Jessica J's Email Formatting Movie Maker

Lauren N's Group Projects

We’ve all come into contact the dreadful group project. The professor assigns a few random people who probably don’t get along or have the same work ethic to create a fabulous project. There’s always someone who neglects their part making it difficult on everyone else or there’s the overachiever who does everything without the input of everyone else, making it their “individual” assignment. Whatever the case, we all must learn how to work together to produce the best possible product as group projects become more prevalent throughout many careers.

Here are some tips to make your next group project successful.

· Communicate – Everyone has a different schedule and different mindset. Understanding this will make everyone’s job a lot easier.

· Stay positive – No one works well under constant negative conditions. I’m all for constructive criticism but a hint of encouragement never hurt anyone.

· Set deadlines – If everyone is finishing their part on a set deadline, less stress is established which makes working conditions much comfortable.

Below is a video explaining some guidelines on how to be a great group member.



http://www.iamnext.com/academics/grouproject.html

Follow the Leader

Whether you are working on a large project at work or a group project at school it is always important to have a strong leader. Leaders are people who inspire others to work and get everyone to accomplish their tasks. Through my experience working in groups I have learned that without a reliable leader no one will accomplish their goals and the group will fail. I'm sure you have been in a group where the leader was not doing their job and the rest of the group became frustrated that nothing was getting accomplished. This is a major problem and becomes even more important when you enter the workforce. I know I want to be the best leader possible and I'm sure you do too so below I've included a few tips on how to become a good leader.

Respect- It is crucial that you earn the respect of the members in your group. If you are not respectful to your group mates they will not give you respect. If you do not have the respect of your group then they will not want to work or help you get tasks accomplished.

Confidence- If you plan on being a leader you will need to have confidence in what you are doing and gain the trust of your group. I know that if my group leader was not confident in what they were doing then I would not put in my best effort. However, if you know that your leader is leading the group in the right direction then you will try harder to help achieve your tasks.

Positive Energy- I recently read an article about arguably one of the greatest CEO's of all time, Jack Welch. "Leaders get into everyone's skin, exuding positive energy and optimism." Jack Welch is trying to say that leaders must be honest with their workers and guide them in the right direction. If this is done correctly than you will get the most out of your workers.

References:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Personal-Characteristics-Of-A-Good-Leader&id=59305

http://edbrenegar.typepad.com/leading_questions/2005/04/jack_welch_how_.html

C Brady's Writing Business Letters

Letters are very common in the workplace given they can address a multitude of issues. Issues addressed can range from simple requests to detailed descriptions and responses. They are typically a bit more formal in nature since the recipient is usually outside of the organization. The letter itself can vary structurally depending on whether the message is positive, negative, or persuasive. Hopefully this video will give better insight into composing an effective business letter. Enjoy!

Spellling and Grammer Misteaks

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Well my spell check isn't going to like this post but it will be fun, how many spelling and/or grammar mistakes can you find?

Many ears ago, befor modern educashun in the new millenium, one problem in skools was baseic speeling and grammer. To conbat this and rays acheivement, teechers were adviced to start at the very begining, at the yungest age. Ones they had managed to breath new life into leessons, progres came quicklie- sucess was then garanteed. How many speeling errors would modern skolars identify in this paragraph?
http://www.qna.rediff.com/questions-and-answers/

Now as you can see by these exaggerated mistakes, the idea still gets across however it makes the writer look very uneducated and does not set a good image for him. Good grammar and spelling is not only about getting your ideas to people but it is also a way to show that you are well educated and a credible person. And in the business world credibility is a very important attribute, because if people don't believe and trust you then you are not going to make it very far.

Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

This parody of conflict resolution shows, in a witty way, how a typical conflict in the workplace usually pans out.

Conflict in the workplace is not only common, it's inevitable. Therefore I feel that it is a great upper-hand

when one can learn and utilize conflict resolution to its full potential. Conflict in the workplace, is not necessarily always 

a problem. It can in many ways be beneficial to both parties in conflict, because the resolution should be an educational lesson for both.

It is many times the problem of resolving the conflict, which is when one side of the conflict might act irrational, and the 

conflict will stay unresolved.

When resolving a conflict is it very important to understand that there is something to be learned from it, regardless of

who is right and who is wrong. If you view the conflict in a learning experience manner, you will have an easier time staying unbiased

and keeping it off of a personal basis. I have found a couple of steps to follow, if you find yourself in an arising situation:

Step 1- Setting the tempo. You first must set the stage for the conflict to arise. This means stating any biases you might have and also 

making the perception that a mutual problem may arise. If this is the case, keep an open mind and "stand in the other person's shoes".

Step 2- Gather Information. Here is where you try to understand the motivations and goals deriving from the conflict. Also, this is where

you will see what the conflict is effecting and how much. It is important to try and keep things work related and leaving all personal feelings

aside. Listen to the opposing side with empathy, and establish that you respect his or her opinion. Throughout the conflict, it is also important to 

stay as flexible as possible and to clarify any feelings. 

Step 3- Agree on the problem. Though it might sound obvious, clearing up any foggy points or questions is very important in a conflict. It is essential

that the conflict be seen as the same on both sides, or else no agreeable solution will be found.

Step 4- Brainstorm Solutions. If everyone is going to feel satisfied with the resolution, it will help if everyone had somewhat of a fair input on the solution.

This will make it feel more of a "win" for that particular side.

Step 5-Negotiate a Solution. This stage may be done already, or take a real long time. This is why in this stage it is very important to be patient, calm, and respectful. 

After following these steps, you should have no trouble in detonating a conflict bomb that is ready to explode. Whenever I run into a conflict now, I always try and go 

in with a positive outlook. If you go into a conflict too aggressive, the other party will feel threatened, however too passive and the other party might not take you serious.

Lastly, to avoid any personal issues, keep the focus on the real issues, being courteous, and avoid  confrontation. Be an Active Listener!

deKrizia L's Writing a Presentation

Creating a presentation is very similar to writing a business document. No matter what we're writing we need to be prepared, acknowledge the use of visuals and have a goal for the report or the document being written.

Some people seem to be born great presenters, it seems they can talk about anything and not get nervous and they can make anything sound wonderful. I was never one of those people! In fact, I would get so nervous before presenting that I honestly didn't enjoy doing it. But after presenting so many times I have realized the tips mentioned in the video really help me stay calm which really sets the stage for a better presentation and gives me confidence that carries over to the next presentation.

The video talks about being prepared by writing the speech on paper or note cards. Remember that note cards are there to spark your memory about what to say next, they are not meant to have whole sentences that you're reading directly from because that takes the professionalism out of the presentation. Another part of being prepared means going over the presentation before you acutally present it so that you know exactly what to say and when to say it and you can catch any errors before it's too late.

The use of visuals can really make or break a presentation. It's so important to keep the audience involved. Giving them something to look at during the presentation can help them make connections to what you're saying in the presentations.

Another important part of a presentation is the goal. We should really set goals in most things we do whether it's writing a blog, business report or creating a presentation; these things are all done for a reason and it's important that we sit down and know what the reason is and what we want to accomplish by creating these documents.

Video from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct7dk5GLGsw