Professional Communication Organizations

There are many professional organizations for one to join within the communciations industry. I took the liberty of reviewing a few of these websites. Based on the information provided, would you as a communications professional be inspired to join? Why or why not?

 

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA

According to the PRSA website (2012), “PRSA is a community of more than 21,000 public relations and communications professionals across the United States, from recent college graduates to the leaders of the world’s largest multinational firms. Our members represent nearly every practice area and professional and academic setting within the public relations field. In addition, there are more than 10,000 students who are members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at colleges and universities here and abroad.”

International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
http://www.iabc.com/

According to the IABC website (2012), “The International Association of Business Communicators provides a professional network of about 15,000 business communication professionals in over 80 countries.”

Women in Communications
http://www.womcom.org/AWC-Home.asp

The Women in Communication website (2012) states, “The Association of Women in Communication is a professional organization that champions the advancement of women across all communications disciplines by recognizing excellence, promoting leadership and positioning its members at the forefront of the evolving communications era. Disciplines represented within the association include: print and broadcast journalism, television and radio production, film, advertising, public relations, marketing, graphic design, multi-media design, and photography. The list is continually growing as the profession expands into the newer media.”

American Federation of TV and Radio Artists
http://www.aftra.org/home.htm

According to the AFTRA website (2012), “SAG-AFTRA brings together two great American labor unions: Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. We are actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, dj’s, news writers, news directors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals. Our work is seen and heard in theaters, on television and radio, sound recordings, the internet, games, mobile devices, home video: you see us and hear us on all media distribution platforms. We are the faces and the voices that entertain and inform America and the world. SAG-AFTRA is committed to organizing all work done under our jurisdictions; negotiating the best wages, working conditions, and health and pension benefits; preserving and expanding members’ work opportunities; vigorously enforcing our contracts; and protecting members against unauthorized use of their work.”

National Association of Black Journalists
http://www.nabj.org

The NABJ website (2012) states, “The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of journalists, students and media-related professionals that provides quality programs and services to and advocates on behalf of black journalists worldwide. NABJ holds an annual convention and career fair each summer with dozens of plenary sessions and workshops for professional development. The NABJ Media Institute provides professional development and technical training for black journalists at venues across the country.

National Association of Broadcasters
http://www.nab.org

The National Association of Broadcasters website (2012) states, NAB “is the voice for the nation's radio and television broadcasters. As the premier trade association for broadcasters, NAB advances the interests of our members in federal government, industry and public affairs; improves the quality and profitability of broadcasting; encourages content and technology innovation; and spotlights the important and unique ways stations serve their communities.  NAB delivers value to our members through advocacy, education and innovation.”

 

 

Delivering Bad News Tactfully and Effectively

My assignment this week is to respond to the following scenario:

“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 have 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.”

This is certainly a difficult situation for any department manager. This situation has to be approached cautiously because the employee has already displayed signs of confrontational behavior. Therefore, the employee will more than likely become defensive the very moment a meeting is requested. In order to feel like I am not singling the employee out, I would send out a group e-mail, notifying each team member that individual “coaching” meetings will be set up to discuss individual performances (current standings), team performances, quality assurance, and individual performance goals.

Prior to my meeting with this particular employee I would gather all information that I have received from both customers and co-worker’s regarding their performance. I would then gather all work documentation and reports. These documentations and reports will clearly demonstrate the employee has fallen below the guidelines set forth by the company. I would also bring to the meeting a copy of the job description as explained and reviewed upon the employees hire. I feel it is imperative to have supporting documentation when speaking with an employee regarding performance concerns. My preference would to be to meet with this employee towards the end of the work day, so that they may have the opportunity to reflect on the information have received. Many times people tend to not work well, or even worse if a meeting has not gone in their favor. Meetings held at the end of the business day can eliminate any additional disruption to the workday.

I would first begin the meeting with the any positive contributions that the employee has made. But then be very open and honest about the performance and behavior. After reviewing the information with the employee and providing them with the ultimatum, I anticipate the employee will not respond well and will respond in a defensive manner both verbally and non-verbally. As a manager, it is imperative to remain professional and calm at all times. One of the best communication and conflict resolution techniques that I have come across has been the S-TLC System. The system teaches us to stop, think, listen, and communicate. Let’s take a closer looker at the S-TLC System:

Stop. Do not say anything or allow yourself to become upset, which may allow you to lose control. Take a moment to calm down and control your emotions. Controlling your emotions will stop you from doing or saying anything that you will regret later or make the situation worse.  

Think. It’s always best to think before you act! Think and consider not only what concerns you, but what also concerns the other parties involved.

Listen. Before you say anything, listen to what the other person has to say. According to Cahn and Abigail (2012), it is believed that “the ability to truly hear what the other person is saying is as important as what we say in a conflict.”

Communicate. Decide the best way of communication and make it happen! Remember to be open, honest, and understanding.

The S-TLC System allows the manager to take control of the meeting and offer any assistance to the employee as needed. Communicating bad news is never easy and must be done in a tactful manner. As a manager, I would express my desire to want to see the employee succeed, especially with them having a few years of service with the company, however in order for both company and the employee to succeed some things will need to change, immediately. I would explain to the employee now that everything has been laid out on the table for them, it’s up to them what the outcome will be. I would ensure that as a manager I am available to assist when needed but can no longer accept the performance and behavior that is currently being displayed.

Reference: Cahn, D.D. & Abigail, R.A. (2011). Managing Conflict Through Communication. 4th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. Boston, MA.

