Journal entry for week of 04/23/2009

This chapter was pretty straight forward. I forgot to post and email it last night that is why im doing it now. I hope I get to class on time.

Ch. 14 the Business of Change and Conflict mind map

Ch. 14 the Business of Change and Conflict

Since the 1980’s, change has been a constant in American businesses. As time goes on customer interests and needs change. Due to the rapid changes in information technology, communication, and social cultures, businesses must change to stay competitive and with the times. Change occurs when an organization begins to transform the way work is accomplished-which means a breakdown of business as usual. Some examples of changes are, the introduction of new products, a changed in the way things are manufactured, new added services, or a change in policies and procedures. The CEO of the company along with a hand-picked selection of managers usually initiate the change within the organization. Though the orders for change come from the top, it is the middle level managers and employees that perform the procedural changes. Change makers are people who facilitate the coordination of a change effort. They plan, experiment, communicate, and coach others throughout the process. Besides trying to stay competitive, organizations have to change for other reasons to, such as corporate mergers and acquisitions, changing consumer demands, globalization, technology, government regulations and policies, and change of management. Sometimes it could be a crisis like diminishing market sales, or legislative actions that motivate an organization to implement change. However, change can also be implemented without an immediate crisis. Change often brings out insecurities and fear in employees. A high level of distress is experienced when employees perceive a communication vacuum. A communication vacuum occurs when employees perceive a void in which they are not given adequate information about what is happening in the organization. From personal experience closed door meetings between the higher ups are a bit nerve racking sometimes. Whenever there is a closed door meeting or things are being discussed in a hush hush manner, I along with three other employees take turns eves dropping sometimes. We all listen collect bits and pieces of the meetings or conversations, when we put the information together we figure out the topic of discussion. All most all of the time it has nothing to do with us but it does liven up our day. Companies sometimes send vague messages to the employees about change being imminent, but they often neglect to communicate clearly why the change is urgent and what it will mean for the employees. This results in rumors on the company grapevine, anxiety, and even resistance. Resistance occurs when employees when employees do nothing to enact the expected changes or actively resist and undermine the change effort. Fear, interruption of routine, loss of faith, trust, and personal investment, and feelings that past efforts are meaningless are some factors that lead to resistance. Fear and resistance can be reduced through productive change communication. Trouble can start when change makers ignore the importance of change communication and still expect employees to buy-in. An employee buy-in is acceptance of, and agreement to change. Change communication consists of multidirectional and multimedia communication. Multidirectional communication is the design of messages that can reach all employees throughout the organization. Multimedia communication is the use of many channels to transmit a message. Face-to-face dialogue during open meetings is the most effective channel for change communication. Employees can ask questions, exchange ideas, and make suggestions. In order for organizations to have their employees buy-in they must provide reasons detailing the purposes of the changes with and the advantages. Information about competitors, customers, and the consequences of not implementing change should also be provided. Timing is also important when delivering the message. Change could also occur when there is conflict in the workplace. Conflict is an event expressed through communication when individuals or groups behave in ways that indicate they have incompatible positions or goals. Not too long ago, a former co-worker of mine gradually became incompatible with the rest of us. After several failed attempts by our superior to resolve the conflict and for ask for an improvement in work related behavior from the employee, she was eventually fired. Disputants are the different parties involved in the conflict. An intragroup conflict is a problem that occurs within a single group of people. An intergroup conflict is a problem that arises between two or more groups. A position is a definitive goal or demand advanced by one or both parties that underscores an attitude or disposition. There are four main types of conflicts, communication conflicts, social view conflicts, fundamental interest conflicts, and business conflicts. Conflict communication skills include the listen and learn technique, verbal diplomacy, and flexible interpersonal style. Traditional conflict strategies are tailored to achieve a lasting resolution; they include positional bargaining, mediation, conflict management, and arbitration. Transformative communication is a dialogue process that puts emphasis on the parties’ interests and emotions, reframing conflict and the corresponding terms and concepts, and building relationships between parties to achieve conflict conversation. In the last six months my place of work has gone through several changes. Just as it was stated in this chapter the higher ups made the decisions and initiated the changes and we the employees were expected to buy-in. One thing we did not experience was a communication vacuum. Our superior kept us updated from what changes would be happening, the timing of the changes, and asked us for our suggestions and input, because of these reasons we the employees felt comfortable with the changes and did not resist the change.

Journal for week of 04/16/2009

I don't have much to say today other than I wish the school would kindly post a summer schedule already. I enjoyed doing the chapter, at first I was dreading it, but once I got started I was okay.

