Communication Strategies

Of the five strategies for communicating about change:

1. the strategy I prefer is the Underscore and Explore strategy because it really involves both the management and the employees. It has the potential to create a pleasant atmosphere in the workplace and a sense of togetherness. Employees are empowered and have a voice in resolving issues and the management has happy employees and resolved issues.

2. the method that seems most used in my workplace is the Withhold and Uphold strategy. Information seems to be guarded very closely by the management (administration) for some reason. And, as in the strategy, a faculty member hears something, there seems to be a "standard" answer by all of the management (upheld). With the new administration, my hope is that this type of management style will be replaced by a more effective one. I can certainly say that the new superintendent/director has attempted to provide information to the faculty using both the underscore and explore strategy and the tell and sell strategy; it is a welcome change to previous administration and is noted by a majority of the faculty (employees).

3. the method I least prefer is the Spray and Pray strategy. Though it was a toss-up between the Spray and Pray strategy and the Withhold and Uphold strategy, I feel the Spray and Pray strategy is the least effective and would waste the most time. Simply giving information just to give it and then hoping that the employees are able to wade through all of the muck and then miraculously come up with the same ideas and opinions as that of the management is absurd. Additionally, employees would come to devalue information because there is no real value placed upon giving it. The Spray and Pray strategy is a waste of time on the managements part and a waste of time on the employees part.