Its Over or is it?

This will be my final blog entry. Interestingly it has been a long few weeks and I am suffering from the burnout of the second semester. Some may look at it and say its over in terms of the course but I think there may be one or two lessons that have really resonated and stuck with me. The two that stand out most in my mind are reputation and networking. These are the two most interesting tenets of Organizational Communication. If we as students take these and use them we can become better communicators and transform the landscape of Organizational Communication in the Caribbean. I know personally I will be applying some of the skills I learnt in my internship this summer and in a few side projects that I will be doing. I hope that I can grow and perfect these skills so that in the end I can become one of the best communication specialists.
Thank you Mr. Mc Daniel for the class. Though at times I thought you rambled on, I see that the key concepts are important and their application is important. I look forward to seeing an A in this course and who knows, I may take up one of your other courses next year.
And to answer the question: Is it Over? Far from it. Learning is a life ling process and if I want to be the best, I must continue to read, study and grow!

Can you tell the truth?

I know early up in this class we learned about the Caribbean context of communication and of the mistrust. Its however quite interesting to see it play our in our audit. The office were are auditing comprises of over 80% of the staff being female and its quite interesting the different vies of management that you get. From the extremely kind to the uncaring bosses the responses are varied. It is however quite interesting to see when the response are being made the body language. Some connote fear, some just want to make a statement and some are submissive to the will of the bosses. While I don't think this will affect the audit results it makes me wonder , Can employees tell the truth? 

 Jim Carey in Liar, Liar

This audit is designed to help them but the fear of conflict and victimization may be two possible repercussions that may occur so some employees do not tell the truth. In the long run it hurts and does not help the company as issues that could be identified as hindering the communication process. It however reminds us that we still have the mass/slave mentality and we bow to pressure for our pay and say nothing bad. Hopefully we can evolve to meet the global standards which are set in employment and move the Caribbean forward to be one of the most productive regions in the world.

Tweet at the boss: Selecting appropriate technology in the corporate communication mix

I know this headline must be funny and certainly I never liked when I knew my bosses' secretary could show him what I posted the night before on Facebook. However technology has really impacted the way that companies communicate and many companies are really finding ways of incorporating to ensure that there are ways of getting the word out there, in other words communication.
When I worked at Liat (1974) Ltd we had moved from the teletype printer and sending through a third party system such as SABRE to using e-mail to sending flight information. This had two major benefits as it was cheaper for the company as well as more convenient as e-mail moves at the speed of light.

A lot of companies have now looked at how to incorporate several new technologies. There is now use of technologies such as Oovoo which allows six way video calls being used for teleconferencing. This means six persons in six different islands of the Caribbean can have a meeting and accomplish much without setting foot on a plane or spending money.
A company must assess its needs and see where its communications needs lie. They must then select the appropriate technological solutions which work for them. The challenge here is getting them to see needs and not wants. Too many companies see new technologies and just jump to them without looking at return on investment and if it really helps with the communications need of the company.
Within this ever changing technical world, it is important that companies embrace the technology into the mix and look at where they are and where they want to go. Who knows, just now you may have to tweet at your boss about that important idea.

You know you live in 2012

Mr. McDaniel e-mailed us this popular set of things about the way communication is now at the speed of the thought. His copy said 2004 and since that time there has been great technological advances so here is the updated 2012 version with my modifications. 

Communicating at the Speed of thought: Technology and Communications for Business Success

You know you're living in 2012 when....

1. You accidentally enter your Blackberry password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years. Hell, you haven't played solitaire in years. Its now about Bejeweled and Angry Birds.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3. Better yet you have all of them on Blackberry Messenger so you send them a ping saving you money!

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you and then tweet at them to say you just e-mailed them.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses, Facebook accounts, Twitter accounts and are not on LinkedIn.

6. You go home after a long day at work you still answer the phone in a business manner and then tweet about how you did it!

7. You don't have a landline and then proceed to distinguish which of the phones is the company phones from your personal phone as they are the same model but one has free minutes thanks to the company.

