My Study of Communications

          Communication can mean many different things to many different people. The definition I like comes from the book, Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human communication. In the text it states, “communication is a process of acting on information” (Trenholm, 2008, p. 20). Although, it is a broad definition, I prefer to see it this way, as to not limit myself from any form of communication. However we receive information, whether it is from a person or a computer, we take in that information and decide what to do with it or how to respond.
            Since I am in the training industry, it will be beneficial for me, in my professional life, to have a thorough understanding of communication. Being a trainer can mean a number of different things. A training specialist may focus on training one specific skill or they may be a jack of all trades. One thing is usually certain with a career in training and development; a trainer will almost always work with adults. Because of this, it is important for a trainer to have exceptional communication skills.
            My motivation for studying communications is to make me a more well rounded person. I deal with many obstacles at work, people who have never used a computer before and will now have to chart on one. Or I may have to train a class where a language barrier is present. My goal is to be the best trainer I can be. Any insight I can gain on how to communicate through the obstacles, as well as the good times, will help me advance in my careers goals, as well as communicate more effectively in my personal life.

References

Trenholm, S. (2008) Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human communication (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education

Organizations available to Communication Professionals

As the time draws close for graduation, many communication students wonder what resources are available to us after graduation. I have researched and outlined 5 organizations for communication professionals below.

The Association for Women in Communications: This professional organization is geared towards women who hold positions within the communication industry. Such disciplines include print and broadcast journalism, television and radio production, film, advertising, public relations, marketing, graphic design, multi-media design, and photography. Being part of this organization will allow you to stay current within the industry, pursue new job leads through their job board, and take advantage of partner savings (www.womcom.org).

The American Communication Association: This organization was founded in 1993 and “is a not-for-profit virtual professional association with actual presence in the world of communication scholars and practitioners. ACA is committed to enabling the effective use of new and evolving communication technologies to facilitate instruction, research, and criticism” (“About ACA,” 2010, para.1). This organizations target audience is students and professionals in the industry.

National Communication Association: This organization is focused towards scholars, teachers, and practitioners. “The National Communication Association advances communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific and aesthetic inquiry” (“NCA’s Mission,” n.d., para. 1). Benefits of joining this organization are the many resources available on their website, as well as in print. They also have a career center online, where you can perform a job search as well.

Society for Technical Communication: This organization understands the importance of technical communications and wants to support how large the field has grown. “Technical communicators have become an asset to many companies with their understanding of technical processes, as well as their ability to communicate information in a clear and usable way to different groups, from consumers to end users” (“The Value,” 2010, para.2). Their target audience includes students and professionals within the industry. Membership benefits include electronic subscriptions to their publications, networking with peers, use of their logo, and ability to perform a job search through their online career center.

Public Relations Society of America: This is a large organization, which focuses on the professional development of public relation specialists. “PRSA provides professional development, sets standards of excellence, and upholds principles of ethics for its members and, more broadly, the multi-billion dollar global public relations profession” (“About PRSA,” 2010, para.1). Their target audience is PR professionals with experience in the industry, but they do accept full time graduate students working towards a degree in Public Relations. Benefits of joining this organization include, staying current in your field, networking with peers, and having the option to access the career center.

References:

About ACA. (2010). The American Communication Association Website. Retrieved November 11, 2010 from http://www.americancomm.org/about/

About PRSA. (2010). Public Relations Society of America Website. Retrieved November 11, 2010 from http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/?utm_source=prsa_website&utm_medium=masthead&utm_campaign=about_prsa_nav

NCA’s Mission. (n.d.). National Communication Association Website. Retrieved November 11, 2010 from http://www.natcom.org/Default.aspx?id=46

The Value. (2010). Society for Technical Communications Website. Retrieved November 11, 2010 from http://www.stc.org/story/

www.womcom.org (2010). Women in Communication Website. Retrieved November 11, 2010 from http://www.womcom.org/

 

What Kind of Job Can a Communications Major Apply For?

