Journal week #5 – Originator Jeff

What I already knew about this week’s PCOMM…

1. Key Performance Indicators… heard of them

2. Reports aren’t “fun”.

3. Rain is cool but not every weekend.

What I still wonder about this week’s material…

I wonder if I’m going to pass this class with a decent grade… I guess now that Marc messed up and showed us his email address and phone number we all have a little leverage:)

My “thought for the day” …

Being a Network Security dude, I have to think about all kinds of ways someone could hack into a network. As it turns out, the biggest security breach is the staff. Here’s a little story that happened to me to help prove my point. (Primary or secondary evidence? :)

Not too long ago I was in a Starbucks having a nice cup of coffee, I really enjoy coffee. It was dim and quiet, except for one guy on his cell, chatting it up in what my mom would call his "outside voice." Apparently, his wife's a jerk and so is his girlfriend, he's got prostate trouble, and he's made some bad investments... thanks for sharing.

Then, "Hold on, I've got another call." OMG! He yaps for a minute with the new caller and then says the words that sent me scrambling for a pen.

"Take my number and call me back tomorrow" …so I did.

Me: Hey, whatchadoin'?
Him: Nothin'. (Long pause) Who is this?
Me: The guy sitting in the coffee shop with you last night.
Him: How did you get this number?
Me: Dude, what don't I know about you....

I think its bizarre how people get so paranoid about personal privacy except when they talk on their cell phones in public. I mean, this guy told the whole Starbucks coffee shop (and most likely the people in the parking lot) about some very personal stuff… he had no idea. I’m sure if the person on the other line was his banker he would have also given his account information including his PIN number as well.

Journal week #4 – Originator Jeff

What I already knew about this week’s PCOMM…

I thought building a resume and cover letter would be an easy topic. I thought I knew a lot about the topic. I guess what I’m saying is I didn’t know much about this weeks PCOMM.

What I still wonder about this week’s material…

I still have some issues with being able to write a one page resume. It just doesn’t seem to be enough information for someone to be able to make a quality decision. I guess when I’m done I’ll see if I’m correct or not.

Also, why is it important to know ones “weaknesses and threats” when writing a resume? I don’t think sharing those with a potential employer, especially before they have a chance to meet with you in person, is a great idea. Strengths and opportunities yes.

For example, advertising my weakness with people. Say I have a tendency to sometimes snap and loose it all over the office if I don’t get my way. Kicking and screaming as I’m getting dragged out of the office by building security, spray painting “Vengeance is mine says Jeff!” all over the bosses car, forgetting that signing graffiti on the bosses car is a bad idea..… not that I have this problem. I’m just saying, it may not be a good idea to disclose this kind of weakness if I’d like an interview … Just as an example of course.

What I learned this week…

I’ve never really thought about putting myself in employer’s shoes while writing my resume. I think it’s interesting how Marc tied it all together with last week’s material and the “empathy” stuff.

Also, that no matter how prepared or confident one feels before and after the midterm concerning what they know, it may not be enough.

My contribution this week…

I helped an unsaid couple with an unsaid document that apparently helped out a bit in some unsaid instance.

Journal week #3 -- Responding Post by Eddie

What I already knew­
Due to there was only one class this week and pretty much materials that covered. So I did the review with the stuffs Marc posted in order to have a clue on what lecture would be taking about.

What I still wonder­
Summarizing is a tough one for what we learn this week. I have difficult on changing the word from the original article because of my low vocabulary. For the context of a business letter, I still need to work on it with how to define the writing style that need to be used for different readers.

What I learned­
As I said before, there is many materials this week, like business letter format, relationship system, summary, etc. I learned a lot from the lecture. For example, I never knew that there is any difference between summary and abstract which now are very clear to me. Also DISR and 10 summary writing steps helped me knowing how a good summary should be done.

How I participated­
On Wednesdays class, Marc asked us to define the meaning of value for being a student and then let us get into groups who had the similar understanding of it. In this part, I learned that the thought for one word or one thing can be different as the situation changed. And at the end of class, we were summarizing an article, then comparing it with partners. It was good to know
the different ideas from other people which could help me knowing the part I didn’t think of. However, I forgot to print the reading we were supposing to analyze with.