Ch. 13 Interpersonal and Collaborative Messages mind map

Ch. 13 Interpersonal and Collaborative Messages summary

Humans are social creatures, we spend 80% to 90% of our time interacting with others, and because of this reason interaction is the center of our personal and professional existence, states the author. Interpersonal communication is defined as verbal, nonverbal, and listening interaction between at least two people engaged in co-creation of a relationship. When two individuals interact, they send and receive verbal and nonverbal messages at the same time. Verbal messages convey content, and nonverbal messages imply status and emotional clues. A relationship is a dynamic system of interaction coordinated through communication between two or more people. Relationships are established through interpersonal interaction. Communication and relationships are interlaced. Communicators do affect on another through verbal and nonverbal behaviors, relationships do change due to the fact that people sometimes change. Business relationships are important because a positive relationship with co-workers, clients, and vendors could lead to increased productivity, better purchase and delivery of services, and greater customer satisfaction. Two types of relationships are, complementary relationships, and symmetrical relationships. A complementary relationship occurs when communicators engage in contrasting behavior in which one person controls and the other person relinquishes control. One person does most of the talking and the other person listens. A symmetrical relationship occurs when the communicators mirror each other’s behavior. Sometimes symmetrical relationships could degenerate into power struggles when the individuals compete for control. Relationships can be redesigned through the communicators engaging in dialogue about the unsettling aspects of the relationship, they can negotiate new rules and structure, changing the context, and changing reaction patterns. There are rules for business relationships. Communication rules are cultural because they are associated with norms that determine what behaviors are acceptable and which are not. The cultural rules for business groups are subdivided into three categories; interactive rules consist of participating in group discussions, taking turns in conversation, and not interrupting speakers. Standard rules relate to general conduct, such as punctuality and performance of required tasks. Role-related rules are connected to a given position or role. Broken rules may be overlooked sometimes or they may bring about negative responses. Nonverbal communication refers to body movements or vocal variations that communicate without words. This type of communication can happen continuously, it can happen unintentionally, and it is often more reliable than verbal communication. The author lists six types of nonverbal behavior. Kinesic behavior refers to body movements we use to communicate. Eye behavior refers to eye movements that communicate emotions, facilitate and regulate conversation, and monitor reactions. Paralanguage behavior involves vocal sounds other than words. Chronemics is the study of how people use and perceive time, proxemics is the study of how people use space and distance, and haptics involves touching behaviors. There are differences between the way men and women communicate nonverbally, such as women make eye contact more during conversations but they break contact earlier then men do. Men also use more gestures than women do, and women tend to have a tense posture while men usually have a relaxed one. A small group is composed of two or more interdependent people who are aware of their group membership and who communicate and accomplish common goals. In business groups and teams are need for a variety of purposes, such as planning, organizing, negotiating, and problem solving. The four C’s of effective small groups are, commitment, cohesion, collaboration, and conflict modification strategies. Agendas are guidelines for discussion topics and time frames for goal accomplishment during meetings. In a small group meeting, the leader is in charge of managing the collaborative process during meetings by creating agendas that include open dialogue and member participation. I work for a medical office with three doctors on staff, two sleep study technicians, four administrative assistants including me, a biller, and a manager. It is important for the staff to maintain a positive relationship because we are a small group of people. There are times when positive interpersonal communication failed and we got on each other’s nerves, things have gotten tense from time to time, but overall we try to work as harmoniously as possible with one another.

Journal entry for week of 04/08/2009

Today I had work on my mind more than school, but it was because of school. I work in San Jose, I live in Union City, and My school is in Oakland. So every day I take BART from Union City to Oakland for school, take BART back to Union City when I'm done and Drive to San Jose to go to work, and then commute back home during rush hour. I'm tired, the commuting is taking a toll on me. I want to be able to spend more time in school if I need to and not rush off to work across the Bay, but I have to work, it's not like I could just quit working. So, my only option is to find a job by the end of summer closer to school or home. Even in this crappy economy I will make it happen.

