Reflect on your work experience or research recent news articles about organizational communication. Identify a situation where you think an organization or brand may have miscommunicated a message to its employees or other stakeholders. Perhaps management made a change in processes and did not communicate the change or the reason for the change to employees at all levels. When describing the scenario, identify the specific problems and issues that should be addressed with communications, and explain why the issue is substantial enough to warrant communications.
Miscommunication Scenario: Unjustified Technology Change
The Scenario
A large, decentralized manufacturing company decides to replace its decades-old internal resource planning software with a cutting-edge, expensive new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The decision is made by the executive leadership and the IT department.
The Communication Failure: The initial communication to all employees is a single, company-wide email from the CEO announcing the "major investment in our digital future" and a "go-live" date six months away. The email is short on specifics about the change, what training will be provided, and, most critically, why the old system, which employees understood, had to be replaced now.
The Employee Reaction: Mid-level managers and frontline workers (e.g., in accounting, supply chain, and production planning) who use the old system every day are confused, apprehensive, and immediately resistant. They see the change as unnecessary complexity imposed from above.
🛑 Specific Problems to be Addressed with Communications
The communication failure in this scenario creates several major problems that must be addressed across all employee levels (stakeholders):
1. Lack of Awareness and Desire ("The Why")
Problem: Employees don't understand the business justification for the change. They know the old system is clunky, but they also know how to make it work. They are asking, "What's wrong with the old system that this expensive change is necessary?"
Communication Focus: The organization must clearly communicate the pain points of the current state and the vision of the future state. This involves:
External Factors: Explaining how the old system limits their ability to compete (e.g., slow data processing, inability to integrate with vendor systems).
Internal Benefits: Showing how the new system will improve their day-to-day work (e.g., faster reporting, less manual data entry, reduced errors).
2. Failure to Address "What’s In It For Me" (WIIFM)
Problem: The single CEO email only spoke of the company's "digital future." Employees only heard, "I'm going to have to learn a new, complicated system and do more work during the transition." This leads to employee resistance and fear.
Communication Focus: The message needs to be tailored to different departments and roles.
For Managers: Focus on better visibility, forecasting, and decision-making tools.
For Analysts/Specialists: Focus on the elimination of manual workarounds and improved data quality.
For All: Provide a clear timeline for training, dedicated support, and reassurance that no one will be penalized for initial productivity dips.
Sample Answer
The most frequent and detrimental type of organizational miscommunication involves poorly managed or executed internal communication during a significant change initiative, such as a massive restructuring, technology overhaul, or shift to a hybrid work model.
A highly illustrative example is when an organization implements a new enterprise-wide software system (like a new ERP or CRM) without adequately explaining the why and how to its employees, especially the frontline staff who use the old system daily.