MEMORANDUM

TO: NPO’s Executives

FROM: Xiaoyu Xue, Peoject Manager
DATE: November 17, 2023
SUBJECT: Playground Replacement Project Review and Recommendations

This memorandum includes a brief reflection on the Playground Replacement Project and
communication method recommendations. The memo starts with a review of successes and challenges
that emerged during working on the project. Also, it demonstrates the recommendation of
communication style. By learning from past experiences, we can better complete future projects.

Successes: Thorough Prediction and Full Preparation

Conducting a risk analysis report, schedule, and communication plan helped us avoid risk and make
the project go smoothly. Before the start of the project, I prepared the risk analysis report and
communication schedules and protocols. With the guide of the plan, I assisted CP in forming a planning
committee, hiring volunteers, and finishing playground replacement tasks successfully in Build Week.
Also, the report and plan helped us to solve problems. For example, 37 days before the Build Week
started, I noticed that the CP did not prepare the space as scheduled. Since I have analyzed the risk of
delay and prepared risk control measures, I timely offered CP practical action plans and adjusted the
schedule based on the timeline. The land preparation task was finally completed without affecting other
tasks.

Challenges: Unexpected Events

Although we were fully prepared for the project, I still met some unexpected issues. Some were solved,
and some were just mitigated. Before the implementation of the equipment, I was notified by the
manufacturer that they provided us with a play system different from what we ordered due to being
out of stock. I regrettably shared the bad news with CP and the community. I also negotiated with the
manufacturer for compensation. The risk was mitigated but it demonstrated the importance of timely
communication and having a plan B. The other event was the FP's dissatisfaction with logo design. I
made a phone call with FP and reached an agreement with them by replacing the sign. However, this
anecdote hurt our relationships with our stakeholders. The above challenges reveal the necessity of
effective communication. Therefore, I recommend a respectful communication style to improve
productivity. The next section is a detailed explanation of this style.

Communication: Respectful Communication Style

When communicating with stakeholders, I first consider the feelings of the audience. I need to make
the message clear and understandable and make my audience receptive to my opinion. There are two
ways to reach this goal: concise format and purposeful language. First, the concise format represents
a way we structure our information. For example, bullet points, bold text, tables, and subtitles clearly
display our information. Second, the language includes deleting meaningless words, using an active
tone, showing respect by standing in the audience's shoes, and adjusting the subordination of sentences.
When solving the problem of bad news, I adjusted the way the information is expressed, that is, putting
the good news first and the favorable news in the main sentence, to reduce the dissatisfied feeling of
CP. Therefore, applying a respectful communication style will help us tackle challenges.