activities that are going to take place. During this time, the reputation of the company was extremely secure in Canada’s market of sport facilities.
The Industry It is very imperative that architects are able to convince currently or potential clients that they have the needed experience and ability to successfully undertake projects and accomplish them. S/M found that due to the large amount of their projects and time that is spent with every client, this needed local presence even if the design wasn’t going to be done in a local manner. Architects usually accomplish their business in several ways. For example, ‘’walk-in’’ is a negligible businesses and most contracts of S/M are a result of five different processes which include clients giving positive referrals. However, positive referrals will never take place if S/M doesn’t do a great job and this is something that the company attempted to do every time they finished a job. A juried competition is created and clients publish a ‘’proposals call’’ or ‘’interest expressions call’’ as the beginning of the process of formal selection. Potential clients will then invite limited amount of architectural companies to submit their different qualifications in the beginning of the process of formal selection.
Even though these competitions weren’t actually common, there was an advantage to them which is the publicity received from succeeding in the competition or doing a great job and this was essential to S/M. The company also found that securing contracts successfully depended on the criteria of the client and the local market’s current state without any specific pattern evident. After architects end up signing contracts, there are going to numerous meeting conducted with clients as concept begin evolving and drawings or specifications develop. During 1987, the report entitled “Precision, Planning, and Perseverance: Exporting Architectural Services to the United States” ended up identifying eight different market niches for architects from Canada in the US. One of the most important sectors was different educational facilities. Keep in mind that universities are considered to be not that loyal to the local firms and this is why they present an opportunity to potential markets.
Even though Brooks was fully aware the most Canadians firms already have an outstanding reputation on an international basis due to the excellent quality of buildings, this doesn’t stop him from being concerned that firms in America are definitely ahead of the ones in Canada especially when it comes to using equipment and tools such as CADD for conceptual design and facility management. S/M Company have not been able to get their CADD usage established even though they had the best intentions. However, there are in the process of seeking help and applying to Opportunities Agency of Atlantic Canada for further financial assistance regarding their switch to CADD. In a meeting that took place during January 1988 in the city Halifax, the External Affairs Department has already indicated that architectural services trades to United States is definitely going to be a positive benefit especially for the Free Trade Agreement that was going to be implemented during January 1989. However, this doesn’t stop Brooks from being concerned that there are some lucrative markets that the company is overlooking which might be suitable and profitable for the expertise of the company. As an integral part of his presentation that took place in October, he decides to identify and assess possible markets and opportunities for services provided by S/M. Brooks also feels that designing sports facilities two times per year in market that is new is a goal that is completely acceptable. S/M obviously has an outstanding opportunity in the market of New England due to their small universities. After almost a decade of continuous cutbacks on corporate donations, support from alumni, and spending, the support for universities in the Unities States is becoming stronger. Also, many of these campuses are equipped with sports facilities that are old, outdated, and poorly maintained. This is why Mitch Brooks wasn’t completely sure if the market of New England was the best and most profitable for the company. An exporting seminar that he attended the week before indicated that markets that are geographically or physically close aren’t necessarily the best options for maximizing profits and market share.
- Literature Review
This portion of the paper addresses the two concepts that could have been used along with their explanation. Implementing the pyramid principle assists in structuring complete arguments and solutions. As the pyramid is being created, evidence gaps can easily be seen and this results in being able to establish a balance in arguments and determining if levels are logically supportive of ach others. This also results in determining if a specific level has more support than the other one or if there is a specific level that doesn’t even have enough support. Additionally drawing the pyramid assists the team in creating documents and presentations. This is due to the fact that topics along with supporting details are displayed in a visual manner which leads to being able to divide topics easily. This also results in preventing duplication and figuring out quickly if any area or topic needs to be analyzed more.
Another technique that can be used for enhancing communication structure is the storyboard. Storyboards are extremely useful during the process of working with teams to prepare presentations. It enables the team to view logical flows and also encourages thinking about individual slides that are needed to support every section. Also, it assists in dividing topics and pieces for completion by team members. Ensuring an organization that is logical and tight requires creating a plan and argument map. This includes anything from a pyramid, to decision trees, to storyboards. It is essential to create a structure that is logical and also think is a careful manner about devices of the organization that are going to work in the best ways with the audience (Denning, 2007).