 

Facebook

Webopedia (2012) defines ‘Facebook’ as, “The name of a social networking site (SNS) that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, post photos, share links and exchange other information. Facebook users can see only the profiles of confirmed friends and the people in their networks.” As an avid Facebook user, I enjoy being able to connect with family and friends, almost daily. This contact would probably not occur if Facebook did not exist. Being able to join and create and groups are a great addition to the site. Also the events page is a great tool that allows you to invites a few or your entire friend’s list to an event. Facebook is very personable. Within each member's personal profile you can view their “wall” and share videos and photos. One can create a photo album simple by uploading pictures from their computer or cell phone. There is also a chat room for instant communication with friends or groups in which you are a member. Being a private person, Facebook offers a range of privacy options. You can make your communications visible to everyone, you can block specific connections or you can keep your communications private. Members can choose whether or not to be searchable, decide which parts of their profile are public, decide what not to put in their newsfeed and determine exactly who can see their posts. Facebook also has a message feature, which is much like email for those who desire to communicate privately. Due to privacy concerns and issues that have resolved around the use of Facebook, I only accept friend request from those persons I know and keep all information private and available to those on my friend list only.

Facebook. (2012). Webopedia.com. Retrieved December 2, 2012 from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/Facebook.html

Instant Messaging

Webopedia (2012) defines ‘instant messaging’ as, “a type of communications service that enables you to create a kind of private chat room with another individual in order to communicate in real time over the Internet, analagous to a telephone conversation but using text-based, not voice-based, communication. Typically, the instant messaging system alerts you whenever somebody on your private list is online. You can then initiate a chat session with that particular individual.” Some people may prefer to communicate via email, but sometimes even e-mail isn't fast enough. You might not know if a person you want to e-mail is near their computer or device at that very moment. Also, when you're e-mailing back and forth with someone, you usually have to click through a few steps. This is why instant messaging has become so popular and much more convenient for immediate messages. With instant messaging, you can keep a list of people you interact with most often. You can instant message with anyone on your contact list as long as that person is online. One you type messages to each other into a small window that message will show up on both of your screens. However, this is not the only feature that instant messaging provides. You can also create chat rooms with friends and co-workers, share links to websites, play sound, share files directly with friends, and it also provides mobile capabilities so that you may send instant messages from your mobile device. I personally am a huge promoter of instant messaging. For me it takes the place of emails when I need to get a quick message to someone. Many times sending an email can go hours without it being read, but instant message allows for immediate contact and response. Although I use it to connect with friends, I use it mostly at work to get quick answers or provide quick information.

Instant Messaging. (2012). Webopedia.com. Retrieved December 2, 2012 from

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/instant_messaging.html

Electronic Mail (E-mail)

Webopedia (2012) defines ‘e-mail’ as, “Short for electronic mail, the transmission of messages over communications networks. The messages can be notes entered from the keyboard or electronic files stored on disk.” Personally, email is a tool that was I utilize often. Although I have personal email accounts, most of my emails are related to work purposes. There are so many benefits when using email. Regardless if you are communicating with an individual or group there is no word limit. There is also the capability of attaching documents, sound files, graphic images, and other non-text files. Like with any form of communication, email has both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are its global, easy to use, fast, inexpensive, easy to prioritize and reference, and provides leverage. The disadvantages are can provide information overload, can lack personal touch, create misunderstandings and emotional responses, has the ability to be too long, creates spam, and as the ability to obtain a virus on your computer. Although e-mail is a great tool, in some cases it should not replace oral communication. Babcock states in his article ‘Weaknesses of Email Communication’ (2012) that “It’s easier to ignore an e-mail than it is spoken conversation. E-mail makes it very easy to “tune out” messages that you just don’t feel like dealing with at present. A fair portion of e-mail is completely ignored. If you really need to get a message across, and need to be sure that it is received, pay a visit or pick up the phone. E-mail “conversations” often require days of back-and-forth whereas only a few spoken minutes would probably achieve at least as good a result. If you want to make sure that your conversation is documented and associated with a time, send out a quick e-mail summary of the conversation.”

E-Mail. (2012). Webopedia.com. Retrieved December 3, 2012 from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/e_mail.html

Text Messaging

Let’s take a look at text messaging. Webopedia (2012) defines ‘text messaging’ as, “Sending short text messages to a device such as a cellular phone, PDA or pager. Text messaging is used for messages that are no longer than a few hundred characters. The term is usually applied to messaging that takes place between two or more mobile devices.” Text message also limits the use of the proper English language. As more and more people send text messages to each other, they are increasingly using acronyms, chat acronyms, shorthand, and smileys. Although the use of acronyms, chat acronyms, shorthand, and smileys are acceptable for text messaging, I found that people, especially teenager tend to carry that over into communication areas outside of text messaging. Text messaging is one of the most utilized forms of communication today. Everywhere you turn, people are texting. People text at school, work, church, in the movie theatre, and even while enjoying dinner with their family. Text messaging seems to have become a way of life for people of all ages. Personally, I have notice that people will text in order to avoid oral communication and see it as a means to convey their information without having to have a physical conversation. Because of the popular use of texting messaging, it has been blamed for tragic ending because texting and driving. Many States are no banning the use of texting while driving, in an effort to control the use of this technology. Text messaging is a great combination of technology and communication, but as with anything it should be used wisely.

Text Messaging. (2012). Webopedia.com. Retrieved December 2, 2012 from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/text_messaging.html