Possible careers for Communications Studies Major:

Technical Writer - Technical writing is taking all that material or jargon and putting it into language that the user can understand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that “technical writers, also called technical communicators, put technical information into easily understandable language” (“Occupational Outlook,” 2010, para.1). The job outlook for technical writers is good because the number of occupations that need explanations of “electronic and scientific products” are increasing. Employers look for technical writers that have bachelor’s degrees, “often preferring those with a major in communications, journalism, or English” (“Occupational Outlook,” 2010, para. 9). The median annual wages for technical writers is about $60,000 per year.

Public Relation Specialists - Public relations is a collaboration of influence, organization, rules, community interest, open communication, persuasiveness, and conflict resolution coming together for the betterment of something. Public relations, in addition to journalistic writing have “many components, ranging from counseling to issues management and special events” (Cameron, Wilcox, Reber, & Shin, 2008, p. 10). Public relations specialists write to inform and persuade; they are writing in the best interest of their employer. “Many entry-level public relations specialists have a college degree in public relations, journalism, marketing, or communication” (“Occupational Outlook, 2010, para.11). Because of living in the global village and all the new social medias, jobs in PR are expected in continue to grow extremely fast. “Keen competition will continue for entry-level public relations jobs, as the number of qualified applicants is expected to exceed the number of job openings” (“Occupational Outlook,” 2010, para. 27). The middle yearly salary is about $51,000.

Training and Development Specialists - Training specialists, usually under the direction of Human Resource departments, plans, organizes, coordinates and conducts training and educational programs for employees. Sometimes this entails orientation for new employees, or, but certainly not limited to, skills and / or customer service training for seasoned employees. Training specialists have a wide range of duties and often spend time helping employees prepare for their jobs. A trainer often has to create and present material so it is important to have superior communication skills, both verbal and written. Since the majority of the job consists of talking to groups of people a trainer must be comfortable with public speaking.

Although a bachelor’s degree is a typical path of entry into these occupations, many colleges and universities do not offer programs in personnel administration,  human resources, or labor relations until the graduate degree level. However, many offer individual courses in these subjects at the undergraduate level in addition to concentrations in human resources administration or human resources   management, training and development, organizational development, and compensation and benefits” (“Occupational Outlook,” 2010, para. 27).

Job outlook is good for those individuals who have graduated from college and earned certification within human resources and / or training and development. The average yearly salary for training specialists is around $51,000.

Radio Broadcasting (Producers) – Producers “plan and develop live or taped productions, determining how the show will look and sound, They select the script, talent, sets, props, lighting, and other production elements” (“Occupational Outlook, 2010, para.20). A new job that is developing within this field is Web site or Internet Producers, who “plan and develop Internet sites that provide news updates, program schedules, and information about popular shows” (“Occupational Outlook,” 2010, para.20). Entry-level jobs in production are beginning to require a college degree (related majors are communications and journalism). “Individuals pursuing a career in broadcasting often gain their experience through work at college radio and television stations or through internships at professional stations” (“Occupational Outlook,” 2010, para.43). The outlook for this job is not good because the competition for jobs in this market is high. Also, many radio stations are consolidating their stations, with the need for less staff. The median hourly wage for producers is about $28.00.

 Journalists – “investigate leads and news tips, look at documents, observe events at the scene, and interview people (“Occupational Outlook,” 2010, para. 3). Once they have all that information gathered they complied all their material, figure out the purpose and focus of their story, and write it. The majority of employers will hire individuals with bachelor’s degree in journalism or mass communications and experience writing for a school newspaper is helpful. A decline is expected in this job market, mostly because of companies consolidating in the publishing and broadcasting industry. “Job opportunities will be best for applicants in the expanding world of new media, such as online newspapers or magazines” (“Occupational Outlook,” 2010, para. 24). The middle yearly salary for a journalist is about $35,000.

