MEMORANDUM
To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Instructor of English 301
From: Amy Yung, Student of English 301, AY
Date: November 16, 2019
Subject: Progress Report for Increasing Communication Between Employees at Siegle Properties
As requested in Lesson 2:3, the details of my progress report and supporting documents are listed below:
Intended Audience
This report is to be read by Karen Ma, the directing manager of the company. She oversees both the rental and strata departments, so the department managers report to her. Currently, she has implemented a short-term solution to the problem.
Purpose of the report
The purpose of this research report is to investigate whether increased communication between employees will increase productivity. Data will be gathered from senior staff and new employees to formulate a solution.
Significance of the report
An increase in communication between employees at the office can help new employees reinforce their understandings and have a chance to ask questions. This will lead to new employees being able to produce assignments with no errors. Therefore, the burden on senior staff will lessen and the productivity rate will increase as they now have time to work on more assignments.
Research Plan
- Gather and analyze complaints received from clients
- Analyze current procedures for training new employees
- Interview with directing manager with a focus on her perspective on the current problem
- Interview with one of the senior staff with a focus on the issue of current workload and number of complaints received daily
- Interview with one of the new employees with a focus on confidence when doing assignments and comments on training received
- Survey senior staff and new employees to get a better understanding of how the current problem is affecting them
Writing Schedule
Nov 18: Send out surveys to senior staff and new hires
Nov 19: Review office emails and gather complaints from clients
Nov 20: Conduct an interview with directing manager
Nov 22: Conduct an interview with a senior staff
Nov 24: Conduct an interview with one of the new hires
Nov 26: Send out surveys to senior staff and new hires
Nov 28: Compile information from interviews, surveys, and complaints
Nov 30: Formulate conclusions and solutions
Dec 4: Complete formal report draft
Dec 19: Formal report due
Link to survey for senior staff: https://forms.gle/vt8t9hNt4tHMq7mE9
Link to survey for new employees: https://forms.gle/jzxgyTpLN8pQEC778
Interview questions for directing manager: 301-Amy-Yung-Interview-Questions-DM
Interview questions for one of the senior staff: 301-Amy-Yung-Interview-Questions-SS
Interview questions for one of the new employees: 301-Amy-Yung-Interview-Questions-NE
Hello Amy,
Thank you for posting your Progress Report. Here are a few concerns for you:
Good practice for your Draft Report would be to re-write this passage in the positive. Take a look at this Blog for advice and examples for how to turn the negative into the positive.
“Due to a lack of communication between employees, assignments done by new employees have been riddled with errors. Senior staff now need to review their assignments before passing them to the manager as a short-term solution. This has caused a decrease in productivity and a burden on senior staff. Moreover, clients have been issuing complaints on not being assisted in a timely manner. This research report can aid in devising a long-term solution.”
Survey:
Questions are leading: they indicate the answer you expect. Please review the textbook and Instructor’s Blog.
For example: “Have there been any complaints from clients lately due to not being assisted in a timely manner?
Problem: This is a leading question because it suggests a single answer, which is the answer you expect. Rephrase with a question that gives a scale for an answer. For Example:
Complaints from clients about timeliness occur:
1) Never
2) Rarely
3) Sometimes
4) Often
Please review your questions and rephrase and when you have completed alert me with an email with a hyperlink to the revised Progress Report and surveys, thank you.