8. You've sat at the same desk for four years and worked for three different companies all of which have Facebook Pages, Twitter accounts and believe that social media is the bomb!

10. You learn about your redundancy on your Facebook Newsfeed from On The Ground News Reports. .

11. Your boss doesn't have the ability to do your job because she doesn't have the slightest clue how to retweet that funny joke!

12. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home. Then you proceed to Facebook message the kids to say that there is pizza in the fridge and proceed to google where is the nearest Japanese restaurant which serves sushi is located because you are in the mood.

13. Every commercial on television has a website, Facebook and Twitter account at the bottom of the screen.

14. Leaving the house without your Blackberry or I Phone , which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for tremendous panic and you will run faster than Usain Bolt to go and get it.

15. You get up in the morning and go online to see who mentioned you on Twitter before getting your coffee.

16. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. :)

17. You're reading this and nodding and laughing. Then you proceed to put it in a note on Facebook and then tweet it to you best friend.

18. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message via Blackberry Messenger.

19. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

20. You actually scrolled back up to check that! there wasn't a #9 on this list.

AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Go on, forward this to your friends ....you know you want to!

While the content may have change it is interesting to note that the consequences do remain very similar. 

For the positives it still allows

*           time saving - as it is all done electronically without much manual effort

*           cost saving - Technology has driven down the price of doing business including savings from going green and printing less.

*           prices fall with use - In 2004 laptops were still new, bulky and expensive. Now they are relatively cheaper and have become even replaceable with new technology such as smart phones and tablets. 

*           Telecommuting (e-mail, virtual office) - There continues to be development in technologies to aid in telecommuting. These include programs such as Skype, Oovoo and even an entire virtual office package by Cisco Systems. 

*           removes drudgery of dull repetitive tasks - Hey you can sneak in a game of angry Birds. Just kidding but the old manual way made things a bit monotonous. With the advent of the internet, work has become a little bit more exciting. 

Mr. Mc Daniel's presentation does also give an extreme list of negatives (see below) which are now heightened in 2012. It is however important to note that as they have been identified, there should be a greater awareness and a move to safeguard one's self against them.

Negatives are:

*           increased stress by greater expectations

*           high price of entry

*           steep learning curve

*           systemic errors hard to catch, multiplies pain

*           temptation to waste because of lower unit costs,ease of re-run

*           impersonal - risk

*           identity theft

*           greater access to inappropriate content

*           content not regulated

*           planned obsolescence

*           dulls the senses/initiative, promotes procrastination

*           plagiarism hard to detect - severely

*           compromises intellectual property.

You really live in 2012 when your assignment for a class has to be a blog and the teacher uses a tweetorial to teach.  

Should I be a responsible social media user?

Stories such as the one below have been popping up all over the internet in the last few days. 
http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-employers-asking-for-passwords-alarming-distressing-2012-03

While I may not agree that employers should not be asking this, it begs the question, Should I be a responsible social media user? Its interesting that we say such sites such as Facebook and Twitter at times quite callously and think that there will be no consequences. The interesting thing s that when we use social media it represents a part of us and our reputation.

Imagine if a few nude pics of the boss were to appear, he/she would lose the company's respect and be asked to leave or resign in shame as they no longer have a good reputation. The same for employees and it is a fact that they must realize. While you may try to separate you personal and business life, it is nearly impossible as you are one person in many roles. If you wear a uniform to work, persons only see Mr. X or Ms. Y, not the working man in the uniform and later at the party when you are gyrating they see someone else.They see the same person.  (I am not advocating to going to live in a convent or monastery.) Therefore you have to know how to manage your reputation so as not to ruin your image or that of the company. Therefore you should use social media responsibly.  In other words: Don't post anything on social media which you wouldn't want your mother or father to see.

Networking as an absolute necessity

As a university student you always hear that you should network as it will benefit you in the long run. I am an avid believer in networking as I have seen where it can take you places and open doors. But how do you do it? As I was no expert I went to research and actually found a good article from a Caribbean website by an author named Patricia Grannum. Its quite interesting and gives some good tips on how to network. (Most of these I do so I know that they work)

Networking Tips for New University Students

By Patricia Grannum

Sep 14, 2010

 So you’ve started  university and you’re totally excited about the new experience that you’re going to have. I know that the last thing you’re thinking about is networking for jobs. But university is an excellent time and place for networking. Remember you’re laying the foundation for your career path and networking is an important part of that journey. It’s never too early to start so here are some tips on professional networking just for you. 

