Answer please 2 questions in the context.

Thanks.

PERFORMING YOUR JOB CASE 11.A hand in staff meetings what was happening and why. I find that lack of information can lead to Tricia Mah rumours and anxiety. 'In creating the new systems I asked for The first thing I do every morning is a walk- employee input, for example, on timelines. I about," explains Tricia Mah, the director of sup- asked for their feedback once we implemented port services for an intermediate care nursing new systems and they knew I was open to adjust- home in Vancouver. During this walkabout, she ing things. peaks with every staff member in the areas she "Change is hard for all and some had a supervises-food services, housekeeping, laun- struggle with it. When we were implementing drs, and maintenance. "I greet them. I ask them the changes, I pulled all the old-timers' into my how things are and how they're feeling. At the office individually to say I was looking to them moment, I'm a little worried about the older staff to be the leaders and I wanted to get to the core while so much construction is going on. During concerns. It worked-they got involved and I the walkabout, I give reminders of food safety, thanked them for their help." for example, checking that they have washed their hands, and I give feedback on anything per tinent so they know my expectations." RESPONDING TO THIS CASE Tricia doesn't then retreat to her office for the rest of the day, despite the administrative 1. Why does Tricia rely so much on oral demands of her job. She chats with staff during communication in her job? Consider the lunch duties and in the afternoon when new different communication situations she staff arrive. "The front-line staff members know describes and decide whether the com- their job a lot better than I do. I tell them this. munication medium she chose was And I'll say, "I can look with my eyes and see if appropriate the system is working but you need to tell me if 2. How does Tricia attempt to avoid com- my eyes are wide open or half shut." munications getting distorted by the The construction that Tricia mentioned typical "barriers"? What potential com- munication barriers were created with comes with an extensive expansion of the facility. the influx of the nine employees from growing from 90 beds to over 150 beds. All another facility? Tricia's systems had to change because of the spansion. The success of her changes have been linked with Tricia's use of communication. "I had tine unionized staff members moved here from CASE 11.B other places. Most were in their late fifties and early sixties and brought over 20 years' seniority Communicating Across Distances with them so this affected the other staff, too. I pot the established staff ready for the integra- Carolyn Moore has three clocks on her desk, tion by asking them to consider how it must feel each showing a different time zone. She refers for these workers to be uprooted by this, and to them frequently in her contact with team lasked for their help in making these "new" staff members in the United Kingdom, Australia, and members welcome. With the new staff members, Germany. As you read earlier, Carolyn is both I interviewed each one to get to know them and the team leader of the five-person international Tell them regularly how they're doing. HRIS user-support group at NCR, and the pro- "The expansion meant everyone had new ject leader of the team that decides new func- positions. To prepare them, I told them before tionality for the Human Resource Technology. CHAPTER 11 COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY 451