The Importance of Clear Communication in the Workplace

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Career Cluster: Marketing, Sales & Service

  Course Number & Title: 8827110 Marketing Essentials

  CIP Number: 0252140103

  Course Type: High School Career Preparatory Program

  Program Name: Marketing, Management and Entrepreneurial Principles

  CTE Benchmarks:

  • CTE-MKT.912.8827110.2.8 Discuss the importance of providing clear directions, descriptions, and explanations

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, "Seeing the Light." See CPALMS resources ID#215685.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will discuss the importance of clear directions and revise unclear written directions using a real-world scenario. This is a critical workplace (soft) skill and has potentially serious ramifications, especially in the health, safety, and transportation fields. For students, having clear directions directly impacts their ability to complete assignments in CTE and other classes.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Identify and discuss the importance of clear directions in the workplace.
  • Improve writing by revising material for clarity.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with / able to:

  • Collaborating with a group.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How important are clear directions when you are working?
  • What do you do if directions are unclear?
  • What negative things could happen if directions are unclear?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, give students a simple, but unclear, direction that can be interpreted in different ways (paper snowflake activity - see Teacher Notes). This is to introduce the concept of unclear directions.
  2. Have the students read the CPALMS case study "Seeing the Light" (CPALMS resource ID#215685), in which they will encounter a business situation at a police light installation company in which communication is unclear.
     • Direct students to keep in mind the experience they just had with unclear directions.
  3. Engage students in a discussion about the importance of clear directions using the handout provided.
     
     • It is important to note that the case study does not indicate which installer made the correct assumption, so the teacher should allow different points of view without declaring which installer was correct.
  4. Have students work in teams of 3 - 4 to revise the written instructions mentioned in the case study to make them clear and easier to follow.
     
     • Provide index cards and pencils to each team. Give them adequate time to revise the directions.
     • Students should revise the following line: "Remove the back" and make it clear as to what should be removed. Possible answers include "Remove the back of the light unit" and Remove the back fender."
       • It is important to note that the case study does not indicate which installer made the correct assumption, so when the teams share out to the class, there can be multiple correct answers.
  5. Have students share out their team revisions. Then, have the class decide on and discuss which is the clearest revision and why.
  6. To close the lesson, ask students to journal other examples of where this kind of miscommunication could occur and how they would deal with it.

• Teacher Notes

  
  

  Paper snowflake activity directions:

  Give each student a blank piece of paper. Have students close their eyes and tell them you will give the directions clearly and slowly, but you will not repeat a direction or provide further explanation. Say the following directions:

  • Fold your paper in half.
  • Fold it in half again.
  • Tear off the top left corner.
  • Fold your paper in half again.
  • Tear off the bottom right corner.
  • Rotate your paper 90 degrees.
  • Fold it in half again.
  • Tear off the bottom right corner.

  Have students open their eyes, and ask them to unfold their papers and hold them up. Have students look around at how differently the papers turned out despite everyone having the same directions.