Get involved in campus and professional organizations:
I know when you’re at school it may be hard to focus on anything other than passing classes and liming off and on campus. But joining organizations are great places to build working relationships with people that can become even more beneficial after graduation. Becoming a leader in an organization is also an added bonus and looks great on a resume.

Make connections in unlikely places:
One of the best resources for networking contacts you have as a university student is the guest speakers that come to your school. Don’t be too shy to approach these professionals and introduce yourself. Remember, more often than not they were once university students themselves who were curious about the industries they were studying to become a part of. Ensure that you get a business card and follow up with them. You never know, it might help you land a job when graduation comes around.

 Attend Industry Conferences:
Sometimes you have to pay to attend these conferences- and we know student budgets are limited- but they are worth every red cent in terms of networking value. At an industry conference, you would probably be the only student there which would make you stand out a lot more that you would at a university job fair.

 Go on fact-finding missions to establish relationships:
You can treat the projects that you have for class as ways to connect with professionals in your field. If you have a particular question that you believe someone at a company you want to work for is an expert on. Why not email them and ask for their perspective. You may be thinking that there’s a chance that you’re email would be ignored but hey, there’s also a chance that they’ll remember your name if your resume gets passed onto their.

Use the Internet to find information and network with people:
As a young professional –yes it’s a good idea to think of yourself as a young professional when you’re a university student- there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with online networking.. for chatting with friends. But it’s a valuable resource for building a name for yourself as a professional in your field.
Why not start a blog? Caribbean professionals, like Karel Macintosh and Corey Graham have become well known in their fields due to their blogging. Why not you? Also, it’s never to early to join online communities for professionals such as Linkedin or Caribbean Axis Professional and Student so that you can start building your professional network now

Don’t forget traditional networking methods:
While networking online is cool, don’t forget traditional networking tactics such as getting and using a business card, attending job fairs, tapping your professors for information etc. These are also vital for networking success. 


Taken from: http://pro.caribbeanaxis.com/articles/career-advice/MjA=/The-Search/MTkx/Networking-Tips-for-New-University-Students

Stages in Group Development

A few weeks ago Mr. McDaniel came in to talk about the stages in a group. At first I said oh ok sounds good and maybe some management guru came up with it. However it was quite interesting when I was researching it to find out that there has been major research into this area from different perspectives including sociological and psychological and to come across this article which is quite informative. Take a look and maybe you can help your team be better.

Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing: Helping New Teams Perform Effectively, Quicklyp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.htm

