Delivering Bad News Tactfully And Effectively

In one of my communication courses I purchased a book called Managing Conflict through Communication.  In chapter four of the book it talks about four steps to managing conflict.  There is a system that can be used called the S-TLC system. The author explains that the hyphen is used to help in recalling the system and the letters TLC.  The letter S stands for Stop.  TLC stands for think, listen and communicate. (Cahn, 2010) As a part of my class assignment I was given a case study which is shown below.  I was instructed to explain how I would approach the employee and handle the situation based off my conflict resolution approach.  Here is an example below.

Case Study: “You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services.  You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service.  One of your employees, who have been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous complaints from customers and coworkers.  In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment.  You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.”

First before I meet with the employee I would stop to think about the situation.  I would do this so that I know exactly what I want to say and how I should state it.  I would also want to think about the consequences along with the employee’s point of view as well.   Then I would proceed with meeting my employee.  I would first start off by letting my employee know why I wanted to meet and my concern.  I would state what has been going on with customers and first ask the employee about it.  I would give him or her chance to explain the situation. Once the situation is explained I would ask about the hostile confrontations that have taken place. The employee could respond with a reason as to why there had been problems with customers.  For example he or she may state that they may have had a bad day. 

 I have to be prepared for the employee response to the situation.   I have to be able to think about what they are saying and to listen even if I disagree.  Once I have listened to what the employee has stated about their reasons for the confrontations and complaints then I can proceed. Now I would talk about the rules.  I would state that it is very important for us and especially as a company and to show all customers as well as workers respect at all times.  I would talk about the importance of creating a peaceful work environment at all times.  I would also state that I understand what they have expressed to me, but that if there is ever a time that they need my assistance in dealing with a situation to please let me or another worker know. Especially if there is a situation that they may feel could end badly.  I would also tell the employee that because there has been a lot of confrontations and complaints that there would have to be immediate improvement.  

I would state that I believe that he or she can improve because they have been in the company for two years before the issues and there customer service was great.  I would listen for feedback.  We could discuss ways to improve together, unless the employee felt differently.  If so we could discuss that as well.  If the employee feels that they would like to continue working in the company we would discuss the ways of improvement. We could even discuss counseling if they needed it for personal issues.  Along with some plans to go forward in peace on the job.

Reference

Abigail, R., and Cahn, D. (Jan 13, 2010). Managing Conflict through Communication, 4th Edition. Pearson.