References

Cameron, G. T., Wilcox, D. L., Reber, B. H., & Shin, J. (2008). Public relations today: Managing competition and conflict. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc

Occupational Outlook.(2010). Retrieved November 3, 2010, from U.S. Department of Labor Web site: http://www.bls.gov

 

Case Study: Delivering Bad News Tactfully and Effectively

Case Study: “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.”

           

           Delivering bad or emotional news can be a hard job for anyone to have to do. Managers often find themselves “stuck” in this position and wonder, “what is the best way to give this news?” Ultimately, the ideal way to handle ourselves in any situation would be to use confrontation as a communication style. Confrontation is the “conflict process in which the parties call attention to problems or issues and express their feelings, beliefs, and wants to one another” (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 96).

            Being able to effectively confront someone is not something we are born with. It is something we have to practice at. Cahn and Abigail (2007) put together a list of six steps for successful conflict resolution (p.97). The first step is “preparation: identify your problems / needs / issues” (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 97). This is the most important step where you will be asking yourself questions about the problem (what is my goal, what do I want, etc.). “Imagining yourself acting competently in the conflict situation is most likely to result in competent behavior” (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 98). In this particular situation, the goal is delivering an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.

            The next step is actually telling the person it is time to talk; also pick a time and place appropriate for the topic and not to wait too long (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 99). In our case study, since the employee has been known to create hostile environments, a “neutral” office or conference room, with HR present, would be the best option for a meeting. When it is time for your meeting, you can inform the employee of his / her customer service issues and substandard level of service. “This is the stage where assertiveness plays an important role because you call attention to a problem or issue and give voice to your wants, interests, or needs” (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 99). During your meeting, make sure you think about the other person’s point of view. It is important to be assertive, but it is also important to respect the other person and take their thoughts and feelings into consideration. The employee may state that they need more training or given they employee’s past behaviors, he / she may get upset upon hearing the ultimatum. However, it is crucial to “hear” the employee out.

           

           

There are four skills for responding. You can rephrase. Another way of responding is simply to ask the other person what he or she means. Or you can provide a possible reason for the statement and see if it is correct. Finally, you can use an unfinished question and let the person fill in the rest. In responding, you need to try to keep your temper under control. Act; don’t react. You do not have to accept what the other person says if it is incorrect (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 103). 

            Once you listen to the other person’s point of view, you can move on and resolve the problem. “An important step in resolving or managing conflict is coming to a mutual understanding and reaching an agreement” (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 104). Sometimes, it may be a simple request and other times it may require a little more work but the important thing is that you try it and know that you can reevaluate it and rework it as needed.

            The last step is to follow up on the solution. “The entire confrontation process does not stop with an understanding, agreement, or resolution; it ends only after successful performance over time, which is determined (and more likely guaranteed) by a review at a later date” (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 104). You have to make sure that you were successful in your efforts, if not, rework the arrangement, and try again. In, this case you deliver the ultimatum, and if it was accepted, both you and the employee know that after X amount of time; his / her performance issues will be reevaluated. If no improvement has been made, termination of his / her position will occur.

References

Cahn, D. D., and Abigail, R. A. (2007). Managing conflict through communication. Pearson            Education, Inc.

Cultural Diversity

Let’s face it, we live in a global village. Communications can be tricky and often our messages can be misconstrued. This can be even more difficult when there is a language barrier or countries separating you and your target audience. “The chances for contacts with people from other cultures have increased dramatically with changes in the workplace” (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). Hahn (2005) suggests that a person can successfully communicate across barriers as longs as they follow a few simple guidelines (Para. 8). He refers to them as the ten commandments of intercultural communication. One of Hahn’s suggestions is to “be aware of cultural context: people from certain cultures (called high-context cultures) rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental settings to convey meaning” (Hann, 2005, Para. 14). The United States prefers to concentrate on data and facts and their verbal and nonverbal language tends to be quick and succinct. Typically, this is referred to as low-context. “Great emphasis is placed on exact words, and receivers are expected to derive meaning primarily from the written or verbal statements, not from nonverbal behavior cues” (Cameron, Wilcox, Reber, & Shin, 2008, p.344). Body language is also very important. Nonverbal language is very important because it conveys how a person is feeling. “It can complement, regulate, substitute for, or accent a verbal message” (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). For example, it is not uncommon for people in Latin America to greet each other with a hug, in Argentina and Chile men and women will say hi with a kiss on the cheek (Cameron, Wilcox, Reber, & Shin, 2008, p.345).Whereas in the United States, nonverbal communication consists of solid handshakes, firm eye contact, and smiling. Another suggestion is to “be aware of decision making customs: not all people like to make decisions quickly and efficiently” (Hahn, 2005, Para. 12). The U.S. is definitely a task-orientated country and the importance of obtaining a concrete result is often stressed.

