You are a supervisor at WJF Manufacturing. Your company is implementing a change in its hitch department. Change is difficult, and you want to rally your team leaders to lead their teams through this process.

CONCEPT REVIEW:

Analyzing this case requires an understanding of the structure of a moderately formal operational message:

-Using a direct approach
-Ordering information logically and clearly
-Using a courteous tone
-Writing operational messages

Read the case below and answer the questions to the right.

You are a team leader for WJF Manufacturing. Your department is going through some remodeling. You have all wanted a new spray booth for a long time and are excited to finally get one. Any inconveniences are small compared to the benefits of having a new spray booth. Sandy, the department supervisor, wants to send routine operational message reminding team leaders that this is a positive change and that they must be positive role models to their employees during the remodelling. She values your opinion because she knows you write well and because you are one of the team leaders who will receive the message. She has asked for feedback on the message below that she plans to send to all team leaders.

Hi, guys:

As you know, we're going through a transformation in the hitch department that will give this facility a much-needed improvement in both capacity and capability. This is a difficult process, but we'll get through it; we just need to persevere and before we know it, we'll have another spray booth installed and a new sprayer up and running.

We need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to minimize the turmoil that our team has to endure. We also have to adapt to all the changes that are necessary to facilitate this improvement. To help with this, we need to exercise our tolerance and patience, both with our folks and with those who are working in our areas. We also need to be leading by example; by being the conscience of the group; and by keeping a close watch on our quality, processes, and procedures. We have a difficult time with these when everything is running well, let alone when our area is in disarray.

I would like each and every one of you to monitor our areas and make correction when they are needed, especially with regards to how we are cleaning our work station as well as the material we use, for example the spray nozzles. We need to be vigilant in our process compliance (e.g., gowning, work area cleaning, spray coating).

Thank you for all your hard work. Please feel free to contact me with questions or suggestions.

Sandy

1.  Name at least four weaknesses of Sandy's message.

2. Rewrite the opening of this message so that it is more direct and sets up the theme of the message.

"As you know, we're going through a transformation in the hitch department that will give this facility a much-needed improvement in both capacity and capability. This is a difficult process, but we'll get through it; we just need to persevere and before we know it, we'll have another spray booth installed and a new sprayer up and running."