MGT 505 Week 9 Discussion: Community Awareness

“Community Awareness.” Please respond to the following:

The local cancer society is beginning a community-awareness campaign. The text states that executives are the face of the organization. In your awareness campaign, discuss three tactics aimed at the community that would add to the visibility of your executive.

“Community Awareness”

Effective communication depends on how the receiver perceives the sender, and the ability to connect to others. In today’s ever evolving world of advanced technology and instant messaging, the ability to build strong relationships internally or externally is critical. Visibility, accessibility, and availability to employees and the community is a must for executives. Also, establishing a relationship with the local cancer society develops the company’s position on where they stand as a company. Stuart, Sarow, and Stuart (2007) explained it this way. “It means developing a position on a few key points of community concerns and speaking out on these issues in minimal risk situations such as interviews, speeches and in media interviews (p. 299).

Executives are the “face of the organization” and must represent the company through effective and strategic internal and external communication (Stuart, Sarow, & Stuart, 2007, p. 297). Further, executives and leaders must also build strong relationships with employees and the community by standing on the company’s principles, and developing two-way communication. Therefore, face-to face communication, accessibility, and availability would add visibility to my executive. My executive would attend local functions in the community; My executive be would accessible and available by responding to question, issues, and concerns of employees and the community via newsletters, internal memos, and special community events.

However, face-to-face communication of my executive will be the most difficult for her due to the duties and responsibilities of this role; it will be a big challenge for my executive to be available to attend every community function. Executives act as team builders, mediators, negotiators, and the facilitator of creativity and innovation (Stuart, Sarow, & Stuart, 2007). Being an executive is not an easy job. As a recommendation for mediating this difficulty, I would designate others to represent and act on my executive’s behalf. Also, a yearly strategically planning of accessibility of the executive for local community functions should be included on the executive’s calendar.

Executives understand that they are the face of an organization, and how they are perceived by employees and the community is vital. Effective executives also understand that building credibility and trust within the organization and the community equals success.

Stuart, B. E., Sarow, M. S., & Stuart, L., (2007). Integrated Business Communication in a Global Marketplace. West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England: Wiley & Sons.

Of the three tactics you just identified, selecte the most difficult to execute, Explain your rationale.

Recommend at least one possible course of action for mediating the difficulty you described above