While reading chapter fifteen I thought about how communication is changing and how that change is affecting groups. The big one that the book talks about is technology. We can see that technology is changing and becoming more advanced every single day. I believe that technology makes communication in a group easy and more versatile. Groups can meet together using teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and interactive computer conferencing. Using these forms of communication allows people to hold meetings while everyone is in different locations. This helps with costs of traveling to meetings and also many inconveniences that people may have with meetings. I know that many people don't like relying on technology especially for important meetings, but these forms of communication can be very reliable with the right equipment. I have been involved in a few teleconferences and I really like how I can talk with people who are from all over the US at the same time without traveling to a meeting. I use interactive computer conferencing every single day to talk to my boyfriend in Europe and it is really a great form of communication for us. I also used videoconferencing in high school when I took a class via ITV (Instructional television). Without that form of communication, I wouldn't have been able to take calculus because we had no teacher capable of teaching it from my high school.
**Have you used any form of teleconferencing, videoconferencing, or interactive computer conferencing? If so, what did you like/dislike about it?
Establishing a leader is very important in groups and organizations. Leaders serve many purposes in a group. They can be mediators, discussion starters, planners, etc. Leaders posses strong qualities that help them to excel in their position. They are usually disciplined, good communicators, have integrity, are honest, dedicated, responsible, fair, and assertive. Leaders help to keep a meeting flowing smoothly. They also guide or direct the group towards their goals. Throughout my life I have been the leader of a few different groups and the job is not easy. There were many things that I did as a leader that people were not happy with. I often had to overcome many obstacles to help get our goals accomplished. However, being a leader has definitely made me all around a better person.
**Have you ever been a leader of some group? What were the challenges you faced?
I have been a leader for a few different groups and organizations on and off campus. Some of the challenges I encountered was trying to resolve conflict between members. Another thing that was difficult was getting everyone to participate in the group. One person felt like they were doing more work than another person. To get this figured out we talked as a group to see how we could resolve the issue. In the end, it worked out and everyone had an equal part in the group.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement that establishing a leader is very important in groups and organization. Being a leader (president) of a group SADD, I have dealt with several challenges. A challenge that I encountered was having everyone agree with situations. It is hard for the group as a whole to agree upon what is right and wrong. Another challenge was trying to deal with conflicts between group members. i would have to intervene with what is being conflicted and make sure everyone works together.
ReplyDeleteI have been the leader of a few groups mostly because I am the only one who steps up to take charge. The main problem I have is always making everyone opinions heard and being open to new ideas. I also have the issue of keeping everyone on task. We are often distracted by little things. Eventually we get it all done. I am not a big fan of group projects because I would rather work by myself because I can get everything done without having to argue with other people.
ReplyDeleteI used to always Skype with friends and family from my hometown. I liked the fact that I could actually see the person I was talking to, but I disliked the fact that the connection was always slow and a little bit blurry. There was always a two second delay on our conversation. I prefer to text or talk via my cell phone which still is a form of teleconferencing.
ReplyDeleteAs a counselor for a kids' summer camp I had the opportunity to be a leader for 18 young kids. It was a lot of fun to hang out and get to know the children but at the same time I found it really difficult to control them near the end of the week. They became more and more relaxed as the week went on so they started misbehaving more and more. The greatest challenge was keeping their attention and respect so that I could keep them under control.
ReplyDeleteyou are very right, It is amazing how much technology has become a part of communication. I have had teleconferences with a manager and a nurse from work before to talk about certain residents and how they have been doing when i work with them. I think this helps my employers out a lot and makes it a lot easier to communicate when more than one person has questions for employees. I also have had three-way phone calls with my grandparents which is so very helpful to talk to them both at the same time!
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