Is Blogging For Everyone--Is It For You?

Blogging is one of the newer communication technologies that are becoming more prominent in the business and private sector.  There are specific components used in the creation and development of good, professional blogs.  These components must be determined before actually constructing the blog.  In addition, there are some factors that are inherent in an effective blog.  Such factors are:

1)   The headline must be an attention-getter

2)   Visuals or details enhance the headline

3)   The theme of the heading is expanded by leading paragraphs

4)   The layout can be easily scanned visually

5)   The information is in a logical sequence

6)   It is persuasive

7)   It is interesting

8)   It is believable

9)   It requests some action ( Rowse, 2008).

Purpose, design, content and audience are elements necessary for a productive blog.  Why—you might ask?

          First off, there must be purpose.  Purpose answers the question “why”.  What is the need for the blog?  The word blog comes from two other words web and log.  Essentially, it means logging information via the web.  Therefore it can be ascertained that the purpose of a blog is to distribute information (usually in a chronological format) on a regular basis via the internet.  The opportunity to voice one’s concerns and viewpoints as well as share other information that is relative to the subject content is afforded.  In return, the opportunity to receive feedback and comments from others that view the blog is available.  This adds objectivity to the blog and welcomes both positive and negative responses from the readers.

          The design or format of the blog is derived from the purpose, meaning the purpose dictates how the blog will be structured.  For instance, if the blog’s purpose is to reach preschoolers, then the design element will incorporate colors, sounds, fonts, etc., that is attractive to preschoolers.   Creativity is central to the personalization of the blog.  Additionally, having the correct design will enhance the overall effectiveness of the blog.

          Content speaks to the substance of the blog.  What is the message one wants to convey on the blog and how does one want to accomplish this?  Using the above scenario of a blog designed for preschoolers, the content will include lots of bright colors with music and perhaps animation.  The elements grasp the attention of children in that age bracket.   Also, there will be links to other sites that are similar in nature.

          Lastly is audience.  It is impossible to effectively design a blog without knowing who your target audience is.  As stated earlier, these elements will be determined prior to developing the blog.  This can be done in part by visiting other sites that have similar content.  Also the audience determines the content.  The blog will need to contain information, graphics or visuals that will appeal to the specific audience.  This makes the blog more engaging and productive—meaning it accomplishes the task for which it was designed.

          At the beginning of this class, I created a blog.  Initially, I did not consider these elements due to the lack of knowledge of their importance.  Since then, I have been revising, editing and updating my blog to reflect a polished, professional piece of communication technology.

 

The purpose of my blog is to engage the readers’ interest in the benefit of de-stressing and relaxation while blogging.  Globally, we are spending increasing amounts of time and energy online.  As a result, we incur additional stress and mental fatigue.  This can lead to problematic issues that are health related.  To combat this, my blog is designed to entice on to relax through imagery and sounds and thought-provoking words.

The design includes the relaxing colors of the greens and browns—earth tones—in particular.  The imagery incorporates the idea of one walking through the woods enjoying the outdoors, with another one depicting the calm tranquility of a garden waterfall.  The image arrests the readers’ attention and invites them in.

The content is designed to promote contemplation, rumination, meditation, musing and pondering to indirectly promote a sense of calmness and relaxation.  Due to the structure of the learning environment, my content has included the assignments.  To improve my blog, I will incorporate more of these elements (including music—once I learn how to install it) as enhancements.  I will install links that are similar in nature to the purpose of my blog to add more substance and credibility to my blog.

My audience is the thousands of internet users across the globe that spends countless hours perusing the databases for one reason or another.  The target audience is the adults in corporate America and the global community.

          In conclusion, we recognize that blogging is a newer communication technology used in organizations and with individuals.  In communicating via blogs, one must recognize the characteristics of an effective blog and use them to encourage feedback from its readers.  Purpose, design, content and audience are key elements in developing a blog.  There is no right or wrong way to create a blog (Adeleke, 2011).  Blogs can be effective which causes readers to respond or ineffective which results in readers passing over them.   Have you blogged today?

References

Adeleke, L., (2011, February 11). “What Makes a Good Blog?” Unpublished

            article for Communication Studies at Ashford University (online).