What UWI students can learn about reputation management after Carnival

Carnival is a great time to express one's self in his/her cultural heritage. The carnival at UWI Mona is a great opportunity to party, market one's culture and just have a good old time. But with the advent of new media, there was a flood of pictures and videos on the internet on the days following the events depicting some lewd and downright disgusting behaviour. There were young ladies very scantily clad and even one topless as well as depictions of the sexual act also known as "daggering" in Jamaica. So bad was this behaviour that it made regional media with videos on Youtube receiving over 10,000 hits in 3 days.There is yet to be a response from the Guild and the administration of the University, it begs the question, what type of reputation is being built by the students, by the Guild who conducts the Carnival and the University under who it falls?
    I decided to do an online search on reputation management and came up with a link to a book that looked at the ten avoidable missteps in reputation management. Let's assess each and see if they have occurred and maybe offer a solution or two for the next few days.
1. Ignore the problem: Sometimes the problem is ignored by those in charge or they see the problem as not being serious. Head of the bands were warned to speak to revelers about the exhibition of lewd behaviour. However this was ignored even though last year, there was a flurry of comments about the behaviour exhibited at Carnival.
2. Deny the severity of the problem: A lot of persons especially UWI students who wee involved have downplayed the significance of the pictures, some have even gone as far as to justify that Carnival is non - Jamaican and that is the way that they know how to enjoy themselves so that is why they dance the way they do. Even the Guild has downplayed the significance of the event and the pictures saying that most students were having fun.
3.Compartmentalize the problem: Surprisingly when talking to members of the academic staff about the issue of the behaviour, most referred it to either the Guild or Administration to deal with it. Some did not even see it as a University issue. The problem with this step is that persons outside see the UWI not the Guild or not just Administration. So to address the issue as its a "their" problem and not an "our" problem will undermine the reputation of the institution.
4.Tell misleading half truths: We all lie at some point but to say that this behaviour is typical of all Carnivals is just such a bad half truth. Some students from a particular Hall who were very involved in the "daggering" behaviour noted that Trinidad Carnival has this type of behaviour and exhibited a picture of a young man in a compromised position with a young lady. This was the only picture they could produce showing this type of behaviour in Carnival. By doing this the guilty parties wanted to deflect attention away from them and make themselves appear not as guilt or seem as if everybody else is doing it.
5.  Lie: I expect in the coming days to hear some lies pop up. So far there are yet to have been any but just lying about the situation does not help as it is said "what is done in dark will come to light!" Imagine if some parents of UWI students or prospective students saw those pictures and inquired about them and were lied too? What would happen when the truth came out.
6. Tell only part of the story and let it  dribble out: Its quite interesting that there is little being said besides that the bands were told and that the persons still acted in that fashion. This way those who reported the story only gave part in the hope that it will eventually die out from a lack of excitement. However with what was seen last year being taught about, its very unlikely this year will be any different.
7. Assign blame: We all like to say that it wasn't us and the blame game has started. Students are saying it wasn't their fault, it was the DJs. The Guild will blame the bands and the University will blame the Guild and so the cycle of blame continues.
8. Over-confess: Although this happens in organizations, I doubt we will see that in this case as I think the entities involve will rather assign blame than confess to their "transgressions".
9. Panic and undergo paralysis: I highly doubt this will happen as although there is a flurry of media attention, the parties in volved will try to put on a brave face and they will definitely continue their work.
10. Shoot the messenger: Several persons have condemned the photographers and videographers who made the video. However it was not these entities that misbehaved and carried on. They merely showed it to the world. We should therefore deal with the problem and not those who highlighted it.

It will be interesting to see how this crisis is dealt with as there are several stakeholders including the students, the Guild and the University of the West Indies. I hope they all have a good crisis management plan or are in the process of making one now because I see this crisis as continuing to grow.

               The Office is a comedy series called a mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.(IMDB.com 2012). It's quite interesting the way that the actual mocking of the office setting is a reflection of the reality which exists. The interesting views on politics, behavior and management give insight into the real world. While it may be a mockery of real life issues, as a former employee, I do understand the way that the working world exists and the issues which arise in the communication within the organization. What makes the difference between the organization which is productive and the one which is unproductive is the way the issues such as conflict and miscommunication are handled.

The current global context of the knowledge driven world economy

                It seems that anywhere you turn today; you can know what going on anywhere in the world. It’s interesting that with the advent of the internet that changed the global context that so much has changed in the last 10 years. You can now do trading of stocks and bonds online, you can research a company’s profile and you can even teleconference via new technologies such as Skype and Oovoo with executives and representatives of these companies.

          So what does this mean for the knowledge driven world economy? Knowledge, as embodied in human beings (as 'human capital') and in technology, has always been central to economic development according to Candice Steven writing in the OECD Observer. She highlights in her article the use of knowledge in the developed countries within the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) which is needed in the highly productive and technological societies in which these economies are based and exist. 

           This knowledge driven economy is global which means that it does affect us in the Caribbean. We are living in a globalized world that is no longer connected by cables and wires but by satellites and fiber optics. As a Caribbean Region which is heavily dependent on the larger world economies such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, we have to develop the skill sets need to drive our economies forward. This means investment in educating and equipping our people with the skills and attitudes need to compete in the global sphere. It also shows the need for continuous training as technology does evolve and we have to stay on top of this to remain competitive and earn money in our economies. 

