San Jose State University The Hometown Grow Program Discussion

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Negative Message

internal company blog post

Read the following scenario and review the advice on sending negative organizational news on pages 198-200.

Situation:

You’ve been proud of many things your gardening tool company has accomplished as it grew from just you working in your basement shop to a nationally known company that employs more than 200 people. However, nothing made you prouder than the company’s Helping Our Hometown Grow program, in which employees volunteer on company time to help residents in your city start their own vegetable gardens, using tools donated by the company. Nearly 50 employees participated directly, helping some 500 families supplement their grocery budgets with home-grown produce. Virtually everyone in the company contributed, though, because employees who didn’t volunteer to help in the gardens pitched in to cover the work responsibilities of the volunteers.

Sadly, 10 years after you launched the program, you have reached the inescapable conclusion that the company can no longer afford to keep the program going. With consumers around the country still struggling with the aftereffects of a deep recession, sales have been dropping for the past 3 years — even as lower-cost competitors step up their presence in the market. To save the program, you would have to lay off several employees, but your employees come first.

Your task:

Write a post for your internal company blog, announcing the cancellation of the program.

Tips:

Although this message will be distributed internally, it will still be important to avoid including any comments you would not want the public to see. The primary goals are to prepare employees for the negative reaction that will follow ending the Helping Our Hometown Grow program, and to help them understand the reasons behind your decision.