Critiquing Blogs

The background of my blog's URL, http://sis2locks-liveadayinmylife.blogspot.com/ has the look of a library. I liked the look of the colorful books lined on the shelves. My picture at the top is of a woman who is very busy working on her computer. She’s spilled coffee on her blouse, but she’s still working as a challenge to invite readers to live a day in her life before they criticize her. The content of the blog discusses the assignments as directed from our instructor and the target audience is my classmates who will read the site. To me, blogging is on-line journaling. The only difference is that the audience will be able to reply to what has been written.

I reviewed and liked Jason’s blog, but was surprised to see that his background has changed from its initial background in Week 1 to look like my current background so I may be changing my background. His theme relates the theory and technologies of communications. His focus is to showcase his talent for writing and his audience are those who have an interest in blogging. Jason has since changed his blog background, and I must say, it looks fantastic!

I liked Jody’s blog. Her background color combination is eye-catching. I like her super woman-comic book theme. The way her pictures overlay her text frame. I like the look of her blog. It captured my attention and kept me interested in reading what she has to say. The only thing I might suggest is to enlarge the font size of the blog header. There are 5 comments that read the blog has been removed by the administrator. I suggest removing the statements altogether. Her audience can be influenced by her underlying theme of being able to have balance, yet have strength to multitask.

I like the open field background on Carley's blog. I also like how the blog scrolls above the background as though it floats above it. Her blog seems to serve as a personal journal with the potential to include other articles that relate to her blog.

Delivering Bad News Tactfully and Effectively

No one likes to receive bad news, which is why it important to use tact when discussing a problem or having to deliver a bad news message. Even though the message negative, it still should convey a sense of support or amity to the reader. If the situation is minor or insignificant, but enough to bring it to the person’s attention, then a direct approach can be used to inform or alert the them of the issue. A direct approach “is basically the same plan used for good-news or neutral messages” (Roebuck, D., 2006, p. 87). If the message is significant enough that a denial or rejection has to be delivered, then it is best to take an indirect approach, as author Deborah Roebuck (2006) states, it “softens your audience’s resistance, arouses their interests, and increases their tendency to see you as fair-minded” (p. 88). The “bad news” should be made clear to the person; however, the deliverer should make it clear to the person receiving the bad news that there are no hard feelings toward them personally.

Because the employee has been confrontational, a hostile work environment was created, so there can be an expectation of defensiveness on the part of the employee. An investigation needs to be completed so all of the facts and incidents of the employee’s substandard performance and complaints from each customer and all co-workers are accurately documented and ready to be presented during the meeting with the employee. This is in order to present the evidence as facts that cannot be disputed. “We typically feel defensive when others have something critical to say about us. We do not want to know that we are not doing well or not doing all we should do (Abigail, R. & Cahn, D., 2011, p. 73).

The conflict resolution that would work best in this case would come from managing organizational conflict. The objective is to engage productivity in the workplace, and if there is an employee who is not civil to the other employees and not satisfying the customer’s needs, then a meeting should take place to discuss his or her poor work performance. Respect for the employee must be uppermost as an objective when discussing the documented incidents. The climate in which the meeting takes place should be professional, and the language is objective and non-discriminatory. Active listening should be used to hear what the employee has to say. Every incident has two sides, and in all fairness, their side should be heard. Some employees deal with “work-life” conflict. This arises from not being able to keep “a balance between one’s personal life and the demands of work” (Abigail, R. & Cahn, D., 2011, p. 249). This may serve as an explanation, but their negative behaviour is what is being dealt with.

Using positive language, the meeting should begin with discussing the positive behaviour and performance of the employee, which both the employer and employee can agree upon. Then the results of the documented evidence reporting negative behaviour with the customers and co-workers, the hostile work environment and substandard work performance should be presented and discussed. The employee should be allowed to explain their behaviour. However, the bottom line of the expectation the company had of the employee versus what the company got in relation to the employee’s substandard job performance and behaviour should be presented as the consequences for not complying with the company’s policies and procedures, resulting in the employee’s impending termination from the company.

No one likes bad news, whether giving it or receiving it. The approach in regard to presenting the bad news depends on the type of relationship with the recipient and how serious the situation is. As the deliverer of bad news, the situation and the recipient determine how to approach delivering the bad news. 

References:

Abigail, R., & Cahn, D. (2011). Managing conflict through communication (4^th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc, publishing as Allyn & Bacon

Roebuck, D.B. (2006). Improving business communication skills. (4^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

What is Skype?