Rowse, D., (2008, July 10). Nine Signs of an Effective Blog. Retrieved

 02/18/2011, from

 http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/07/10/nine-signs-of-an-effective-blog-post/

What on Earth Are You Blogging About!

                                      Have You Had Your Funny Today? If Not, Have Some of Mine.

In this day and age, we have bloggers for almost every topic under the sun.  It is interesting sometimes to just browse through the various categories and see what is being discussed.  While browsing, it is interesting to note the format, the layout as well as the content of the blog.  Do they captivate your attention?  Then do they maintain that interest with pertinent data?  What in particular is so compelling about the blog?  Are you stimulated to read on or take some other action?  If so, that means the blog is effective.  It is accomplishing its goal.  You are taking action as a result of something you read in the article.  This is what effective blogging is all about.  If you are not a blogger, why not give it a try?  You might find that that it has benefits that are worth taking the time to sit down and compose.  Even if you don't want to sit, you can blog on-the-go, with the latest electronic technologies, such as the Android cellphones and Ipads.  Give it a try, you might like it.   Denise

                                        

 SatanicNun. (January 24, 2007) "Funny Stickman Movie" by Funny Animation on YouTube Videos.

What Purpose Does Blogging Serve For You?

A Waterfall Does Just That--Allow The Water To Fall

What Makes a Good Blog?

In a two to five page paper, discuss your findings from the evaluation of your fellow students’ blogs.  Explain the components and elements required to develop and design an effective and visually appealing blog.  How will you incorporate this knowledge into your own blog?  Cite each of the blog websites that you evaluated in this Week’s Discussion assignment.

            We ask the question “why create a blog”?  The reasons can be as varied as the individuals creating them.  When creating a blog, it is important to determine in the beginning what the purpose is.  Knowing this helps one to stay on track while developing the format for the blog.  Objectives such as to inform, entertain and persuade are just some reasons for blogging.  Other reasons include to express opinions (Trenholm, 2008), advertise, educate or just gossip.  The bottom line is they serve some purpose or function.  Knowing the purpose or function helps to shape the layout of the blog’s format.

            There are some elements that one can expect to find in a blog, regardless of its purpose.  “They include an owner’s profile, graphics, pictures, feedback, links, archives, navigation bar, statistics, feeds, labels and subscription links, to name a few” (Adeleke, 2011).  Additionally, a blog can incorporate the same elements that are found in other types of electronic media.  Namely, real-time data, marketing and public relations information, graphics and other visuals, links to other sites, photos, owner’s profile, a place for customer feedback, e-newsletters, archives, rss and custom feeds and also advertisement (Lannon, 2008).  Again, the content is dependent upon the purpose of the blog.

            A good blog will arrest the reader’s attention with the title or a captivating phrase.  Furthermore, it compels them to read on by the attractive layout and design.  The skillful use of colors and fonts and graphics further enhances the overall appearance of the blog.  It gives meaningful information in a pleasing format and provides links to other relative sites.  A successful blog will allow for comments and feedback, while being objective in its presentation.

            I had the opportunity to evaluate a number of blogs this week and my findings were interesting.  I learned that there are always ways in which to improve the effectiveness of a blog.  I also learned that in thinking like this helps me to view my blog with a critical eye and objectively critique it.   Skill, experience and creativity are key components to keep in mind while successfully revising and improving a blog. 

For instance, one blog I reviewed http://www.bdd-divaclub.blogspot.com/ by Traci Fields.  It was very effective in its design layout, format, tone, content and was very appropriate for its audience.  As stated earlier, there are always ways to improve if we look with a critical eye.  In this case, I suggested the use of interactive characters which would take the blog up another notch.  Her response led me to believe that she had not considered this option before.

Another blog I surveyed was http://christopher-bennett.blogspot.com/ by Christopher Bennett.  Chris’s blog was impressive in that it conveyed a professional tone throughout.  The colors, fonts and graphics selected worked together to produce a harmonious effect.   One thing that appeared lacking was the use of more “eye-appeal”.  The air of somberness and formality pervaded the presentation.  My suggestion to rectify this was to add more elements, such as a video, photos or perhaps clip art.  This would relax the rigidity of the formal tone of the blog.  A good blog can be professional and exciting at the same time.  It is all in the mind of the creator.

