Communication: The Sole of the Company

10.02.2022

Student IDs: 499555, 485886, 498107, 498696, 500280

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Overview

A lack of structured and effective communication is one of the most common challenges a

business faces, which also tends to be the most detrimental to its success. Channels used for

distributing information, tasks, and updates can get outdated and therefore cause mistakes down

the line. As technology advances and platforms become more efficient for larger user groups,

companies are shifting away from their former methods in hopes of generating long-term

improvements.

An example of this shift attempt can be seen in the recent communication platform changes for

Ravenna Shoe Company - a shoe manufacturer located in the Northwest region. Ravenna has

115 brick-and-mortar stores in seven different states and an online shopping option. Their

employees are exposed to a variety of workspaces such as retail stores, manufacturing plants,

distribution centers, and a remote (from home) option, making communication a crucial factor

for company success. However, their current internal communications methods consist of snail

mail, email, or flyers posted around the office - all of which can be easily missed by the

employees.

The CEO of Ravenna, Noor, decided to launch a new platform for her employees that would be

accessible on the homescreen of each company computer in the office. This internet dashboard

aims to be a one-stop shop for all information across departments. How will Ravenna benefit

from this technological transition? Will they be able to ensure receptiveness from their

employees? This essay will explore the critical context of the shoe industry, the current problem

Ravenna faces, the purpose of the dashboard, and the audience it targets.
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Critical Context

The Ravenna Shoe company operates in the U.S. Shoe Industry, specifically in the Northwest.

Ravenna has many substitutes and competition since many successful shoe companies exist.

Currently, in the Shoe Industry, there is a trend for growth in technology use for both internal

and external communication. The Ravenna Shoe Company is comparably lacking in this growth

that many of its competitors are already taking advantage of. The lack of growth compared to its

competitors is likely a big reason for the new interface and commitment to stronger internal

communication methods.

Audience Profile

The Ravenna shoe company is a regional Northwest company that operates across seven states.

The employees have been accustomed to old and out-of-date communication methods. The

employees are used to communicating through the postal system, email, or the use of posters in

their brick-and-mortar locations. Furthermore, there is such a variety of workspaces for their

employees. Employees can be found working in retail stores, manufacturing plants, or remotely

from home. Such inconsistency in communication methods, along with a variety of workspaces,

has created these communication barriers between employees.

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Problem

According to the Association for Talent Development, 83% of executives believe that

communication is key to success. However, a recent study by Gallup has also shown that 70% of

employees in the U.S. are disconnected from their companies. It is clear that successful

communication can tremendously benefit the workplace, but many organizations are succumbing

to pitfalls in their communication techniques.

Ravenna Shoe Company is on the verge of falling into a communication pitfall. The company

has successfully grown as its technology has developed, but with this advancement comes new

challenges. Many employees now work at diverse locations and do not have the opportunity to

communicate in-person. These communication challenges presented by Ravenna Shoe

Company’s expansion have only been heightened in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which

wholly prevented face-to-face communication.

As Ravenna Shoe Company continues to expand and recovers from the pandemic, they must find

innovative ways to communicate. Their solution is to launch the Ravenna intranet dashboard.

But the dashboard presents its own difficulties. How will they launch their platform in a way that

is accessible and easy to understand for all employees? How will they ensure that their

employees will utilize the platform in a way that causes communication to flourish? The CEO of

Ravenna, Noor, has acknowledged these potential problems and is striving to find a solution to

address them.

Purpose
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The purpose of creating a new intranet dashboard interface is to create efficient communication

tools for Ravenna Shoe Company employees. Ravenna wants to create a new dashboard that

makes communication easier for their employees and, in turn, creates a symbiotic relationship

between employees and management. This new dashboard will appear as the home screen of

every employee’s computer and will serve as a one-stop-shop, consolidating features such as KPI

status, State of the business updates, Chatbots for HR and IT questions, and more. The specific

new features, such as having a place to give and receive feedback and showing employee

productivity metrics, will increase efficiency and revenue. The Project Management Institute

also stated that “For every $1B spent on projects, $75 million is lost due to poor

communication,” so now the CEO of Ravenna, Noor, wants to create a new platform to reinforce

positive and effective communication across the company.

Conclusion

The Ravenna Shoe Company must address its problems with internal communication to be

successful. Their current strategy of a new intranet dashboard interface ought to be launched in a

manner that causes their employees to feel comfortable and encouraged to use the interface to its

full potential. A successful launch of the interface will follow a multi-step approach that first

primes the employees before the implementation of the new interface, subsequently equips them

with knowledge of the interface, and finally follows-up with employees after the switch to ensure

they are using the interface properly in a way that causes communication to flourish within the

company.
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Bibliography

Cole, Megan. “The Case for Developing Communication Skills in Managers: More Engagement,
More Profits: ATD.” ATD, 18 Nov. 2020, https://www.td.org/insights/the-case-for-
developing-communication-skills-in-managers-more-engagement-more-profits.

Gallup, Inc. “Gallup Daily: U.S. Employee Engagement.” Gallup.com, Gallup, 24 Mar. 2022,
https://news.gallup.com/poll/180404/gallup-daily-employee-engagement.aspx.

The Essential Role of Communications Report | PMI Pulse of Profession.

https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/
pulse/the-essential-role-of-communications.pdf?v=e1f0e914-4b3a-456f-b75e-
40101632258b&sc_lang_temp=en.