In this module, we have discussed types of relationships and strategies for successful communication. To be competent communicators in our relationships we need to balance the goals of being both effective and appropriate. In this assignment, you will be asked to apply what you have learned and to think about what you would do in the given situation; just think about and tell us what you might do.
Here is the situation: Sam and Chris have been colleagues at work for years and have previously gotten along well. Sam has recently been promoted to lead a group project and Chris now reports to Sam, where before they had been equals. Sam is starting to notice that when giving directions to the group members or running a meeting, Chris often adds some extraneous, joking, or contradictory comments.
Sam thinks that Chris is being passive aggressive and mocking because of envy about the promotion. Sam feels Chris’s behavior has become a distraction to the productivity of the meetings, and it could be undermining Sam’s authority. Sam wants the behavior to stop and for their work relationship to be pleasant, but is not sure of the words or approach to use. Sam is very frustrated and upset and decides to confront Chris first thing in the morning, at work, with others around and watching, and it doesn’t go very well:
Sam: Hey, Chris. Why are you always causing trouble at these meetings?! You interrupt, and make stupid jokes, and you never let me finish an idea. I know you’re mad because you didn’t get selected for the promotion, but you have to stop being so childish and constantly rude.
Consider Sam’s choices and see if you can change the outcome…
Answer the following in 400-500 words:
What advice would you give to Sam in this situation?
Where did Sam’s communication go wrong, and how could it have been improved?
What steps should Sam take to avoid escalating the problem and handle this conflict better?
How can Sam improve the approach, the language, and the delivery of the message? What should Sam say/do? How and why?
GRADING CRITERIA:
Remember that in a Situational Analysis we are looking for the following:
a) Structure and Organization: Structure your reaction so that your introduction and conclusion refer to the same idea.
b) Sources and Evidence: Identification and use of concepts and theories from the class to support your strategy.
c) Grammar, Syntax, and Mechanics: Ensure your reaction is organized well and free of grammatical and spelling errors.
d) Application: Apply your communication strategies competently.
*Important Note about Academic Integrity / Citing Sources: For this assignment, students are expected to make connections with the course material. To avoid plagiarism and adhere to ASU’s academic integrity policy, any time you include others’ ideas in your work, you must make that clear by attributing it to the source. Always clearly mark direct quotes with quotation marks, and cite your sources appropriately. Please see the rubric provided for additional details and citation examples.
ASSIGNMENT CHECKLIST:
Do not submit your work until you can answer “yes” to all of these questions!
Did I meet the minimum word count?
Did I cite the sources of ideas/evidence that were not my own?
Did I fully answer the question(s) in the prompt, using vocabulary and concepts from the Module Study Guide?
Did I meet the requirements stated in the rubric for at least a 2 or above in each category?
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
Type or copy/paste your response from MS Word into the submission space below. (We recommend that you do your work locally, on your computer first, and copy/paste your assignment into the submission space). Please DO NOT submit external links to Google Docs or any other URLs.
Submit your response by Tuesday, September 20, 06:59 UTC. You will receive feedback from the course team based on the rubric provided.
Note: You may only submit your assignment once, so be sure you are satisfied with your work before doing so.
