Learning Activity #1 Joe is the Vice-President of Hyperlink Systems. His plant produces circuit boards that are used in Nokia cell phones and IBM computers. Hyperlink is caught in a competitive pricing squeeze, so he hired a consultant to study the production department. After the consultants recommendations were in and Joe evaluated the results he spoke with plant manager Sue Harris. Harris asked that the consultant’s recommendations be implemented immediately. She thought that total production would increase right away. Weekly production goals were set higher than ever. Joe worried that in her zealous approach to implementation Harris didn’t take into account the time required to learn new procedures, and that plant workers would be under great pressure to make what may be unrealistic goals. He vocalized this to Harris who assured him that it would work and that her employees could “see the vision”.  However, anxious to empower Sue to make her own decisions, Joe did not act on his concerns. He did watch things and soon realized that his fears were not unfounded.  A handful of workers resisted the new work methods because they felt they could produce more circuit boards using the old methods. While most workers have changed to the new methods, their productivity has not increased. Even after a month, many workers think the old ways are more efficient, faster, and more productive. The numbers for production had not changed. They were now facing the beginning of the second month with the new methods and a very split workforce. Today, a delegation has come to Joe’s office with concern that the new goals and procedures are not working and that Sue Harris is making them change for the worse. “She claims,” they report “that they are not using the new methods correctly and this is why the productivity is not increasing.” The group says that the she is not trusting them to do the job. They also say that they do not want her to know that they went over her head by coming to you. They are afraid it will make things worse. Joe has a couple of other concerns with Harris. Joe recently spoke with another colleague, John, who was complaining about Sue’s lack of dependability. She had asked John to attend an operations conference, and at the last minute sent another supervisor instead, without any explanation. She has made other promises of supplies and equipment to his section, and then never followed through. Joe thinks Sue makes promises she can’t keep probably out of desire to please. The end result is that she acts too quickly without adequate implementation and follow-up. Joe can see that she is developing trust issues right and left. Worse yet he feels that if he doesn’t do something about things soon people will not think him trustworthy. Reading the theme material for the week, what would you suggest Joe do to protect his relationship with Susan and her staff? Include in your answer a description of what trust means to a leader, how it creates foll ...

1. Learning Activity #1
Joe is the Vice-President of Hyperlink Systems. His plant
produces circuit boards that are used in Nokia cell phones and
IBM computers. Hyperlink is caught in a competitive pricing
squeeze, so he hired a consultant to study the production
department. After the consultants recommendations were in and
Joe evaluated the results he spoke with plant manager Sue
Harris. Harris asked that the consultant’s recommendations be
implemented immediately. She thought that total production
would increase right away. Weekly production goals were set
higher than ever. Joe worried that in her zealous approach to
implementation Harris didn’t take into account the time
required to learn new procedures, and that plant workers would
be under great pressure to make what may be unrealistic goals.
He vocalized this to Harris who assured him that it would work
and that her employees could “see the vision”. However,
anxious to empower Sue to make her own decisions, Joe did not
act on his concerns. He did watch things and soon realized that
his fears were not unfounded. A handful of workers resisted the
new work methods because they felt they could produce more
circuit boards using the old methods. While most workers have
changed to the new methods, their productivity has not
increased. Even after a month, many workers think the old ways
are more efficient, faster, and more productive. The numbers for
production had not changed. They were now facing the
beginning of the second month with the new methods and a very
split workforce.
Today, a delegation has come to Joe’s office with concern that
the new goals and procedures are not working and that Sue
Harris is making them change for the worse. “She claims,” they
report “that they are not using the new methods correctly and
this is why the productivity is not increasing.” The group says
that the she is not trusting them to do the job. They also say that
they do not want her to know that they went over her head by

