Real-Life Communication
The amount of work involved in being an irrigation specialist is
no surprise. You knew from your experience in school there would be a lot
of technical work involved with the job. There are equations that have to
be solved and science problems to be dealt with.
You get to work in
the office with computer programs and models, and you have the opportunity
to work in the field. Dealing with the construction of your projects and handling
clients have always been jobs that you enjoy.
What you didn't count
on was the amount of written work that you have to do. There is always a memo
that needs to go out, a report that needs to be written or proposals that
have to get out to prospective clients. Even e-mail is a daily chore.
Today,
you're stuck in the office working on a memo that will go out to the construction
crews involved with one huge project you have going on. The project involves
four different construction crews and there have been some communication problems
with the job.
The client insists on calling the various construction
managers every day. That in itself wouldn't be a problem, except that each
of the managers is telling the client something different. Then the client
calls you and wants to know what's going on.
Despite asking the client
to use you as his point person, he continues to go to the construction managers.
It's causing a problem because you're spending half your day trying to straighten
out the communication mess. So you've decided to ask the construction managers
to send the client to you when he has questions.
The memo needs to
address the problem and ask for their cooperation in handling the situation.
You also want all of the managers to sign off and return the memo to you so
that you know they have read it. Include your phone number so that they will
be able to contact you with their questions or use it to refer the client
to you.
Don't forget to remain professional and check your spelling
and punctuation. The image that you project in writing is the image that others
will have of you.