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.