Hello,
The two discussion posts below will need to be responded to, each with a different response. I will also post the original questions that the discussion posts are referring to. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Original question: Consider these questions:
How does the new info impact you?
How will you use the new information?
What value does this have for you?
Now, briefly describe and evaluate a group communication experience from this past week. Use the theories and concepts from chapter 4 to frame your analysis. For example, you may want to explicitly compare/contrast the experience with the “5 Guidelines for Sending Messages Effectively” or situate the experience within the “3 Levels of interaction” or any number of other options that make sense to you.
Post One: I found the information from this week was very informative. I like to think that I effectively communicate; however, after reading all of the material from this week, I realize that different individuals receive information different. What works for one, may not work for all. In addition, the more individuals there are in a group the more lines of communication there are open, which in turn may make things more complicated if everyone is not on the same page. For example, a group of four individuals consists of twelve interactions. In a group it can become very important how one sends and receives messages, asking for feedback is an important part of this process. Receivers decode the message sent by the sender and interpret its meaning (Johnson & Johnson, 2013). The value this information has to me, is I am going to be more mindful of not only trying to ensure that my messages are clear and concise, but that they are also complete and encourage cohesiveness. I will also make sure that I am more aware of asking for feedback to ensure that all group members have interpreted the message as it was intended.
At my job I am an executive director. Underneath me, I have house manager, one director, and entry level staff. Every morning, the house managers, director and I have morning huddles. Bi-weekly I also am a part of the senior admin meeting, which consists of the senior admin, along with the C-suite members. Over the past few weeks, my huddles have not been very productive, and morale has seemed to be lower. I attribute a lot of this to one group member, who has been there longer than most of the other group members and is particularly negative. Members of the executive team have also grown increasingly frustrated at this one group members reactiveness to certain situations and the negative repercussions it sometimes holds for us as an agency. This week, I took a different approach in trying to address this individual in efforts to better serve the team. I should note that this individual is located much farther away than the rest of the agency, so I understand some of his frustrations.
This week I decided to hold a meeting with that individual, myself, and our HR director. I wanted to ensure that not only was I understanding what he was trying to communicate, but that he understood the agencies values and missions and to ensure that the tasks that I gave to him, were in fact being interpreted correctly and completed. In preparation for this meeting, I wanted to make sure that when I did meet with him that I was clearly owning my messages by using singular pronouns. I also wanted to establish my credibility, make my messages complete and specific, as well as was aware of my body language and the nonverbal message that could be perceived. In addition, I also made sure I was redundant so that the same message was conveyed more than once, so it really sunk in (Johnson & Johnson, 2013). I started off the meeting by working with that individual to set goals for the new year. Once we both himself and I set some goals for the year, I got to the point about the negativity and attitude. I stated “I noticed a shift in your attitude and behavior, and it is negatively impacting the staff, the growth, and activity in your area and with the upcoming growth and expansion for 2023, I think this is a hood idea that we address this now. I highlighted the area in which he was performing poorly or underperforming. I also made sure to note what he was doing right. After I got done going through all of this, I asked for his thoughts on what I listed and anything he would like to share. I made sure to take notes and when he shared paraphrased to make sure I interpreted his meanings and his intentions correctly. A groups engagement style can be conceptualized in three phases which consists of preparation, action engagement, and reflection (London & Sessa, 2007). I was actually very nervous to address this but knew I had to because of the rest of the group dynamic. I was actually pleasantly surprised. It appeared that he understood, had more concrete goals, and recognized where he could improve upon. Moving forward i will try to be more transparent and be more direct even with difficult conversations.
Post Two: Chapter 4 of “Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills” discusses group communication, interaction analysis, and communication influences. As a manager and as someone who works with a larger team, it is significantly valuable to understand how to effectively communicate with others. I often send emails, make phone calls, and attend meetings to do my work. Applying good communication skills is a necessary asset to have in any career. Our readings helped provide insight to how to improve these soft skills.
This past week, I observed how the communication in my weekly work meeting was influenced and impacted by a remote environment. The authors, Johnson and Johnson, explore how physical influences can facilitate or hinder communication. For my Zoom meetings, there is lack of a shared physical environment. When a team member does not turn their camera on, it takes away from nonverbal communication. According to the reading, one of the criteria for sending a message effectively is to be congruent with your verbal and nonverbal messages. A staff member had their camera off and shared how their weekend went. Without being able to see their face, it was difficult to interpret if they enjoyed their weekend or not. Another criteria of effective communication is giving and receiving feedback. It is valuable to see your colleagues’ reactions because it helps provide some validation or confirmation of understanding, such as a smile or a head nod. I explained a new system and I noticed one of my team members had a confused look on their face. For this example, the nonverbal communication prompted me to clarify on my explanation. As a result, we encourage our staff to have their cameras on so we are able to establish better communication and connection within the group.
Johnson and Johnson discuss how seating arrangements can impact communication as well. People who sit at the head of the table typically tend to command more authority and influence over the group. However, in my Zoom meeting, we are all given an equally-sized square where we can easily make eye contact with everyone in the meeting. Chapter 4 articulates that easy eye contact increases interactions, friendliness, and cooperativeness within a group. I appreciate that it does not favor one “seat” over the other and we can have face-to-face conversations with everyone. I appreciated being able to see my colleagues, even if it was through Zoom, because it made me feel more connected to them in comparison to if they had their cameras off.