Skype – Sky peer-to-peer is a free software application that allows any user with a computer or cell phone with the front load camera to visual conference/chat over the internet. Where communicating long distance on the cell phone would be monitored by the minutes spent, thus, creating an expensive bill, Skype makes it easy to communicate with those far and near. Individuals more or less use Skype in place of long distance calling. Nadeem Unuth (2011), shares that “[w]hile in the past you needed to take particular care of the minutes and seconds you spend speaking on international calls, you no longer need to bother about that now. If you use Skype to make PC to PC communication, you pay nothing more that the monthly Internet service, which you would pay anyway have paid without Skype” (p.1.). When connecting to communicate with other Skype users, the connection is free, no matter where in the world the other connection is made as long as the other person is also using Skype . “Skype allows you to know if a buddy is offline, when she or he is willing to communicate, you can log back in at that time” (N. Unuth, 2011, p.1).

Skype also runs on servers and uses background processing on computers running Skype. Wikipedia states that “[s]ome network administrators have banned Skype on corporate, government, home, and education networks, citing reasons such as inappropriate usage of resources, excessive bandwidth usage, and security concerns.

References:

Skype From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 15, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype

Unruth, N. (2011). What is Skype? An introduction to the most popular VoIP software and service. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from

http://voip.about.com/od/voipsoftware/a/whatisskype.htm

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site. It allows users to connect with one another to professionally network with one another. You can see who is connected with the people you are connected to. Through your profile, others who view your page can read about you based on what you’ve posted about yourself. Your page informs those who view your page how many other people you are connected to and their affiliations. It allows the user or owner of the page to make status updates about them; such as, if you got a promotion, won a big contract or whatever you want viewers to know about you. You can post your resume on your home page, so if you are seeking employment, others can see your resume and determine if you will be a good candidate to contact to schedule an interview.

People who work for different companies can link to those who either work for the same company or link to one who works for the same company, but that person is also linked to another person who works for a different company. Case in point: There is a job announcement at Company X. I log into my LinkedIn site and look at my connections to see who is connected to a person at Company X. I contact my connection to see if they will connect with their contact at Company X and inquire if I may connect with them about getting my resume into their HR dept. It’s a great professional networking site.  

Reference:   LinkedIn. (2011) Retrieved March 21, 2011 from www.linkedin.com

What is Instant Messaging?

Instant messaging (IM) uses real-time text based communication between two or more people who are set up with IM. It allows immediate communication between users. It is different from email, because messages appear instantly, on can respond much quicker to a conversation using IM than instead of email, which can be left sitting in an in-box. Instant Messaging is comparable to chatting in your own private chat room with only the person or persons you’ve connected with to chat. You can create a list of people as buddies that you choose to contact or communicate with. It is a faster and simpler way to communicate with others than using email. Texted conversations can be saved for later reference. WiseGEEK (2011) shares that “caution should be exercised with messaging. Children should be supervised carefully when instant messaging and should not add people they do not know to their IM list without approval from their parents” (p.1). This is to monitor who contacts your child, as predators have been known to frequent chat rooms to seek out victims.

Like other media technologies, TopBits.com (2011) states, “instant messaging is rapidly replacing the telephone as the primary method of ‘reaching out and touching someone.’” (p.1). There are various IM software applications to choose from to create IM clients. They are Pidgin, Miranda, Psi, Adium, Trillian, AOL and Babuki. These software applications enable clients to connect with one another to communicate instantly.

References:


TopBits.com, (2011). Instant Messaging. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.tech-faq.com/instant-messaging.html

WiseGEEK, (2011). What is instant messaging? Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-instant-messaging.htm

What Is Email?

Email is the short name for Electronic mail. It is how digital messages are sent and received. “Though there is some degree of uncertainty as to when email was invented, the father of the modern version is generally regarded to be American Ray Tomlinson” (WiseGEEK, 2001.p.1). WiseGEEK also shares that in the beginning, messages could only be sent between users connected to the same computer (2001, p.1). In the business world, email is the most common and more preferred way messages are communicated whether intercompany or intra-company.

One message can be sent to multiple recipients. Text, graphic images or data files can be sent within the page or sent as an enclosure. It operates across both public and private internet and established computer networks. One needs to have established an email account to send or receive messages. Address books or distribution lists can be constructed to make it convenient to select single or multiple recipients of the same message. Typically, it takes moments to receive an email that was sent; however, if the enclosure is a large file or the graphic is over the minimum size, it may take time to arrive, or it may not arrive at all. Once email is received, the recipient can return a reply to the message that they received, save the message in an established folder, or delete it. Emails are more convenient to send to those recipients who are long distance, than spending the money for a long distance call or using the U.S. Postal Service.

Reference:  

WiseGEEK, (2011). What is Email? Retrieved March 21, 2011, from

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-email.htm

Celebrating Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday; the beginning of Lent. Lent is the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday until Easter that is observed by Christians as a season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter. The first year that I participated I gave up sweets, the next year meat, then coffee. Last year I gave up sweets again, but before Lent was half over with, I messed up and had cookies at an office meeting. I really felt bad, so I abandoned participating in Lent for the rest of the duration. However, this year, I'm trying to make up for it, so I gave up coffee and sodas.

Do you particpate in Lent? If so, what did you fast from?

Holla back!