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.