Finally, the last blog I critiqued was http://speakitliveitloveit.blogspot.com/ by Rosemary Austin.  I feel a special connection to this blogger because we are cut from the same cloth.  We are both writers and have a love for words.  The bold, energetic title is aggressive and the color format for the background and fonts are stimulating and work well together.  With so much to say, the words would be enhanced with more graphics, pictures, photos or even clip art.  Additionally, exploring the various gadgets available can promote this blog to the next level.

Critiquing others’ blogs has given me insight into the necessity of objectivity and creativity.  There is no “wrong” or “right” way to format a blog.  There are fundamental elements that must be included for a blog to be effective and productive, but how one goes about accomplishing that is up to the blog creator.  As a result of this experience, I can experiment with the array of other gadgets, colors, fonts, formats, links, feeds, etc. to enhance my final product.  Also I can continually improve and update my blog for maximum efficiency.  What makes a good blog?  Freely using these elements to meet the need of the purpose of the blog with continual evolution is a good starting place.

References

Adeleke, L. (2011). Article “Why Create a Blog?” Retrieved on 02/11/2011.

Austin, R. (2011). Blog “http://speakitliveitloveit.blogspot.com/”. Retrieved on 02/11/2011.

Bennett, C. (2011). Blog “http://christopher-bennett.blogspot.com/”. Retrieved on 02/11/2011.

Fields, T. (2011). Blog “http://www.bdd-divaclub.blogspot.com/”. Retrieved on 02/11/2011.

Lannon, J. M., (2008). Technical communication. (11^th ed.). Boston: Pearson Longman.

Online Dating Cartoon. (2009 ). 576 X 483 . 55kB . jpeg.  http://www.webdonuts.com/2009/09/online-

              dating/. Retrieved on 02/14/2011
.
Richlovsky, P. (03/25/2008). "Blogging Tips From an Expert Blogger - Social Media/Web 2.0 @

              www.fathomseo.com. Retrieved online on 02/14/2011.

Trenholm, S., (2008). Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human

 communication. (5^th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

How Would You Want Bad News Delivered To You?

Delivering Bad News

            Being able to effectively deliver bad news is an unpleasant but very necessary part of the job of the management staff.  But with skill and tact, it can be done in a professional manner with a satisfactory outcome.  It is imperative that the employee understand that there must be immediate improvement or he will be looking for employment elsewhere.

If I had an employee that was performing at a sub-standard level and has generated complaints from both co-workers and customers, I would handle it immediately.  Initially I would send him an email to announce a meeting I had scheduled between us.  My primary objective is to be direct and inform him of the bad news and offer rationale and options.  I anticipate a confrontational attitude with denials, temper flare-ups and maybe some blame-assigning. 

I want to begin with a neutral tone, and proceed by explaining the bad news.  I will reassure him (when the situation arises) that the allegations have been validated.  Then I will present the problem and offer alternatives and finally end on a positive note (Roebuck, 2006).  Prior to the meeting I would have investigated the situation to determine if the employee was indeed guilty of the accusations. I would have reviewed his file to track his progress since joining our staff.   I would have made note of his strengths/weaknesses to point out in the meeting as a way of showing my support.    

In the meeting, I would first make sure he knows why he is there and what he is accused of.  I would support the allegations with proof, without naming names of course.  I would stress the fact that this is a “team-effort” and that the success of the team depends on every member doing his share.  I would point out that his confrontational behavior has precipitated a hostile work environment that casts a negative image with co-workers as well as customers.  This in itself allows for “plan failure” which is unacceptable.

After I have “laid the cards on the table” I would allow him to agree with or refute the allegations.  I would listen actively by giving him feedback and paraphrasing.  I would enquire as to whether he has experienced changes in his personal life that have affected him to the extent that he’s carried it into his professional life.  I would offer help from the company through our Employee Assistance Program that’s been developed for such cases.

It is important to emphasize that since he has been an asset to the team since he began two years ago, I would hate to lose him.  However, I could not allow him to continue in his present activities.  He has a choice to either get help and resolve his problem immediately and once again be a positive, thriving member of the team, or he can look elsewhere for employment.  Because of our size, we cannot allow one member to fall short, it affects the productivity of the entire organization.  I will have him to commit in writing one choice or the other.

