To: Emory Classmates
From: Sam Student
Date: 9/15/2000
Re: Critical Communication Event
Situation and Task
From 1996 to 1999, I worked for the environmental consulting firm Parsons Engineering Science. During this time, the environmental consulting field had become increasingly competitive. Therefore, companies were under pressure to differentiate and keep overhead costs to a minimum. As an employee, I identified a technology that would help to differentiate my company from its competitors.
Action
I developed a three-point plan to implement this technology: 1) research the technology, 2) gather support from key staff, and 3) sell the idea to upper management. My research effort focused on how much the technology would cost to produce, how this technology would differentiate my company, and who would be our potential clients. After I completed my research, I approached several project managers and technical leaders in the company to request comments about my proposal. Not only did I receive constructive criticism from these employees, I also gained support for the implementation of the technology. Finally, I wrote a lengthy memo to upper management discussing my research, the staff support, and my recommendation to buy this technology.
Results
Initially, upper management expressed some confusion about the technology. The office manager was not a technical expert. He could not justify the start-up costs because my memo was too technical and did not clearly state the long-term benefits in a way that he could understand. To clarify my proposal to upper management, I needed to rewrite the proposal and hold several meetings. After taking these steps, I received approval to proceed with the development of the technology.
Recommendations
Understanding the target audience, in this case upper management, is imperative when attempting to make a convincing argument. The approval process would have been more efficient if I had tailored my memo to be less technical and more business oriented.
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