COMM 4170-01:Applied Organizational

CommunicationInstructor: Dan LairDay Three: Introduction to ConsultingAugust 31, 2005

Today’s Agenda

Syllabus/Project Revision Doing Case Studies Discussion:

– Goodall’s article– Defining training/consulting (DeWine)

Introducing Case Studies

What is the purpose of case studies? How do they work?

When reading case studies:– Use your theoretical “lens” to “look” at the case– Pay attention to both broad patterns and specific

details, taking notes (!) about both (that’s what margins are for!)

– Ask questions of the case: What’s not included that might be helpful? What is included that might be a red herring?

Syllabus/Group Project Revision

Writing Up a Case Study

1 page, single-spaced Case Studies should include:

– A paragraph describing the case in general, from your theoretical perspective

– A diagnosis of the central communication problem in the case, based on your “reading” of both broad patterns and specific details.

– Your suggestions for how to solve that problem, based on your theoretical perspective (you’ll need to remember what you learned in 3170!)

– An assessment of the appropriateness of your theory to this particular case. Are there weaknesses/blind spots that hinder your ability to suggest adequate solutions?

Discussion: Introductory Case Study

What theories do Yasmin and Marcus use in their conversation to describe and explain their experiences as job seekers and new employees?

How do they use these theories to suggest practices Yasmin’s sister (and others) might use to predict and control her experiences as a job seeker and potential new employee?

Goodall, “On Becoming an Organizational Detective”

A curious phrase on p. 43: “in the world we are constructing”? What does Goodall mean by this? How is that sentiment reflected elsewhere in the article?

p. 47: “A lot of communication consulting is really vocabulary building, training people to use language capable of describing a situation in a way that can be productively addressed.” What does this mean? Can you think of examples of this (in the article, in your experience, or that you’ve seen elsewhere?

What different types of “clues” does Goodall key into as he investigates the organization? What kinds of conclusions do those clues lead him to?

Goodall, in a sense, loses control of the process and becomes sort of a pawn in Stella Mims’ elaborate scheme, something he doesn’t seem wholly comfortable with. If you were in this, or a similar situation, how do you think you would deal with it?

DeWine, Chapters 1 & 2

On pp. 5-6, Dewine argues that communication is “irreversible, unrepeatable, and reciprocal”? What does this mean? What are the implications?

On p. 3 (and later as well), DeWine introduces (and develops) the notion of an “internal” consultant? What does this mean? What are the advantages and disadvantages of “internal” and “external” consultants?

What is the difference between training and consulting? How are they similar? What skills are associated with each?