Week 5, Web Lecture, Post 4: Mindful Dialogue

In Professor Cyborg's web lecture on "Democracy and Dialogue," she defines mindful dialogue as dialogue that "goes beyond an individual commitment to dialogue to embrace the notion of 'thinking together' in innovative and creative ways.

Mindful dialogue seems like a great way for teams to communicate with each other. Often times groups get hung up on personal agendas that the end goals are seemingly forgotten. At the last place I worked, we had a lot of brainstorming sessions in which someone would write ideas on a whiteboard or a large white pad and everyone in the group was given a chance to participate. And from there, these ideas would get filtered and further worked on until they became projects. It was a colloborative way that allowed everyone a voice and and a creative way of thinking about future projects of interest.

Week 5, Chapter 11, Post 3: Mindful Approach

In Chapter 11, on page 345, we find the term "mindful" approach. It is written in the textbook that, "a mindful approach to organizational communication enables us to understand talk 'as a mental and relational activity that is both purposeful and strategic' (Goodall & Goodall, 206, p. 52.)"

I have often heard that the best way to tell someone how you feel is by using sentences that start with, "I feel..." versus, "You make me feel..." A lot of television therapists will tell their patients that conveying themselves in this manner to their spouse will make what they are trying to convey sound less defensive and in turn make their significant other less offensive. I know that when I try to communicate my feelings to my boyfriend or to family members or colleagues or friends, I always try to be mindful not to hurt their feelings. We can joke around and make fun of each other in a playful way but we should be mindful of other people's reactions and verbal cues.

Week 5, Chapter 10, Post 2: Differentiation

In Chapter 10, on page 312, we see the term, "differention." The textbook defines this term as, "a more popular business strategy... which involves highlighting the unique or special qualities of a company's product or service.

This term is something I heard a lot of at the last place I worked. Since there were so many vendors vying for a contract with us, they had to find a way to differentiate themselves from similar companies. There were some botique market research businesses, some medium sized organizations and some large well-known corporations. They all in one way or another all did the same thing but their approach to their business as well as their interaction with contracting companies may have been the separating factor between them and another company. When it as time for us to choose the companies that we would renew contracts with or start a new contract with, we asked them to define their product and what differentiated them with a company that had the same product at perhaps a lower price.

Week 5, Chapter 9, Post 1: Supportive Communication

In chapter 9, on page 288, we find the term "supportive communication," which according to research, "emphasizes active listening and taking a real interest in employees -- is even more useful to organizational leaders than openness."

I've talked about two managers that I have had at different jobs in one of my previous posts and it seems appropriate to bring them up now. The first manager (A) I had was very personable and really did take an interest in my overall well-being. The second manager (B) I had was cordial but more concerned about my well-being at work. Manager A bought me a toaster as a house warming gift when I moved into my new apartment. She bought me a going away gift bag that was full of thoughful gifts that I would need as I embarked on my new journey in life. Manager B gave me a bottle of champagne for Christmas and a Starbucks gift card as a thank you for working on a project while she was away. I'm not equating gifts or their monetary value with how well my managers treated me... the point I'm trying to make is that Manager A took the time to get to know me and what was going on with my life. She realized that work was not the only facet of my life and that outside of work, I had interests and struggles and "life". Manager B was more concerned about how my performance at work affected her boss' perception of me and her and although she did reward me for great projects, I didn't feel like my life outside of work mattered much. Looking back on my last two jobs now, I can see that I trusted Manager A more than I trusted Manager B. Manager A was like a work mother to me in the best sense of the term and Manager B was just someone I reported to.

Week 4, Web Lecture, Post 4: Real vs. Virtual Communication

In Professor Cyborg's web lecture on "Technology and Teams" she writes, "Recent research found that teens use IM to begin, maintain, and end romantic relationships (Lenhart, Madden, & Hitlin, 2005). These relationships—and the feelings that go along with them—are quite real. Categorizing IMing, emailing, podcasting, blogging, and the like as virtual suggests that these communication forms lack substance, impact, and meaning. Yet these messages produce actual effects. When we start thinking about what we do with various communication technologies rather than what they are, we're better able to use them in the best ways for group and team communication."

When I communicate using instant messaging, text messaging, and emails, the feelings and emotions I put into written word are genuine. Sometimes though, it is easier to send a quick text message than it is to verbalize something. I like sending text messages to family members and friends when I am going to be a few minutes late. Especially since the new law went into effect prohibiting cell phone usage during driving. (Don't worry, I only send texts when I am sitting at a red light.)