Managers and leaders have to implement ideas and various habitual responses to challenges and issues that the organization faces on a regular basis. Managers have to rely on cognitive perspectives that are limited to understand business areas and increase their options. Managers also have to delude themselves when it comes to thinking that there is only one specific way to solve or handle a specific issue. This thinking usually hinders the effectiveness of management along with their abilities to comprehend and also respond to life and business complexities in today’s competitive and turbulent world. Managers who are successfully need perspectives that are comprehensive and framing skills. This includes looking at serious and old problems in a brand new manner along with confronting challenges that are new with other tools or reactions. Framing also expands the extent of understanding, responses, and styles that most managers end up applying to the problems they face as it assist in translating good intentions of managers into actions that are effective. Therefore, not only does framing help in solving problems that managers face on a regular basis, it also assist them in improving their managerial style and learning new things that will result in them being a lot more effective and manage the company in a better manner . Managers who implement framing also have an outstanding relationship with their employees as they involve them in their decisions and enable them to contribute to these decisions that are being made. This will also lead to them being able to encounter any similar solutions they face in a faster manner as they were already able to solve these problems previously in an effective manner. Framing is also a communication tool that is effective and used by successful leaders all over the world (Fairhurst, 2011).
- Application
As mentioned previously, Brooks conducted a presentation in October to identify and assess possible markets and opportunities for services provided by S/M especially that competition was starting to increase on a national and international manner. Implementing the pyramid principle assists in structuring complete arguments and solutions. As the pyramid is being created, evidence gaps can easily be seen and this results in being able to establish a balance in arguments and determining if levels are logically supportive of ach others. Markets for S/M could have been identified. Also, this also results in determining if a specific level has more support than the other one or if there is a specific level that doesn’t even have enough support. For example, S/M would have been able to figure out on whether the Canadian market is being focused on more than the American before all these changes took place. Even though the presentation resulted in Brooks understanding that designing sports facilities two times per year in market that is new is a goal that is completely acceptable, there was a possibility that more goals and ideas would have been reached if a pyramid principle was conducted especially that most of the gaps were figured out at a later stage and this would have definitely saved the company a lot of time and money.
Another technique that can be used for enhancing communication structure is the storyboard. Storyboards are extremely useful during the process of working with teams to prepare presentations and it could have been used as well when Brooks was working with him team trying to figure out solutions. It enables the team to view logical flows and also encourages thinking about individual slides that are needed to support every section. For example, team and his brooks would have placed every idea along with its benefits and disadvantages on the storyboard. Also, it assists in dividing topics and pieces for completion by team members. For example, Brooks could have been able to have a faster update and understand what his team members are doing and whether progress is actually going well or not.
As mentioned previously, managers and leaders have to implement ideas and various habitual responses to challenges and issues that the organization faces on a regular basis. In this situation, even though Brooks was fully aware the most Canadians firms already have an outstanding reputation on an international basis due to the excellent quality of buildings, this doesn’t stop him from being concerned that firms in America are definitely ahead of the ones in Canada especially when it comes to using equipment and tools such as CADD for conceptual design and facility management. Framing also expands the extent of understanding, responses, and styles that most managers end up applying to the problems they face as it assist in translating good intentions of managers into actions that are effective. For example, Mitch Brooks was able to reach the conclusion that that markets that are geographically or physically close aren’t necessarily the best options for maximizing profits and market share. There, not only does framing help in solving problems that managers face, it assist them in improving their managerial style and learning new things that will result in them being a lot more effective and manage the company in a better manner S/M Company have not been able to get their CADD usage established even though they had the best intentions. However, there are in the process of seeking help and applying to Opportunities Agency of Atlantic Canada for further financial assistance regarding their switch to CADD. S/M obviously has an outstanding opportunity in the market of New England due to their small universities and this conclusion wouldn’t have been accomplished if Mitch brooks didn’t take into consideration all the different options that were available through in-depth analysis and implementing effective managerial styles.
- Conclusion
S/M is considered to be one of the most leading architectural firms in Canada. Throughout the years, the company was able to accomplish successful projects. However, there were numerous problems that the company faced through the years such as not being able to implement the CADD system and not tapping into new markets. Even though Brooks was fully aware the most Canadians firms already have an outstanding reputation on an international basis due to the excellent quality of buildings, this doesn’t stop him from being concerned that firms in America are definitely ahead of the ones in Canada especially when it comes to using equipment and tools such as CADD for conceptual design and facility management. The pyramid principle and implementing habitual responses to the issues the company faced is an outstanding idea. Implementing the pyramid principle assists in structuring complete arguments and solutions. Managers have to rely on cognitive perspectives that are limited to understand business areas and increase their options. Managers also have to delude themselves when it comes to thinking that there is only one specific way to solve or handle a specific issue. This thinking usually hinders the effectiveness of management along with their abilities to comprehend and also respond to life and business complexities in today’s competitive and turbulent world. Even though many of the issues the company faced ended up being fixed, implementing these strategies would have definitely saved the company a lot of time and money as well.
References:-
- Denning, S. (2008). The secret language of leadership. Leader to Leader,2008(48), 14-19.
- Fairhurst, G. T. (2011). The power of framing: Creating the language of leadership (Vol. 290). Jossey-Bass.
