Written Communication: Communicating a Change

To: Wanda Bell, Manager XYZ Inc.

From: John Doe, XYZ Inc.

Date: February 8, 2023

Subject: Proposing the change of strategies in the communication framework.

Dear Wanda

I hope this memorandum finds you well. I am writing to communicate the changes that are required to be incorporated into our company’s communication strategies. The need for this change has emerged because of the mismanagement in the delivery of a shipment to one of our clients. The main concern that led me to suggest such changes was the Shipping Department Manager failing to notice an important email from the client. Due to this reason, the client had to call you directly.

COM FPX 1250 Assessment 4 Written Communication: Communicating a Change

This problem occurred because the company is using email as the only source of formal communication. Although email is the best tool for professional communication, there are still some issues that need to be addressed. Therefore, this memo will suggest research-based communication strategies and tools that can be used to enhance the proficiency of communication. These tools including Slack can perform better as compared to conventional email (Teckchandani, 2018).

Email can be replaced with other communication tools that perform better in the workplace. There are certain problems found in email communication, i.e. lack of non-verbal communication, wrong detection of spam messages, and misunderstandings. Spam detection is an advanced feature incorporated by machine learning (Dada et al., 2019). It can render original messages as spam too, which causes problems. Email may also cause misunderstandings because of the lack of tone, facial expressions, and other communication-aiding tools. As a solution to this problem, email alternatives have been introduced in workplace communication, like ProofHub, Slack, HubSpot CRM, etc. These tools are available as paid, as well as the free version. To avoid the problems like miscommunication, delayed responses, and unintentionally missed emails. So, as a suggestion, I would recommend you incorporate Slack as a professional communication tool. 

Slack can perform better in business communication because of its several benefits over email. It can deliver professional messages in an organized way, meeting the requirements of a specific team or project promptly (Montrief et al., 2020).  It is also better to use because of its easy-to-use layout and versatile framework including verbal and non-verbal communication. Apart from this, it also does not provide any spam or junk box features. Such kind of features can mismanage messages, even though they might not be spam.

Thank you for your undivided attention to this matter.

COM FPX 1250 Assessment 4 Written Communication: Communicating a Change

Active Listening: The Six Ws

Who was affected by the problem?	Sara Robbins
What is the problem?	The client, Sara Robbins could not get a shipment on time. She tried to contact the Shipping Department Manager who missed the email because it was sent to the junk box. Due to this reason, the client had to contact the manager.
When and for what purpose should email be used? Why would it be an effective tool for this purpose?	Email cannot be used as a sole tool for business communication. Total reliance on it can be disadvantageous. There should be a professional communication tool like Slack. After that, email can be used as an alternative to Slack for sending large files, especially documents, etc. It can be beneficial in this way because it would reduce the burden of traffic on Slack.
When and for what purpose should an app be used? Why would it be an effective tool for this purpose?	Good workplace communication could not be managed only over email. For this purpose, a business communication app like Slack can be used. Slack is beneficial for communicating in a more organized way. It also has some benefits like promptness and an easy-to-use layout. It can also link all the members of an organization in the channels created for different purposes. Many of these features are missing in the email. So, Slack can be a better option to use in workplace communication.
Why did Wanda task you with investigating communication methods?	Wanda has tasked me to find effective and efficient communication tools because of the mismanagement caused due to missing an important email. This email was basically sent by a critical client whose shipment could not be delivered on time. When her email was misplaced by the Shipping Department Manager, she informed the manager of the company. Thus, the manager has assigned me to find effective communication tools.
How should messages be modified to fit within the digital tool you have selected?	Slack is a prompt and easy-to-use app. Messages can be shortened to send over Slack instead of long emails. It can also deliver voice notes or picture messages that can replace text messages in an effective manner.

COM FPX 1250 Assessment 4 Written Communication: Communicating a Change

References

Dada, E. G., Bassi, J. S., Chiroma, H., Abdulhamid, S. M., Adetunmbi, A. O., & Ajibuwa, O. E. (2019). Machine learning for email spam filtering: Review, approaches and open research problems. Heliyon, 5(6), e01802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01802

Montrief, T., Haas, M. R. C., Alvarez, A., Gottlieb, M., Siegal, D., & Chan, T. (2020). Thinking outside the inbox: Use of slack in clinical groups as a collaborative team communication platform. AEM Education and Training, 5(1), 121–129. https://doi.org/10.1002/aet2.10497

Teckchandani, A. (2018). Slack: A unified communications platform to improve team collaboration, Available at https://slack.com/. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 17(2), 226–228. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2018.0061