It's not always effective to use emails to communicate though, especially in a business setting. Words can be misconstrued and misunderstandings can arise making the work environment uneasy. For example, I dealt with someone at my last place of work that sent out very pragmatic emails that were on the verge of being rude. In person, this colleague was very nice and friendly. I'm not sure if it was her particular writing style but her emails did not reflect her personality. Sometimes I had to visit her cubicle to ask her for clarification on a particular email. And as was usually the case, she was better at verbalizing her thoughts than typing than out. I'm quite the opposite. I find it easier for me to express myself with written words than to articulate myself with spoken words. Being shy, I have had to work at being more vocal and expressing myself as an extrovert would, when I am actually an introvert.

Week 4, Web Lecture, Post 3: cell phones

In Professor Cyborg's web lecture, "Technology and Teams," she writes that "In less than a decade, cell phones have gone from a search-for-a-signal tech-toy for the wealthy to the most pervasive mobile computing platform on the planet."

I remember using pay phones and land lines as primary modes of communication throughout my childhood and teenage years. In fact, I didn't get a cell phone until I moved away for college. My parents actually still have their very first cell phone. It's about 4 inches long and 4 inches wide with a pull out antennae.

On a side tangent: For those of you who have seen "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion," remember the scene where Romy says, "If anyone needs to make a call, I have a phone"? She pulls out a large cell phone from her bag. And remember Zach Morris's giant phone from "Saved By the Bell"? Classic.

Anyway, in addition to pay phones and landlines, beepers or pagers were very popular. I had a clear blue one and loved getting messages on it. It made me feel connected. Today I am able to keep in touch with my family and friends through text messages, email and instant messaging. I've never been much of a phone talker so being able to send out quick hello's on my blackberry is great. Being able to use applications on my phone has been a lifesaver and although I don't feel lost without it, I do enjoy the comfort of knowing that I can look up movie times, directions, etc. with the touch of a button.

Week 4, Chapter 8, Post 2: Virtual Teams

The textbook defines virtual teams on page 241 as, "groups of people who work together across time and space," mentioning that there are still kinks to be worked out in virtual team engagement such as (page 242) "language barriers and differences in cultures, religions, work customs and work habits."

The last company that I worked for had a headquarters in San Diego and several branches throughout the US as well as a branch overseas where the executive members were located. These executive members were the main stakeholders in the company and the top tier of the company hierarchy. Any requests that came from these stakeholders was top priority and it didn't matter the time of day or the time constraint with which the projects were to be delivered, their requests HAD to be completed above all others. Due to the time differences, team members who had company blackberries received emails at all hours of the day and sometimes had to work late into the night to complete deliverables for a time zone that was twelve hours ahead. This wasn't always the case but you can imagine the stress having to put together something today that was due yesterday, literally.

Education-wise, I have found that virtual learning suits me much better than a physical type classroom setting. I love having the flexibility of being able to learn in the comfort of my own home and find that virtual classrooms don't have the distractions I might face in brick and mortar classrooms. Since the groups that I interact with our professors and other students, I find that any barriers in cultures or religions are not an issue, although language barriers might ensue for students who are not native English speakers. Different work habits and customs are handled by each student individually so that they are able to learn at their own pace and still complete assignments in a timely manner. The only complaint I have with being a distance education student is my discomfort in not being able to interact with school staff face-to-face when it comes to my resolving any issues I have with my paperwork or account.

Week 4, Chapter 7, Post 1: Authenticity

Wow, this chapter was great and there were so many terms I wanted to write about but I will focus on one, and that is authenticity (page 200). The textbook defines authenticity as "being real and honest in how we live and work with others." And that, "...contemporary ideas of authenticity focus much more on the ethics and consistency of one's behaviors."

I'll admit that one of my guiltiest pleasures is watching reality television. What makes reality shows a hit, earning top viewer ratings, is behavior that is obnoxious, shocking or dramatic. Take the show Bridezillas, for example. Cameras follow brides-to-be as they embark on their journey of planning for their big day. The brides are shown attacking their family members, their fiance, their maids-of honor, and basically anyone who gets in the way of what she wants, no matter how ridiculous her demands are. Having not been married yet, I can only imagine how stressful it is to plan one's wedding, especially on a budget. I can only hope that when my big day arrives, that I will be able to respect others for their hard work and not completely flip my lid. I'm sure that outside of the show, these brides are pleasant human beings (to an extent perhaps) but it seems that when the cameras are rolling, their behavior becomes outrageous. Is it for show? Or does the pressure to have a perfect day equate to a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome?

