Assignment Task 1, Part 1 – The Strategy

Developing Management Capabilities

1- A written strategy detailing how you plan to undertake the role you have been given within a specified face to face business communication. References to relevant theory needed, apply detail about the role provided and it’s context within a business situation
Introduction:
The purpose of this report is to detail an appropriate interaction strategy that I will undertake in the role play. The situation presented is as follows: A junior colleague (myself) has made an error on a cost calculation for a contract the firm won on price. This error is costly to the firm but also embarrassing to a senior manager, whom is to visit the junior colleague’s office to find out more.
The complexity of this situation lies around a number of issues. Firstly the fact that junior colleagues have a higher chance of making mistakes and unfortunately a lot of learning comes from making mistakes, secondly a potentially a highly embarrassing situation from both parties could lead to a higher difficulty to remain in adult mode in these situations and did the junior possess the correct 3 principles to complete work to an accurate standard: means – the correct training, opportunity – the correct amount of time and motive? – developed personally and instilled through management and culture (ACCA, 2003).
As defined by Guirdham, M (1995) an interaction strategy refers to deciding what interactions, with whom, in what order and when, are needed to enable you to achieve an objective. My strategic objective is to maintain a successful professional meeting with a senior and overall to apologise for the mistake, communicate my perspective of the circumstance and to facilitate the resolution of any conflict which may arise.
Role Theory:
Baguley (1994) defines a role as being a pattern of being or behaving which is perceived to typify a person in a certain social position. Roles are influences by; Situational factors such as management style, the task and communication networks and Personal factors such as values, attitudes, motivation and ability. Thomason and McHugh (1995) suggest that role theory is the complex interaction between: the roles which we play ourselves, the expected roles and the roles demanded through work relations. One of the main influences on the role play and my strategy is the situational factor of the senior’s management style and how they plan to undertake situations, autocratic, democratic or consultive. Goals and outcomes of the meeting may not be shared due to a divergence in personal factors such as values and attitudes.
The effect of the organisations culture:
Work interactions are different from the home and social culture. The complexity of work related interactions means that people at work need to be perceptive about others and to have a broad range of repertoire of self-presentation, communication and influencing skills, plus the ability to recognise which skills are likely to be relevant in a specific situation Guirdham, M (2002).
Although unknown in the role play, the organisational culture which is made up of values, artefacts and norms (Guirdham, M 2002) will have a significant effect on the management style adopted by the senior and therefore a potential difference in the meeting’s objectives and interactional tactics used. Although the means behind an organisation culture is for all employees to share the same values and norms, due to the complexity of human behaviour past experiences alter individual’s motivation behind values and norms.
The Strategy:
Guirdham, M (2002) refers to the most successful interaction strategy across the greatest range of business communication situations are those which imply shared control and are warm and informal or at least, neutral. Due to the nature of the situation I will be transmitting ‘upward communication’ as I will be giving management feedback on a situation (ACCA,