Departments and the former chief of accounting
In a two-page (500-word) memorandum to your employees, announce a management change that will cause some “disruption in the force.”
You have met with senior leadership and the extensive deliberation that resulted has led to the need for you to announce the reorganization of your office. Effective in three days, you will have three departments instead of four (with eight employees each):
The duties of the Accounting Department functions will be split between the Procurement Department (John Stowe) and the Sales Department (Henry Mazzel).
The Operations Department (Miles Johnson) will not gain any new employees.
The eight employees in Accounting will be assigned four each to the other two departments and the former chief of Accounting (Harry Plume) will be promoted and re-assigned to the Staff Advisory Council in another location by senior management. Harry Plume, the outgoing chief of the Accounting Department, is quite popular with his eight employees.
There likely will be a nasty scene when his employees discover that they are being split up as a team and lose their popular leader.
Counter the anticipated negative reaction in the wording of your announcement, remembering that the other three departments are also being affected. (An EFFECTIVE manager PRIORITIZES the presentation of information to control employee reaction through reader-focused writing. Accentuate the positive!)
Grading criteria:
Uses memorandum format
Is written to your employees
Contains all four components, appropriately addressed and with Subject line that will calm the readers
Is positive and upbeat, explaining the positive value to employees
Follows standard “bad news” memo process, with buffer, bad news, background, and “good will” conclusion
Minimizes negative impact on employees
Contains no grammar, construction, or paragraph issues
