Monday, December 20, 2010

Delivering Bad News Tactfully and Effectively

“You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services.  You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service.  One of your employees, who has been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous complaints from customers and coworkers.  In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment.  You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.” Explain how you would approach this employee, anticipate the employee’s response, and discuss which conflict resolution techniques you would use.
           
Providing bad news to somebody or communicating a problem can be a real challenge in itself. It’s important not to exacerbate the situation and make it worse, so therefore the right steps must be taken in each situation to ensure that the receiver of the bad news takes it correctly and doesn’t get hurt. I think that as it’s laid out the importance is to ensure that negative comments end positively. A direct approach is more forward and simply explains the problem bluntly, using this approach would be best with smaller problems that won’t necessarily hurt anybodies feelings. Again it’s still important to end on a positive note, by either offering news on what’s been done well, or offering an idea on how to correct the problem. Another approach that can be taken is the indirect approach, and this approach would be used with bigger problems that may have a tendency to illicit an emotional response if delivered poorly. Beginning the statement in a positive way softens the blow for when the negative information is slipped in.
In this instance, the best way to deal with the issue may be to use a mixture of both the indirect and direct approach in this situation. It would be important to handle this situation carefully. On one hand it’s important to ensure that the employee doesn’t get more upset because it is clear he has a track record of hostile actions. On the other hand this is a very imperative problem to get control of at once. Allowing the controversial behavior to continue by not directly handling it would not provide results that is why it is key to use assertive communication which is, “the ability to speak up for one's interests, concerns, or rights in a way that does not interfere with the interests or infringe on the rights of others” (Cahn, 2007).
Taking preventative measures to avoid conflict is crucial. One way to do this is to understand a phase of an argument known as the prelude to conflict stage, which focuses on four dynamics. The first dynamic is the participants and the factors associated with them such as age, gender, and number of people in the conflict. Second the relationship of the opposing parties, which includes factors such as hierarchy, depth of the affiliation, and dominating tendencies. The next dynamic involves third parties interested in the conflict, which can either propagate the argument, or inspire a more relaxed debate. The fourth and last dynamic explores the environment, both physical and social. Having an understanding of the dynamics involved in conflict gives a communicative advantage; being prepared for such factors allows those in the quarrel to predict the direction each participant will take within the argument.
Predicting the reaction of this employee would be critical to remaining in control of the situation. This employee has a reputation for poor communication and possible over reactions. The employee is likely to freak out and elicit and emotional response to the negative news. That is why it is important to close the statement with something positive (Roebuck, 2006). Starting positive and ending positive allows the employee to take the bad news in the middle better.
In this situation one way to defuse the situation from something emotionally fueled is to allow the employee a chance to communicate; to describe the situation and offer his or her side of the story. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to assist each employee with the tools needed to succeed. “If there is a problem with the message, express it openly and allow the opportunity for open dialogue” (Green, 2010).
Handling the poor performance of this employee quickly will ensure that his behavior does not continue and does not spread throughout the rest of the staff. Listening to the complaints of the customers and employees if a company’s first priority in maintaining a positive atmosphere for the business.



                                                                         Sources
Cahn, D.D., and Abigail, R.A. (2007). Managing conflict through communication (3rd ed.).
            Boston: Pearson Education.
Green, V.. (2010, April). President's Column. The South Carolina Nurse, 17(2), 2. Retrieved
            December 20, 2010, from ProQuest Health and Medical Complete.
(Document
            ID: 2065542101).
Roebuck, D. B. (2006). Improving business communication skills.  Upper Saddle
            River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.


