Description

COM-500 Topics 4 and 5 

Effective Group Communication Scenario

The Lead Group is a non-profit organization that provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities in residential group homes and vocational job training programs. The CEO and founder of the Lead Group is Terrance Jones. The Senior Leadership team consists of Sarah Jones, Terrance’s wife and the Operations Director; Fred Williams, the Financial Director; Melissa Jensen, the Human Resources Director; Gladys Benson, Quality Assurance Director; and Ahmad Fez, the Assistant Human Resources Director.

Background Information

Terrance founded the Lead Group 35 years ago and is gradually reaching retirement age. Terrance has a short tolerance for unnecessary information and has been known to tell his subordinates to “get to the point” or more specifically to come to him, “with a solution, or don’t bother coming at all.” However, Terrance also delegates much of the day-to-day operations to Melissa, Sarah, and Gladys.

Sarah Jones also has been with the Lead Group for 35 years, founding the company with her husband Terrance. Sarah is very optimistic and cheerful by nature. However, Sarah also has a tendency to ramble and has a hard time making succinct points. Sarah tries to be very inclusive and is very calculated in making decisions.

Fred Williams has been with the Lead Group for 20 years and is very cautious of the financial state of the Lead Group. Fred is very loyal to Terrance and generally agrees with Terrance in meetings when decisions are made. Fred is very friendly and welcoming to other members of the Executive Team, but is viewed by others at lower organizational levels as being cold and arrogant.

Melissa Jensen has been with the Lead Group for 30 years and is also very loyal to Terrance. Melissa tends to be the mouthpiece for Terrance when he wants certain pieces of information. Melissa is generally seen as nice and friendly, but has a very short temper when she feels she is being disrespected. Thus, Melissa is viewed by many of the caregivers as being rude and disinterested in their needs.

Gladys Benson has been with the Lead Group for 5 years. Despite being a relative newcomer to the organization, Gladys has risen very far in the organization, largely due to her efficiency. Gladys is very task-oriented and does not spend much time making small talk or socializing with others in the organization. Consequently, Gladys is seen as very cold and rude by other members of the organization, including Melissa and Ahmad.

Ahmad Fez has been with the Lead Group for 10 years and has worked under Melissa since his first day in Human Resources. Ahmad is very loyal to Melissa and tends to support her in suggestions she makes. In contrast to Melissa, Ahmad is seen as very open and is someone many of the caregivers try to meet with when trying to resolve an issue. Ahmad tends to speak his mind freely, yet is very deferential to authority and is very calculated when dealing with Terrance especially.