Journal week #3 – Originator Jeff

What I already knew about this week’s PCOMM…
I knew there were several meanings to the word “value” pending on the perspective of the person saying it… but it’s still fun to hear them all.

What I still wonder about this week’s material…
Marc has some odd speaking friends, I still haven’t figured out what “…forgive my maniac in the brainiac” and “Ah my papa” really means.

What I learned this week…
a. How being a good observer is so important. I’ve always enjoyed Dr. Hannibal Lecter for his powers of Observation and Persuasion, of course not his taste for liver but… nobody’s perfect right.

b. The importance of the “:” as apposed to the “,” in an opening to a document addressing someone… something like “anal retentiveness” keeps coming to mind as well, not sure why:)

c. Two things I learned this week that will be very handy for writing are Basic 6 and DISR, if I can actually remember to think about them while I’m writing. They will also be handy, I’m sure, to remember for the Midterm on Wednesday.

d. I also leaned about Summarizing articles, good stuff… that’s my summery.

Again, setting up my wife as my prime test subject and Marc as the reason for doing it, I started summarizing everything. When ever I was asked “How do you feel about”… and “What did you do today?”, I summarized like a mad man.
I’m having a hard time understanding the relationship between business communication and actual relationships because that worked out to be yet another strike in my wife’s eyes against Marc? Odd:)

My contribution this week…
Due to only having one class this week, so the contribution level was lower. I tried to fight the dead air urge to “blab” in class so other people could speak as well instead of just having to listen to me all the time… worked alright:).
Is that a negative contribution though?

Journal week #2 – Originator Jeff

What I already knew about this week’s PCOMM…

I remember reading a book a long while back called “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie, I think that book changed my life. Pretty much had all the same topics except from a different angle… it was from the angle of how to treat people as apposed to how to “influence” them…maybe there is no difference?

Either way, all good to know stuff

What I still wonder about this week’s material…

What is the difference between Influence and Persuasion? (Is there a difference… I don’t see a difference :))
I also wonder how exactly I can use my new abilities for evil as Mark was saying. I spent the night trying to persuade my wife that she should do all the housework while I just watch the tube… using all the proper “you” phrases and even, at one point, pulled out the “Strategies of Persuasion” chapter so I wouldn’t forget to use every advantage at my disposal. I used everything, 1 through 11... even number 3 (Given credibility) stating myself as being the “man” of the house and used “Acquired credibility” using Marks name saying “Mark said you should do all the house chores”. Didn’t work… In fact, I’m now doing more now then I did before.

Maybe I should reread the chapter.

What I learned this week…

I learned that if you’re going to do an oral presentation on “Organization”, the first thing you should be is organized. I didn’t enjoy being the example of what it means to be disorganized, although, if we had more time… Mark… 

My contribution this week…

I think I did a lot of talking this week, maybe too much. Maybe it’s a bad thing… but I don’t like “dead air” so I’ll just blab whatever out to fill up the silence.

Journal Week #1 - Originator Eddie

1. What I already knew about that week’s Com material

This week was generally talking about the outline of this course which is really helpful for me. I never knew that before I actually came to this class and learned that this course is about communications between people and most importantly applying it in business.

2. What I still wonder about that week’s Com material

I am totally new with this course, so I will do my best to understand what professor teaches in class and try to participate in all the activities about this course. For me, I didn't talk much in class before because all the other courses you just need to listen to the professors' lecture and write down all the notes on the board, barely you need to talk about it. As I didn't really take ESL courses before, I really like this course of its English environment.


3. What I learned that week about the material or my relationship to the material

Before this class, I never knew that .pdf format is so important in business. I thought MS word is wildly used by all the companies which I was wrong. I think I could learn more and more useful stuffs with professor and my classmates. I am looking forward about that.


4. How I participated in-class and/or via WebCT to positively contribute to the learning environment in our class

All of us were asking to do an interview about our partners in front of the class. Even through it only took like 2-3 minutes, I was nervous there. I think I am lack of communication skills, such as I have no idea what should I talk about when I meet a strange person, especially in English. I am hoping I can make more native students or students not from my country so that I can practice my oral speaking.