Read the below case study, and answers to the below questions and make apersonal reflection. Relate your reflection tothe importance of managing communication(minimum ofone hundred fifty words). Do not answer the three questions. Your reflection should be in essay format and should be about your personal reflection on the answers.

E-mail Adventure

The toy industry is highly competitive and can be as cutthroat as any pirate adventure. Yo-ho-ho! Snooping, corporate espionage, and efforts to keep emerging ideas under wraps are all part of life in the toy industry. A certain level of managerial paranoia is expected. But when the private e-mail of an industry CEO was discovered and began making the rounds, it unleashed a firestorm and brought disastrous results on company morale, unwanted media attention, and public embarrassment.

Howard Clarke is the longtime CEO of a major toy company. Over the past few years, his company worked to develop a new product line, called Brainchild, that all concerned believed would be a blockbuster. The passion of Clarke, this new line of toys was so top secret that portions of the line were created and produced piecemeal among the various divisions. In the beginning, it was all very hush-hush. But as the line moved closer to completion, with the expected Christmas season launch date more than a year away, press and industry rumors gained momentum.

At 8:00 a.m. on a June morning, Barry Paine, Clarke's attorney and longtime friend and confidante, arrived at his office, opened his e-mail, and saw a flagged message from Howard:

Barry:

We have a disaster in the making here. Looks like I'm going to have to come down hard on all of my managers. Somebody will goperhaps several peoplebefore this situation is over. They're obviously getting EXTREMELY slack on design security. I won't say now how I discovered the breach or what was stolen with regard to the new product designs, but suffice it to say that at this point, EVERYONE is suspect. Needless to say, I am FURIOUS! When I find out who it isand it could be anyonebelieve me, heads will roll!!! I'll call you later this morning. WE NEED TO MEET. Thanks for letting me vent. Now, I can compose the REAL e-mail to managers.

Howard

Later that same morning, managers throughout the company received the following:

TO ALL MANAGERS:

We have a situation here in which product design information on the new line, information that should have been under the HIGHEST SECURITY, has been breached. Let me make it clear that each of you is responsible for investigating your division and finding the source of the leak. Please be thorough in your investigation and be TOTALLY HONEST with me in presenting your findings in this matter. Someone will pay for this. THIS ISTO PPRIORITY!

Howard Clarke, CEO

Many recipients of the e-mail felt personally attacked and threatened. Before day's end, e-mail, phone calls, and rumors were flying. By the following day, Clarke felt pressured into trying to defuse the anger by issuing a second, apologetic e-mail. However, events were already spiraling out of hand, as somehow the contents of the original e-mail to Barry Paine began circulating throughout management and beyondto employees and at least one member of the press, who dubbed the debacle "Toy-Gate." The perception of a CEO and a company out of control increased, and the stock price took a minor hit.

"The first e-mail left me stunned," one longtime manager said. "But when I saw the e-mail to Paine about how Howard really felt and the level of contempt he showed for all of us, making us all appear incompetent and dishonestthat, for me, is the last straw. Even if I stay, it has destroyed my relationship with Howard forever."

Now Clarke sat, head in hands, in Paine's office. "Barry, I was simply trying to find the truth."

Paine walked over to a bookshelf and pulled an old, well-used volume. "Do you remember your Sophocles from school, Howard? In one Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King and his persistent search for truth in the murder of his predecessor, King Laius, followed a path that abandoned reason and led to his own undoing. My friend, in your case, it's not the search for truth, but it's the path you takewhat you say, how you say it, and to whom you say itthat is important."

"OKwhat do you think I should do next?"

Questions:

1. What is the underlying communication mistake in this case? Why do you think Howard Clarke sent those e-mails?

The failure to foresee the possible consequences of sending emails containing confidential information in this circumstance constitutes a fundamental communication error. Howard failed to consider the possibility of his email being read by others when he emailed his lawyer and friend, Barry Paine, about his suspicions of a product design leak and how he meant to utilize them to find the guilty culprit. However, Howard's choice to use threatening language and a second email to all of his supervisors only made things worse by generating dissatisfaction and resentment within the employees.

Howard's choice to send the emails can be related to his desire to find a quick and efficient solution to the issue. Howard had a duty as the CEO of a significant toy business to safeguard the company's private information and guard against any potential harm. He believed that being straightforward and forceful in his approach was the best way to achieve this, therefore he sent the emails to make sure that the inquiry and ensuing penalties were taken seriously.

1. How do you think Clarke should have communicated his concerns about the information link? Why?

Howard should have been more polite in how he expressed his worries about the information leak. He should have called a meeting with the appropriate managers and discussed the situation there rather than sending emails containing sensitive material to several recipients. Without the worry that the emails might be read by people outside of the company, he would have been able to discuss his worries and the actions that would need to be taken to solve the matter in a more private setting. By having a discussion in person, Howard might have maintained the conversation's professionalism by maintaining control of the tone. This would have prevented the possibility of a hostile work environment by enabling him to maintain his firm opinion on the subject without coming across as aggressive or threatening. Howard could have discussed the problem with the appropriate managers face-to-face without running the risk of his email being read by those outside the company. This would have protected the company's reputation by preventing the issue from worsening and drawing unwelcome media attention and public embarrassment.

1. What should Clarke do now to try to recover from the negative impact of his e-mails? Suggest specific steps.

These are the steps that Clarke should do now to try to recover from the negative impact of his e-mails:

• Apologize to all employees: All employees should get an apology from Howard for the tone of his emails and any mistrust or rage they may have caused. This will support rebuilding relationships and re-establishing faith inside the company.
• Reiterate company values and goals: Howard should emphasize the company's beliefs and goals to all employees, highlighting the necessity of keeping confidentiality and the need for everyone to work together to achieve success.
• Establish better communication channels: Howard must create more effective lines of contact with each employee, such as regular meetings and one-on-one interactions. Better working relationships and an open environment for communication and discussion will result from this.
• Implement better security measures: To protect the private information belonging to the company, Howard needs to put greater security measures in place. Access control, password protection, and encryption should all be included in this.
• Monitor the press: Howard should keep an eye on the media to make sure that any negative coverage of the business is quickly and efficiently addressed.