Case 1.1: The Consulting Contract

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to learn how to communicate with different types of people while presenting a proper perspective on the nature of the communication process.

Situation:
A software design firm that employs 500 people has hired your consulting team. The firm's senior management has determined that the six managers of the software development department and the six managers of the customer service department are "ineffective communicators." They have hired you to conduct a 2-hour introductory seminar on "Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness" for the twelve managers. These managers have never participated in this kind of training and are unaware that the senior management views them as "ineffective". All the managers have college degrees and are under 35 years old. The customer service managers have degrees in management and the software managers have degrees in computer science. Top management has told you that if this initial training is successful, they will hire your firm for a major contract. Your main contact is a 28-year old vice president who seems introspective. There are a number of paintings by Claude Monet around the vice president's precisely organized room. The initial meeting with the VP started and ended right on time.

Objectives:

1. Specify the precise material you would cover with each group of managers.
2. Specify how you would present the material: a) to the vice president, and b) to the two groups of managers.
3. Most importantly, provide a rationale for all your choices based on the material presented in the book.