Context
Your company is planning a major reorganization and has engaged a prominent consulting company to assist. The consultants will primarily interact with a steering committee composed of upper management (department heads and C-suite). As a junior staff member, you feel that the planning and implementation of the new structure will be more successful if the steering committee includes representation from different levels of staff. Informal conversations with other staff suggest that many feel as you do.
Task
Write an email to your immediate supervisor, Saad Bashar—a 20-year veteran of the firm—requesting that junior staff have a representative included on the steering committee. You are writing as an individual, not on behalf of your peers or other colleagues.
1. Find three to four articles in relevant trade publications, business magazines, and/or
newspaper articles about best practices for change management.
2. Identify and discuss one or two benefits of including a broad range of voices in planning for change. Choose benefit(s) relevant to the case situation.
3. Synthesize the articles to support the benefits you identified by including concrete
details–such as examples, statistics, or a supporting study–and by connecting ideas from different articles.
Lay out an example outline for the email, be brief and use bullet points.
Subject: Request for Inclusion of Junior Staff on Steering Committee
Dear Saad,
I hope this email finds you well. I have been thinking about the upcoming reorganization and have a suggestion that I believe could greatly benefit the process. I would like to propose that a representative from the junior staff be included on the steering committee.
Here is an outline of the key points I would like to discuss:
- Introduction
- Briefly explain the purpose of the email and the importance of diverse representation.
- Benefits of Inclusion
- Increased Employee Buy-In: Studies show that involving a broad range of voices in decision-making during a change process leads to greater buy-in and acceptance of the final outcomes. (Article 1)
- Innovation and Creativity: Diverse perspectives can bring about new ideas and creative solutions that may not have been considered otherwise. (Article 2)
- Concrete Examples and Statistics
- Provide examples of organizations that successfully included employees at all levels in their change management processes and achieved positive results. (Article 3)
- Share statistics or findings from studies that support the benefits of diverse representation in planning for change. (Article 4)
- Conclusion
- Thank Saad for considering the suggestion and express willingness to discuss further if needed.
I believe that by including a junior staff representative on the steering committee, we can ensure that the voices of all employees are heard, leading to a more successful reorganization process.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
[Your Name]