B-Comm mind map for C. 12, Culture: Inside & Out

B-Comm summary for C. 12, Culture: Inside & Out

Our class is composed up of people from several cultures around the world. A culture is “A communally produced and shared model of reality that communicates how people are expected to behave, think, and feel.” Our cultures characterize how we live and view the world as members of a society. “Culturally acceptable behaviors” are learned from the people around us, who are closest to us. We learn our cultures through socialization, which is learning from human interaction. When people work with or do business with individuals from other cultures they sometimes forget that not everyone communicates in the same style or gives value to the same things. In some cultures of Asia and the Middle East people prefer using an indirect style of communication. A direct style can be considered disrespectful, and pushy. However, in North America and some European countries people use a direct style of communication. When a professional does not use a direct style of communication in these countries it can be misinterpreted as being dishonest and indecisive. Multinational business is very prevalent in today’s world. Business professionals do spend some time communicating with businesspeople from other countries. You will most likely need to adjust your communication style and learn appropriate behavior in order to communicate effectively with people from other cultures. It is very important to communicate in a way that is clear and appropriate when it comes to speaking and writing. When conducting business with an individual from another country it is a good idea to read up on their culture and learn some basic words and phrases in their language. However it would be helpful to hire an interpreter also. English is the most commonly used language in international business. Most international business professionals know how to read and write at least some English. When communicating in writing make sure you address the person with as much respect as possible and write conservatively. Don’t use ambiguous language but do use concrete language. Diversity involves people from many backgrounds and perspectives. Worker diversity includes, race, ethnicity, age, economic level, gender, sexual orientation, and physical disability. It is important to have mutual respect and consideration for people and their differences, both inside and outside of the work place. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture is superior to others. Attitudes such as this sabotage productive working relationships. A corporate culture is the way the organization operates, how it is structured, how members are expected to behave, and what the organization believes is important. Co-cultures like organizations, are smaller groups that exist within the larger culture and have their own values, beliefs, and codes for behavior. A deep culture is the organization’s identity or personality of what it believes, perceives, and considers important. Values represent a set of shared principles defining what is important to members of an organization. Beliefs are feelings or opinions about what is right and true. A perspective is a particular way of thinking about the world. I highly enjoy the fact that I have my own perspective of the world. I see the world for myself and I don’t let anyone else see it for me. Companies also have a vision, a set of norms, heroes and organizational lore, which are stories and legends that travel through the organization on the grapevine. Whether it is the culture of the work place or the culture we live in society that we speak of, culture is something that has to be learned. We are not born with our cultures imbedded into our memories. We learn “culturally accepted behavior” from the people we are closest to. Every time you are set to do business with an individual from a new culture, it is a wise idea to read up on their culture. For a business professional learning about different cultures should be a career life long process.

Journal entry for week of 04/02/2009

The last couple weeks have be a little rough. work has been busier, this week I've stayed almost an hour past the time I get off every day, My brother and sister both got very sick I had to take each one to doctor appointments on different days and drop off and pick up their medications. I feel like yelling at my parents, I told them a hundred times last fall to get the kids their flu shots but did they listen no of course they didn't. They should be the ones taking my brother and sister to the doctor. I don't mind it but it's hard when I have to stay overtime at work, come to school, and complete the homework, not to mention all the errands I have to run. My parents need to quit playing the stupidity card so much.

CH. 11 mind map - Writing Strategies for Reports & Proposals

CH. 11 summary - Writing Strategies for Reports & Proposals

Let us say your boss has given you the task of completing a report or proposal in one week. How and where would you start? The first thing you would consider before putting a report together is your audience. The content of your report or proposal should be based on the audience you are trying to reach. A direct strategy is best used when you are simply delivering information and you do not need a response from your audience. On the other hand, if your report or proposal needs a response, or you’re asking for money, or asking the audience to take action, then an indirect strategy is best to use. Sometimes a combination of the two strategies maybe needed, you may have to inform the audience and at the same time persuade them. This type of strategy is referred to as an analytical strategy. Regardless of which strategy you use, there are three important rules you should always follow when writing a document. One: write clearly, two: be concise and thorough, and three: organize and format your information. Bullets and headings are great to incorporate when you want to organize your facts and information. Task plans are important to incorporate in proposals and reports because they allow the reader to see what tasks have to be performed, the amount of personnel, equipment, resources, and time needed to complete a project. The task plan section will likely contain a lot of information; because of this it is a wise idea to break up the information into separate categories to ease the reading for your audience. When creating goals for a proposal make sure your reader will understand the primary and secondary goals of the proposal. Don’t assume they will know what the goals are just because you described the project in the introduction or executive summary of the proposal. State the goals clearly, your primary goal first followed by your secondary goals. An executive summary is a concise overview of a report. In an executive summary you: identify yourself, your company, the issue which you are addressing, your objectives, your proposed activities, analysis, and/or conclusion to your reader. Your executive summary has to be written after the entire report has been completed. Your introduction of your report or proposal sets the tone for the rest of your document. Based on your purpose and the audience you can decide to use a formal, informal, or conversational tone during your introduction. Your introduction should also hook your reader and be engaging and clear. In a direct strategy application you present your context, basic topic, suggested solutions, and responses right away. In an indirect strategy application you present your context, and basic topic, but you do not specifically indicate your suggestions or responses. The background of your report or proposal can be organized in a chronological approach, situational approach, or a statistical approach. The problem statement of the report or proposal must be clearly defined. The problem or purpose statement in your introduction only provides only the general concept for the reader, but the purpose statement you write after completing the background should include more detail and clarity. Your goals and objectives should be delivered with a direct strategy approach, they should be specific and direct. During the solutions and recommendations section you should also use a direct strategy approach and also touch on major points from the background and analytical sections. Finally and most importantly always end your report on a positive note. I personally have never written a report, but when the time comes for me to write one I think the author broke it down just right to help me the reader understand how reports and proposals are created. This chapter had a lot of valuable information.