Just been promoted to a middle-level manager at a Fortune 500 company
Prompt:
You have just been promoted to a middle-level manager at a Fortune 500 company. This promotion was a surprise; your boss decided to leave the company, and you were promoted to lead its most profitable division.
This is your first week in this position, and you are taking part in a high-level meeting about the financial state of the company. Due to the poor state of the economy, which has caused sluggish sales, upper management has decided to downsize the entire company by dismissing 3% of the employees in every division.
Write an appropriate memo to deliver the bad news to all of the team leaders in your division. Your memo should provide employees with the following information:
All downsized employees will receive three months’ severance pay.
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) will be available, so health insurance can be continued for up to one year at the cost of $740 per month.
Employment counseling will be available so employees can update their résumé, get help searching for jobs, and get help finding retraining or college programs.
Also, you must defend your promotion since you used to be a team leader and know that questions about your promotion will be asked.
Specifically, your memo will be graded on the following elements:
Organization and Tone: Be sure to present the information in a logical manner, while taking into account the primary audience. Since this is a bad-news memo, tone is particularly important.
Communication of Ideas: Express your ideas clearly and accurately, using as few words as necessary to get your point across.
Promotion Justification: Clearly explain and defend the decision.
Memorandum
To: All Team Leaders in the Division
From: [Your Name], Middle-Level Manager
Date: [Date]
Dear Team Leaders,
I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to inform you about some difficult decisions that have been made at the corporate level, affecting our division. Due to the current economic challenges leading to sluggish sales, upper management has decided that a reduction in our workforce is necessary. As a result, we are required to downsize by 3% of our employees in every department.
I understand that news like this can be unsettling, and I want to assure you that those affected by the downsizing will be supported during this transition. Here are the key points that I want to communicate regarding this process:
1. Severance Pay: All downsized employees will receive three months' severance pay to support them during their time of transition.
2. COBRA Continuation: The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) will be available for those affected, allowing them to continue their health insurance coverage for up to one year at a cost of $740 per month.
3. Employment Counseling: We will be providing employment counseling services to assist affected employees in updating their resumes, searching for new job opportunities, and exploring retraining or college programs to enhance their skills.
I want to emphasize that these decisions were not taken lightly and were made with the long-term sustainability of our division in mind. As your new middle-level manager, I understand that questions may arise regarding my recent promotion. I want to assure you that my background as a team leader has equipped me with the necessary skills and experience to lead our division successfully through these challenging times. I am committed to transparency, open communication, and supporting each member of our team to the best of my abilities.
I encourage each of you to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We are all in this together, and I am here to support you through this period of change.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
Middle-Level Manager