Monday, December 13, 2010

Media Technologies

            There are numerous forms of media technology that have enhanced the way we communicate today. Generation Y has welcomed these updates, becoming known as the E-Generation, “Because they are such voracious consumers of electronic media” (Cameron, Wilcox, Reber, Shin, 2008). Some of the most popular advancements in media technology are cell phones, social networking, internet and blogs.
Cell phones have become part of almost every person’s life, and the Y and Z generations are ensuring that this form of communication continues to thrive. Cell phones have become popular both for personal use as well as business use. These small devices have become a pivotal way for people to keep in contact, kids as young as five have been given phones. As technology advanced cell phones went from being just a phone, to a multi-media device. Smart phones can do what a computer/lap top would do but on a smaller scale. They are now adapted for internet browsing, instant messaging, music, and some networks are even adding the option of radio to their phones. New innovations for this small phone are constantly being unveiled such as, “a new Google mobile phone embedded with a chip that makes it a virtual wallet so people can "tap and pay" is poised to make its debut. The smartphone runs on fresh "Gingerbread" software and is embedded with what is called a near-field communication chip for financial transactions, according to Google chief executive Eric Schmidt” (Pay Phone, 2010). With all these developments mobile phones have become an addiction in the lives of many. People jump through hoops to maintain a constant connection with the world.
Social networking websites have made communication even easier. These sites bring together hundreds of people under one friend list. It’s simple to communicate a single message to the whole list of people. Having everybody at easy access has successfully brought together long lost friends and is helping to maintain acquaintance type friendships. Many people use these websites for personal pleasure, and more often then not making so much information available can hinder business success of an individual. However, social networking cites can actually play a positive role in corporations. These websites make advertising easy for companies, “Southwest Airlines has become the first airline to reach one million fans on Facebook! And while there are a million ways to celebrate, we've decided to offer our fans a special Rapid Rewards promotion, available today only” (Southwest Airlines, 2010). Facebook has even updated it’s profile layout in order to better accommodate advertisers without hindering its users. The new profile is reliant on people updating personal information such as their interests. From the information given, advertisers can get a better idea of what users are looking for and target those users who would be most likely to enjoy the products being offered by individual companies.  
The internet is another form of media technology which has been successful. The internet is a way to put up and share information with the world. I envision that as the current generation grows, they will push for the internet to replace places like libraries. Research is done more heavily on the internet as the process can be streamlined for more precise information about a topic. For now, the internet is a way information to be shared on a large level. “Law firms are increasingly resorting to social media such as You Tube to boost brand visibility and show off their range of legal services. Lavery LLP, which this week unrolled a bilingual advertising campaign that will run in a first wave before the end of the year and then again in January, is using You Tube to promote specific practice areas for its business-law specialty in a fast-moving video lasting one minute and 39 seconds” (Leger, 2010). Websites like you tube offer people the opportunity to share visually interactive information. Sometimes this website can offer unknown individuals what has been called fifteen minutes of fame. Some celebrities such as Justin Bieber used this website to get known and sometimes this can be a huge success.
Another flourishing media technology that has become extremely prevalent is blogging.  Blogging has become more and more popular over the last five or so years. Blogging is a way for people to share their personal opinions, thoughts and conclusions with the world. A blog can be more professional and business like and read like a newspaper, or they can be personal; a way for people to reach out to their “fans.” Blogs are most often used as a form of self promotion where people share their thoughts and skills with the world in hopes to be recognized. Blogs can get people recognized in a way that will enhance careers. On the other hand some blogs are meant to have a more personal touch, where people just want to share their opinions and ideas with others and gain feedback. Another form of blogging that has gained in popularity over the last few years is online higher education. “Shared video media and blogging embrace a potential to facilitate communication and reflection among online higher education students” (Olofsson, Lindberg, Stödberg, 2011). The online schooling platform has students participate in weekly discussion boards, a form of blogging. Blogging is another form of media technology that will continue to grow and expand in the world.
           
Through all the advancements in media technology, communication has never been more effortless. All the developing forms of media are unique in their purpose but they all target an audience that’s so broad it cannot accurately be defined as anything other than almost everybody. Some of the most trendy media forms of the moment are cell phones, social networking sites, internet, and blogging. All of the above are quickly taking over and changing the way communication has happened in the past.

 
Sources
Anders D. Olofsson, J. Ola Lindberg, & Ulf Stödberg. (2011). Shared video media and
            blogging online :Educational technologies for enhancing formative e-
            assessment?. Campus - Wide Information Systems, 28(1), 41-55.  Retrieved
            December 13, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2209835301).
Cameron, G.T., Wilcox, D.L., Reber, B.H., Shin,J.H. (2008) Public relations today:
            managing competition and conflict. First edition. Boston:Pearson Education
KATHRYN LEGER.  (2010, December 10). Law firms use You Tube to show off
            services, specialties. The Gazette,B.3.  Retrieved December 13, 2010, from
            ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2210948741).
`Pay phone' a tap away. (2010, November 17). The Gold Coast Bulletin,26.  Retrieved
            December 13, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2195299881).
Southwest Airlines; Southwest Airlines Announces Rapid Rewards Triple Credit Offer
            Exclusively for Facebook Fans. (2010, December).
Transportation Business
            Journal,
101.  Retrieved December 13, 2010, from Research Library. (Document
            ID: 2208015121).

Monday, December 6, 2010

A Passion for Photography


            “I love having a camera. To me, I always envision I can never get this moment back. Our minds go, but hopefully we can bring back those memories in a snap shot.” –Amy Roloff

            My passion for photography started when I was young. I always wanted to grab the disposable cameras and snap away. As technology advanced I was introduced to a multitude of digital cameras. Quickly my family began to depend on me to photograph all events such as birthdays, holidays and more. Running parallel to my passion for photography was an obsession with photo editing programs. Through years of fun experimentation I was able to hone a skill that I may be able to turn from a hobby into a career. I want a job that I'm excited to pursue, and I know that behind the lens of a camera is exactly where I need to be to be happy.

[11/13/10 - From a photo shoot that I conducted with my cousin and her best friend]

            "I think photography is the career choice for me. I think I can honestly say I really do love it, like I have a riot with it. And I wanna improve and you know I think about it all the time and it's just awesome. Photography is just you and what you see and how you see." –Jeremy Roloff