             The investment in educational programmes is also needed. We need to ensure that our students are equipped on leaving our universities and training centres with the skills that are needed in today’s global economy. We are no longer restricted by borders and as such as able to travel, work and love overseas. We are also now being employed by multinational corporations and as such must be ready to step up to the job with the necessary knowledge and skills.  As a region we can no longer sit down and await the hand out from our allies and former colonial masters. We now have to stand up and push for the thrust toward competing with the economies of large scale and developing our human capital. This highlight the importance of courses such as Organizational Communication which help to develop the students who in 2 years will join the workforces in the region and help propel us forward in the knowledge driven global economy. 

What we can learn in our campaign tactics

Its quite interesting that my lecturer in Organizational Communication should post this link about Obama and his use of social media to win. (the link is at the end of this post.) One of the interesting things that has come out of the organizational structure of the Obama campaign  has been the realization of the power of communication. The message which was brought out was not in a top down fashion but showed reciprocity in the way the message showed the true meaning of communication. It also showed in this modern technological age that embracing new media while using traditional media (the marriage) can make the world of difference.
Its my hope that more campaigns (especially student campaigns as this is election season on the campus) will use the lessons learnt here to grow and become better communicators not only with the electorate but with their constituents.

How Obama won using Digital and Social Media

Organizational Communications- Is there a need in the 21st Century

          In today's technologically driven world, the question of communication comes up time and time again. With so many means (from traditional mediums such as telephone and fax to modern mediums such as e-mail and Virtual meetings) one has to ask if employees are really aware of the importance of communicating and doing so effectively.
I came across the following article when I was searching and though it is a bit long, it is brings out several important points that one should note when looking at communication in an organization.
 Employee/Organizational Communications

       Also we can see how important organizational Communication has become that colleges and universities have begun having classes such as COMM2926 at UWI and like the following to equip students for the workplace. NJ Today - College Offer Business Communication Class

       We can therefore see the usefulness and real need for Organizational Communication in the 21st Century. Its now up to us in the field of Communication to help make it effective and relevant.

Shared Meaning

The Late Professor Aggrey Brown

      

Its interesting the definition used by the late Prof. Aggrey Brown to define communication. He states communication as "the interactive transference of shared meanings between intelligences." The definition gives a broad definition to communication at first glance. But isn't the process of communication broad. Do we not communicate in so many ways, with so many tools and to so many people? Let's take a look at the definition and see how it applies to today's world. 

       Brown's definiton looks at the interactive transference. This means that the process is not one sided or one dimensional. It must occur between parties and as such the process is social. A man does not talk to a pole (unless he is a pole whisperer.LOL!).  Transference looks at the way the message is sent. There are so many mediums that can be used and we can send messages in so many different ways, verbally or non-verbally, electronically, digitally or analog. 

         We must then look at the meaning of the message. This meaning Brown emphasises must be shared. Shared meaning looks at the parties involved in the communication process understanding what the other is saying. They may not agree on the meaning but they do understand what the other is trying to say. And then we come to intelligences. (I'm smiling here because I remember the movie A.I.) Intelligences refer to the parties involved in the process of communication. You may say that only humans communicate but that can be disputed. Intelligences can be any entity which is able to receive and process a meaning and give feedback. (See communication process below)

Taken from: http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/images/pptip_complete_communication-1.png

     

         Let's look at Oshane and his pet dog Spot. Oshane gives spot the command to sit and Spot sits. The process of communication has occurred because Oshane has interacted with Spot, given him a message and he has gotten feedback.

     So looking at it, communication may seem to be a simple process but it isn't. There are so many factors and we will be covering these as time goes by.  

What is this class about?

As I begin this blog, it will be interesting to see where this class will take me. Organizational Communication sounds quite simple but as I know from previous work experience, it is far from that. There are several things that come into play including conflict, miscommunication, interpersonal communication and the all so ever present gossip between boss and employees and employees themselves. I look forward to what information the lecturer will bring to the table and will see where he goes with it!