By studying other cultures, building relationships with them, and learning how to communicate effectively; we will “resolve misunderstandings, miscommunications, and mistrust” (Hybels & Weaver, 2007).

References:

Cameron, G. T., Wilcox, D. L., Reber, B. H., & Shin, J. (2008). Public relations today: Managing competition and conflict. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Hahn. Martin. (2005, December 30). Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication. Ezine @rticles. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten- Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247

Hybels, S., & Weaver, R. (2007). Communicating effectively. New York: Mc-Graw-Hill.

Media Technologies

There are so many ways to communicate with a person today. Sometimes the choices are overwhelming! We can "talk" to people through our computers and "watch" movies through our cell phones, the possibilities seem endless. Below, I have looked at four different media technologies and discuss their purpose and intended audience.

Emails are a widely used media technology. They are nice to use because of the prompt delivery of the message. “Emails have three distinct advantages: You can send one document to many individuals simultaneously, you have a written record for review, and you can transmit complex information” (Roebuck, 2006, p. 119). I like emails because it allows me to communicate with a person anytime and anywhere. Nowadays, emails are many people’s main source of communication or contact with each other. Businesses have them and people have them for personal use as well. I think we have finally reached the day where people can go without a landline (because we all have cell phones) but cannot go without an email address.

Twitter is a form of all those popular social networking sites. “Put simply, Twitter is social messaging. With the ability to follow people and have followers, and the ability to have interact with Twitter on your cell phone, Twitter has become the perfect social messaging tool” (Nations, n.d., Para.8). Once again, many people can use this for many different purposes. Businesses can use it to promote their products or the media may use it to update a news story, and of course, we regular people can use it just to say what we are doing on a Friday night. It can serve any purpose we want it to.

Hulu.com is “an online video service that offers a selection of hit shows, clips movies, and more at Hulu.com and numerous destination sites online and across four screens – PCs, TVs, mobile phones and tablets” (“Media Info,” n.d., Para.3). This is an awesome website where anyone can go online and catch past episodes of their favorite TV shows (however not all TV channels participate). The experience is even better because it is free, yay! This makes it nice for people who do not have cable or satellite TV. They do offer family friendly programming also, so this is geared toward anyone who is able to operate a computer.

SoftPhone “is a phone that allows you to talk using VoIP (voice over internet protocol) without necessarily having a physical phone set” (Unuth, n.d., Para.1). It is software application that allows you to use your computer as a phone. An example of a softphone is Skype. My company uses softphones; all of the employees have them installed on their desktops. A lot more families are choosing to use softphones instead of landlines as well.

References:

Media Info. (n.d.). Hulu.com Website Retrieved October 21, 2010 from http://www.hulu.com/about

Nations, D. (n.d.). What is twitter? About.com Website. Retrieved October 21, 2010 from http://webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/what-is-twitter.htm

Roebuck, D. B. (2006). Improving business communication skills (4th Ed.). Pearson Prentice HallUnuth, N. (n.d.). What is a softphone? About.com Website. Retrieved October 21, 2010 from http://voip.about.com/od/glossary/g/SoftphoneDef.htm

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog! I started this blog for a school assignment and I am looking forward to the journey it takes me on!