If the brides are putting on a show for "show's sake", are they being inathentic? Or are cameras merely capturing the worst part of their personality and editing makes these women look like monsters? Some of the brides may argue that since it is their big day, everyone should cater to them and their requests. And that their behavior is justified for x, y and z reasons. Since these brides are "being real and honest" with their emotions, but being inconsistent with their ethics and behavior, what does that say about the authenticity of their true selves and their tv selves?

Some cute photos of C & B

Week 3, Web Lecture, Post 4: Hegemony

In Professor Cyborg's Web Lecture on Theory, Metaphors, and Organization, she discusses Hegemony, which "refers to the dominance of one group over another, and the construction of power relationship such as those who are oppressed accept and contribute to their oppression."

I'm not sure if this is a good example of hegemony but what came to mind when I read this is what I saw at my last two jobs. The top echelon of upper management is the dominant group which presides over everyone else in the organization. This elite group decides how the company functions and its structure. It's an exclusive club whose membership is reserved for those with a high ranking title. The inferior group (aka everyone else) is the group that is being oppressed by the dominant group. The oppressed group of staff, employees, etc. are told what to do, how to do it and given limited power to execute their jobs. Since the oppressed group do not hold VP, CEO, CIO etc. titles, they unknowingly contribute to their oppression by following orders that rain down from a chain of commands. They accept that what the dominant group decides is in the best interest of the company (since that have more to lose) and accept their oppressed roles by following the dominant groups needs and demands.

Week 3, Web Lecture, Post 3: Workplace Surveillance

In Professor Cyborg's web lecture on Theory, Metaphors and Organizations, she discusses Workplace Surveillance. I mentioned in a previous post that large black orbs attached to the ceilings possibly encased cameras that were used (if they existed) to monitor workplace activity at my last job. In regards to employee computer monitoring, I'm sure the company's IT department had the capability of doing so. I remember a new hire once asking me if it was okay that she uses the internet to check her personal email since she was a volunteer for a non-work related organization in which she needed to be able to promptly respond. I said I didn't see why not as long as it didn't interfer with her work projects. She mentioned something about internet usage monitoring and I assured her that as long as she wasn't sitting there reading tabloid news for 8 hours a day, no one would care that she kept her personal email open to check her inbox periodically.

For a year before I got my first corporate job, I was assigned to a lot of temp positions that involved data entry or other assignments that had computer access. I was always told at the beginning of my first day that internet usage was monitored and the company was not hesitant to terminate someone for inappropriate internet usage or prolonged internet usage for personal or entertainment purposes. I didn't know if this was true or not but I never felt the need to upset the powers that be by pushing my luck with internet usage.

Blackberries were the norm at my last job; everyone had one as they were company issued. People were allowed to keep their cell phone number and have access to company emails. I didn't need one because my job didn't require that I have one but I thought that if I ever had the chance to get a company Blackberry, I would pass. Since the company paid the phone bill on these phones, they would also get records of every call made as well as the possibility of text message access. It wasn't that I was doing anything suspicious or criminal that made me paranoid about having the company see my phone records, it was the fact that they COULD see my phone records that I thought was intrusive.

Week 3, Chapter 6, Post 2: Surveillance and Panopticon

Week 3, Chapter 6, Post 2: Surveillance and Panopticon (page 179)

In the textbook, surveillance is described as "constant supervision." And panopticon, is a the design of a prison by Jeremy Bentham which housed guards and inmates in such a manner that guards could watch inmates but the inmates never knew if they were being watched.

Going back to my work experience, the area that housed the Marketing department of the last company where I worked, had large black half circles of glass attached to the ceilings that possibly encased cameras, similar to the ones you would find in a Vegas casino. These dark glass fixtures were definitely noticeable and in our area, there were three visible ones. I can't remember if I saw these fixtures throughout the building but I'm sure they were there. To the top right of my cubicle was one and out of the corner of my eye, I could always see it.

