Sorting Out a Communication Assignment
Key Issues. This chapter introduces a key concept undergirding the text: that management communication follows a process with definable components, regardless of the specific communication product being created. By drawing attention to the components of the process (analysis, design, creation, verification), the Scenario allows you to segment and label the functions Eloise goes through. But the Scenario also makes clear that the components of the management communication process rarely stay neatly separate; instead, they overlap and seldom unfold sequentially. The situation Eloise faces illustrates that the management communication process is not an academic ideal but a realistic depiction of what actually happens as managers write and speak.

Opportunities for Assignments.

1. For individuals or teams: write a memo to Eloise recommending what she should do in the weekend ahead as she prepares her presentation. The components of the process (analysis, design, creation, verification) should be identified and arrayed in a sequence that seems to fit her situation.
   
   
2. For individuals: outline both a PowerPoint presentation and one not using PowerPoint.
   
   
3. For teams: critique both outlines produced in the above assignment, noting strengths and weaknesses and offering Eloise suggestions on how to improve both kinds of presentations.
   
   

Opportunities for Role Playing

1. For pairs of students: one person playing Eloise and another playing the head of her team talk to refine his instructions to her so she can best prepare the presentation. Note especially the kinds of questions she should ask to frame the conversation.
   
   
2. For teams: one team comprising the ITAS staff and the investment bankers and one comprising the financial staffs of the merging companies should listen to a run-through of Eloise's presentation and offer suggestions for improving it.