Scenario $2$: Delivering Unpleasant News to a Client

Context:

You are a project manager, and your team has encountered unforeseen challenges that will

result in a delay in delivering a project to a client. The client has high expectations for the

project's timely completion and has invested significant resources.

Challenges and Opportunities:

Challenges:

Communicating the delay in a way that minimizes disappointment.

Managing potential negative consequences on the client's business or schedule.

Maintaining a positive and professional relationship with the client despite the setback.

Opportunities:

Demonstrating transparency and honesty in communicating the issue.

Offering potential solutions or mitigations to lessen the impact of the delay.

Strengthening the client$-$manager relationship through effective communication and a

commitment to resolving the situation.

These scenarios provide students with opportunities to analyze and apply communication

principles such as empathy, transparency, and problem$-$solving in different client contexts.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Introduction $(2\%)$

Provide a brief overview of the scenario

Empathy Analysis $(5\%)$

Identify areas where empathy is crucial in the scenario

Discuss how empathetic communication can help manage the client's disappointment and

potential negative consequences.

Alternative Approaches $(2\%)$

Propose at least two alternative approaches that do not involve empathy and discuss their

potential advantages and disadvantages.

Consider how these alternatives might affect the client$-$manager relationship.

Reflection and Recommendations $(1\%)$

Reflect on the overall importance of empathy in client communication, drawing insights from

the analysis of this scenario.

Provide practical recommendations for professionals to enhance their communication

to go