During my first few months on the job, someone mentioned to me that he had once asked a someone in upper management about the black fixtures on the ceiling and was told that there wasn't a camera in them and if there were, that no one was monitoring them. I found that strange and didn't know if this was true or not. I don't know if other people felt uncomfortable with the fixtures and no one ever said anything about them. People went about their day and no one ever went out of their way not to be directly under one.

Perhaps the fixtures were installed with cameras to monitor work productivity, or perhaps they were installed without cameras to give the illusion of a modern power system. The only times the fixtures bothered me was when I would eat lunch at my desk. I sometimes chuckled at the poor soul who had to watch me eat, that is, if someone was watching at all.

Week 3, Chapter 5, Post 1: Organizational Culture

Week 3, Chapter 5, Post 1: Organizational Culture

Organizational Culture (page 127), "stands for the actions, ways of thinking, practices, stories, and artifacts that characterize a particular organization."

There were several things that came to mind while I was reading Chapter 5. The first being a series of commercials about meetings. (I can't remember the name of the company behind the commercials at the moment.) In the commercials, people strategize around a high-pressure, time sensitive situation about what steps need to be taken and in what order. Basically, the commercials make fun of companies that have incessant, needless meetings. One commercial in particular shows a man slowly sinking into quicksand. The man's colleagues stand around him and begin an assessment of the situation, talking about meetings and what to talk about in the meetings and a meeting to schedule the meeting, all the while, this man is sinking deeper and deeper into the quicksand.

These commericals always make me chuckle because I could relate to them. The last company I worked for had a culture of meetings. Everything that revolved around anything was first discussed in meetings and sometimes these meetings would evolve into more and more meetings. Often times, what was said in the meetings was a rehash of an email or conference call and sometimes the meetings were just to discuss what would be talked about in a series of meetings that would take place over the course of a project. There were so many meetings that at one point, the VP of our team asked me to do some research on meeting management and efficiency. The irony is that we later had a meeting with the team to discuss ways of having more productive meetings. Nothing really came from this meeting about meetings as meetings were the way things functioned at this company. (Say THAT three times fast!) No projects were ever started without a meeting. No projects ever progressed without a meeting. And no projects were ever completed without a meeting.

Week 2, Chapter 4, Post 4: Feedback

Chapter 4, Post 4: Feedback (page 109)

Personally, I love feedback. Whether good or bad, feedback gives me the chance to grow and do better. My last two managers had different styles of managing. Manager A was very hands-on and personable. She loved to tell stories and was caring and compassionate. She was great about giving credit where credit was due. We didn't have weekly meetings but I always received feedback from her. Manager B was more hands-off. She was often out of the office on business trips or out for family obligations. We would have weekly meetings to discuss on-going and future projects. Anytime I asked for feedback, she would say I was doing a great job. That's nice to hear but I felt like I couldn't grow as a person and career-wise if I didn't have feedback on how I could improve. I would hear from a colleague though, that our manager was highly critical of her and only gave her negative feedback. Instead of making my colleague want to become better at her job, she felt like she was being personally attacked. So, I guess feedback works differently for everyone.

Week 2, Chapter 4, Post 3: Coopetition

Chapter 4, Post 3: Coopetition (page 106)

At the last place I worked, the culture of the company was that each department functioned as a cyclone. The departments would come together to work on projects but each department functioned very much on its own. It was as if the departments were competing against each other. I would hear my colleagues come back after a meeting and say, x, y, z department is being secretive about x, y, z project... From what I understand, the departments functioned this way because people wanted to be the one to get the credit for the project. If someone was first to come up with an idea, upper management would then promote this person or this person would be the first to be considered for new projects. So, instead of sharing information to further along the project, people would implement stall tactics or request data from other groups without disclosing how far along they were in the project or how they came up with their data. Not a great or efficient way to work on a project.

Week 2, Chapter 3, Post 2: Problematic

Chapter 3, Post 2: Problematic

The authors of the textbook write on page 64, "Finally, we write this chapter knowing that the story itself will be problematic: Our account asks more questions that it can answer, and the answers it does provide are based on what is currently known rather than on all that could be known."

I'm not sure why, but when I read this section on theories being problematic, I thought of "The Secret." The Secret is based on successful historical figures that were able to achieve great successes by visualizing and with positive thinking. It shows us how to apply these theories to our lives today in order to achieve our dreams and aspirations.

The DVD has inspirational messages from philosophers, lecturers, etc. recounting their own personal account with utilizing the theories presented. Their success is inspirational and each has their own way of presenting the material but maintaining the integrity of the overall message.