2. coming to you. They are afraid it will make things worse.
Joe has a couple of other concerns with Harris. Joe recently
spoke with another colleague, John, who was complaining about
Sue’s lack of dependability. She had asked John to attend an
operations conference, and at the last minute sent another
supervisor instead, without any explanation. She has made other
promises of supplies and equipment to his section, and then
never followed through. Joe thinks Sue makes promises she
can’t keep probably out of desire to please. The end result is
that she acts too quickly without adequate implementation and
follow-up. Joe can see that she is developing trust issues right
and left. Worse yet he feels that if he doesn’t do something
about things soon people will not think him trustworthy.
Reading the theme material for the week, what would you
suggest Joe do to protect his relationship with Susan and her
staff? Include in your answer a description of what trust means
to a leader, how it creates followers, and how you might change
the structure and culture of the company to facilitate the repair
of any trust issues. Make sure to bring in the techniques that are
mentioned in your reading. What suggestions would you give
Susan to help her fix and rebuild her relationships? Be specific
and practical with your suggestions to both questions.
Learning Activity #2
Theme two is the importance of maintaining trust in the
workplace.
Research one of the companies identified by Forbes Magazine
as one of the best places to work.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/12/12/the-
best-companies-to-work-for-in-2013/
View the vision, mission statements, employee reviews,
corporate information, and policies available online. Evaluate
all your research with the idea of explaining what it is about the
structure, culture, and leadership tools that make and maintain
trust within the organization. Then explain why these ideas and
techniques make employees happy and the workplace an

3. employee’s choice.
Learning Activity #3
Sub theme Creating leadership presence.
Organization Situation
A North America division (approximately 400 employees) of an
international company is experiencing rapid growth through its
success strategies and through a series of acquisitions. The
leadership team has doubled and the next level of management
has tripled with further increases expected to support overall
growth of the company. You have been told that you will be
promoted to the next level of management. You want to “stand
out” and keep moving up the ladder in your career. What can
you do to increase your chances by creating a leadership
presence? Explain what is meant by the term and identify
techniques that will help you meet your career goals?
WRTG 393 students,
The second writing assignment will be a technical description
for a non-specialized audience.
You will explain to a non-technical audience how something
works.
You will choose an object or a process with which you are
familiar. You will describe this
object or process to an audience that has little or no background
of the subject.
Keep in mind that you are not writing instructions on how to do
something. You wrote

4. instructions for writing assignment #1. If you describe a
process, you cannot describe a process
that involves direct human action.
For writing assignment #2, if you describe a process, you will
describe an activity that takes
place. You will describe how a phenomenon happens or how a
mechanism works. For example,
you could describe how the heart pumps blood in the human
body. But you could not give
instructions on how to take someone’s blood.
Your description will include pictures. The description will use
visual detail in both words and
images.
Examples include the following:
how spark plugs work to an
audience of non-mechanics. You would not write a set of
instructions on how to install
spark plugs. You would describe how spark plugs work.
could write a description of how
a graphics card works to an audience that is not familiar with
computers. You would not

5. write a set of instructions on how to install a graphics card.
You would describe how
graphics cards work.
You will
describe how the game operates to
an audience of non-gamers. You would not write a set of
instructions on how to play the
game. You would describe how the game works.
description of how a function of
your unit operates to a non-military audience. You would not
write a set of instructions
on how to do something in the military unit. You would
describe how a function or
process in the military unit operates.
e a piece of equipment that you included in
your set of instructions for
writing assignment #1. For example, assume that you wrote a
set of instructions for
writing assignment #1 on how to change oil in a car. In that set
of instructions, perhaps
you listed a hydraulic jack as a piece of equipment. For writing
assignment #2, you could
write a description of how a hydraulic jack works in lifting up a
car. You would not write

6. a set of instructions on how to jack up a car. You would
describe how the jack works.
Overall, chapter 20 from Markel, “Writing Descriptions,”
should be read thoroughly as you
begin this assignment. Different types of descriptions call for
different strategies. The chapter
from Markel is an excellent resource in guiding your approach.
The chapter is available in
eReserves in our class. On page 549, Markel provides an
excellent distinction between writing
instructions and describing a process. Please become familiar
with that section of Markel’s
chapter as you consider your topic for this assignment.
Your description should answer the following questions:
the object made of? (if you are describing an object
and not a process)

7. process?
In addition, the document should be single-spaced.
Strategies to Consider for this Assignment:
Your description should follow one of these styles of
organization
o Spatial –
an object or
process according to its physical layout. For example, in
describing a
flatscreen television set, you might start at the top and work
your way to
the bottom.
o Functions in order of importance –
important
functions first, the next most important functions second, etc.
For
example, in describing a flatscreen television set, you might
start with the

8. pixels, which make up the picture, and then proceed to describe
other
functions.
o Chronological –
be the object or
process
according to time. For example, in describing a flatscreen
television set,
you might start with what happens first (the user turns the
television on),
what happens second (the pixels respond), what happens third,
etc.
Helpful Resources
like?
Length:

9. 500-800 words. The document should be single-spaced.
Due Date:
Your instructor will notify you of the due date.
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/desc.html
https://www.scribd.com/doc/37655509/Example-of-Technical-
Description