Imagine that you have been tasked with creating an employee handbook for your business. Fortunately, you do not have to do it alone. You will have two co-workers helping you, one of whom works in human resources and is an expert on the regulations around employment. The other has been at the company for a long time and was added to the team because they know the culture of the company well. Work with your classmates, a family member, or friend, to play these roles. You are in charge of the project, so it is up to you to set up the project and manage it. Both of these employees have positions in the company that are unrelated to this project, so assume that they have other work to do as you set up the project and facilitate their participation. You have one month to deliver a final version of the manual.

Question

As the project manager, you are responsible for the following:

Determining which topics the manual will cover
Delegating tasks on the team
Putting together a timeline with deadlines for the project
Getting a draft to the company president for approval a week before the due date
Creating a collaborative atmosphere in your group by setting ground rules
Recording detailed notes from collaboration meetings
While the final decisions are yours, you will collaborate with your team on the key points. Use what you know about teamwork and communication, including guidelines that will help things go smoothly when working with others and navigating potential obstacles.

Setting ground rules is a good way to set the tone for the group. It means that everyone has agreed to maintain certain standards. They can cover anything from how you will communicate to the process for managing disagreements. You should have no more than five. Setting expectations for the group can go a long way toward building a collaborative atmosphere, so give it try!

It is now your task to put together a memo with the information to give to the other two employees. Imagine that you can consult them along the way and that they are comfortable with the decision you have made. This is a formal document, so make sure that the writing is clear and professional. It should also be free of typos and grammatical errors.

Answer 1

To: [HR Expert's Name] & [Long-Term Employee's Name]
From: [Your Name]
Date: [Insert Date]
Subject: Employee Handbook Project Overview and Ground Rules

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Dear Team,

I hope this message finds you well. As we embark on the project of creating our new employee handbook, I would like to outline our objectives, tasks, timeline, and the ground rules we will follow to ensure a collaborative and efficient working environment.

Project Objectives:

The primary goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive employee handbook that reflects both our organization's values and adheres to all relevant employment regulations. The key topics we will cover include:

1. Company Mission, Vision, and Values
2. Code of Conduct
3. Diversity and Inclusion Policies
4. Workplace Safety Guidelines
5. Employee Benefits Overview
6. Leave Policies (Sick Leave, Vacation, Family Leave)
7. Performance Evaluation Process
8. Disciplinary Procedures
9. Conflict Resolution Process
10. Additional Resources and Contacts

Delegation of Tasks:

To ensure that we leverage our individual strengths, I propose the following task distribution:

• [HR Expert's Name]:

  • Draft sections on:
    • Code of Conduct
    • Workplace Safety Guidelines
    • Leave Policies
    • Performance Evaluation Process

• [Long-Term Employee's Name]:

  • Draft sections on:
    • Company Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Diversity and Inclusion Policies
    • Employee Benefits Overview
    • Disciplinary Procedures
    • Conflict Resolution Process

• [Your Name]:

  • Compile all sections into a cohesive document
  • Prepare the final draft for the company president's review
  • Coordinate meetings and manage timelines

Timeline:

To meet our one-month deadline, the following timeline has been established:

• Week 1: Collaboration meeting to discuss key points and assign tasks
• Week 2: First draft of sections due from both team members
• Week 3: Compile sections and draft the complete handbook
• Week 4: Review, finalize, and submit to the company president (one week before the due date)

Ground Rules:

To maintain a productive working environment, let’s agree on the following ground rules:

1. Respectful Communication: Actively listen to each other’s ideas and opinions with an open mind.
2. Constructive Feedback: Provide feedback that is positive, specific, and aimed at helping team members improve their contributions.
3. Timeliness: Adhere to deadlines and be punctual for meetings to foster accountability and respect for each other's time.
4. Collaboration: Encourage sharing of ideas and involve each other in the decision-making process whenever possible.
5. Conflict Resolution: Address disagreements respectfully and promptly. If issues arise, we will aim to resolve them collectively without escalating to management.

Next Steps:

I would like to hold our first collaboration meeting on [Insert Date & Time]. Please confirm your availability, and feel free to suggest any adjustments to this plan. I believe with our combined expertise, we can create a valuable resource for our employees.

Thank you for your commitment to this project. I look forward to working closely with both of you.

Best regards,

[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Contact Information]
[Your Company Name]