One particular person on the DVD said that The Secret is like electricity. We don't know how electricity works, we just know that it does and we should view the message of The Secret in the same light. Regardless of our faith or religious belief, we can look towards the Universe to help us fulfill our dreams. We may not know how it works and may have questions that can't tangibly be answered, but we can only answer with what we know and this makes the theories presented in The Secret a problematic theory.

Week 2, Chapter 3, Post 1: Partisan

Chapter 3: "Theories Are Partisan" (page 63)

The authors of the book write on page 63, "The history of organizational communication typically emphasizes the interpretations of dominate white males in Western culture, with little attention given to how members of oppressed, marginalized, or subjugated groups like women and minorities would tell the story."

This particular sentence resonates with me because I am a minority and a woman. I remember in elementary school how out of place I felt when my teachers tried to make references to American past times in order to give us students a visual to tie in with lectures. Growing up with immigrant parents, I didn't have the same childhood experiences as some of my classmates. My parents didn't take me to baseball or football games, to rock concerts, to theme parks, etc. and I didn't grow up with parents that listened to American music so I didn't know who the more iconic music artists were. When it came to history lessons about past wars, it felt awkward being from a country involved in a highly controversial war. I knew that many Americans had fought and died in this particular war and that it was a particularly bitter one for the American people as protests ensued and war veterans returned home in a state of post-traumatic stress. I almost felt like others viewed me as an enemy.

As an adult in college, I took a Women's Studies class and it was then that I realized and understood why I felt the way I did in elementary school. The history lessons and other subject lectures had been through the perspective of the white male. Through no fault of my teachers and professors, this is the way textbooks had been written and this is the way it was taught at the time. For a class assignment, I attended a play at SDSU. (I can't remember the title of the play at the moment). The play's time setting is in the 40's when women had very limited rights. During that time period, wives were expected to put on a smile for their husbands while the husbands treated them essentially like a child. I bring up this play because I watched it with my boyfriend. Our interpretations of the play were completely different. I tried to express my viewpoint as best as I could from the stance of a female and as a student taking a women's studies course. He explained his viewpoint through the perspective of a male and as an observer of the play that has not taken a women's studies course.

The authors mention partisanship being present in the workplace. I have encountered experiences in which a colleague recounts a meeting she had with our boss and then later hearing the boss recounting her meeting with my colleague. They were both talking about the same project but they were approaching the project with their own agenda at hand. They both had something to gain from the project and would collaborate on it but the manner in which the projects were described to me were different, if that makes sense.

Work Story

A few months back, I attended a resume workshop where I learned a new term, "in transition." "In transition" people are those seeking jobs and are currently without one. So, when people ask what you do for a living, you say, "I'm in transition." And then you give a 15 second "elevator speech" which is basically your way of marketing yourself and letting others know what job opportunities are of interest to you. So, I'm in transition...

My last job was providing research to internal clients for an electronics company. I was part of the company's market research team which was under the corporate marketing umbrella. It was a great contract position and I learned a lot. Sadly, the company underwent massive layoffs and any attempts to make my position a permanent one were null.

Previous to that, I worked two years for a different company in accounts receivables. This was my first corporate job. I've also worked as a filer, data entry clerk, receptionist and had short lived careers in retail.

It's been a trying process keeping my sanity intact during this recession. My most recent interview was the worst one that I have experienced so far. Within five minutes of the interview, the hiring manager answered his cell phone and proceeded to hold a conversation with the other person on the line. My first urge was to tell the hiring manager that I was no longer interested in the position and walk out, but I didn't. I would use the experience to become a stronger interviewee.

I sat through another phone conversation, inappropriate personal questions about how I was "surviving" without a job, personal attacks about the length of time between now and my last job and basically felt like I was trying to convince the hiring manager that the statistics I was spewing about the unemployment rate were not made up numbers. Needless to say, I didn't get the position.

Hello

Hi! These are my girls, Chanel and Baby. Chanel is a siamese/ other mix and Baby is a siamese/ calico/ white/ other mix. Chanel is a very mellow, prim and proper lady that is a great cuddle-bunny. Baby is a ball of energy and loves to lay on her back so she can see the world upside down. She's also an expert fetcher. (I'll see if I can upload a video of her playing fetch.)

Well, this is my blog for COMM 144. Nice to meet you all and here's to a great summer semester.