Below is a link to a PowerPoint presentation of how to deliver bad news effectively.  In this slide, the author emphasizes objectives of the meeting as well as patterns for reaching these goals.  In order to “soften the blow” so the employee won’t feel as if he is being attacked personally, a buffer is used.  A buffer can help to restore damaged relations on the job.  What is being magnified is the lack of productivity in conjunction with the behavior that is not conducive to a healthy work environment.  Finally, the slide is finished on a positive note that ensures work relationships are still intact.  Click on the link to review the slide.

http://deliverbadnews.wordpress.com/powerpoint/

Even though delivering bad news is distasteful and can be uncomfortable, it is very necessary.  It can be done with tact and firmness to achieve the desired results.  Letting an employee know you are concerned about their well-being personally goes a long way to maintain trust and openness when delivering bad news.  Encourage feedback from the employee and offer alternatives to dismissal.  Then end the meeting on a positive note.  

“Delivering Bad News” (n. d.). A Power Point presentation  online by WordPress.  Retrieved on

 02/06/2011.  http://deliverbadnews.wordpress.com/powerpoint/ 

"How To Deliver Bad News". Leila's House of Corrections.  (03/09/2009). Retrieved on

02/07/2011 from YouTube Videos online.

Roebuck, D. B., (2006). Improving business communication skills. (4^th ed.). Upper Saddle River

            Pearson Prentiss Hall. 

(This is a work in progress, so there are many imperfections.  I am unable to properly adjust the margins in my reference for "How to Deliver Bad News).

The Tactics You Employ to Handle Your Conflict Says a Lot About You

Recall a situation in which you were a participant or observer during which a verbal conflict escalated.  Briefly describe the situation, and discuss which conflict resolution techniques you did use or could have used to resolve or de-escalate the conflict.  Be specific in the methods you choose and explain why you selected the method and its effect.  Respond to at least two of your fellow classmates’ postings.
 

For many people, avoidance is the preferred method of dealing with conflict, but it is not the best practice (EthicsScoreboard, 2007).  It can be a harrowing, intimidating experience, but it is a debt we owe to society and to ourselves to confront and deal with issues that are conflicting in nature.  It is easier to walk away or try to ignore an offensive issue, but what is the message your actions are delivering to others and yourself when you do that?  There are many ways we can deal with conflict.

A situation I encountered a few weeks ago happened when a friend and I were out shopping.  We decided to purchase a multi-pak item and split the cost.  Since she paid for it, I was going to reimburse her later.  When later came, we were at the gas station and at the time I did not have cash on me.  As she was getting her cash together to go inside and pay for her gas, I started to look for my credit card so she could put the amount I owed her on it.

I do not like being indebted to people, whether it is a small amount or even if it is a friend or business associate.  To my surprise, she declined to use the credit card.  This represented conflict emergence (Brahm, 2003). She said no I don’t want your card, you can give me cash.  I was baffled and did not understand.  At this point, to me the conflict was escalating and my actions would determine how far it would go.  She said it in a pleasant manner while smiling the entire time.  This made me unsure of whether she was serious or not.  I wasn’t sure how to respond.

I kept weighing the situation mentally trying to understand her actions.  I was somewhat offended and perplexed.  I wanted to pay her back immediately so I would not have to deal with it another day.  In my mind, I could see the situation going to the next level (conflict escalation) (Brahm, 2003).  I did not want to go there because I was reminded of several times when took quite a while to repay me.  I did not want to be guilty of doing that to her.  So I had to get a mental grasp on the situation.

I decided to keep the issue in context and not let it go any further.  When she got back into the car, I confessed that I did not have enough cash with me, but I wanted to pay my debt immediately.  I stated that was the reason for offering to pay it with my credit card for the gas.  But since she preferred not to use my credit card, I would have to wait until I had the cash and I would reimburse her for what she paid for my items.  She replied that was okay and she did not have a problem waiting for it.  I sighed with relief that the situation was not compounded, but at the same time I still felt torn.

The conflict resolution technique I used to resolve the situation was the S-TLC approach (stop, think, listen, communicate) coupled with collaboration (Cahn & Abigail, 2007).  When I recognized the potential for conflict, I had to stop (from jumping to conclusions or responding hastily and irrationally).  Then I thought about the issue and listened to what she was actually saying (as opposed to what I was hearing in my head).  Then I decided to explain (communicate) my action (why I was offering to use the credit card to repay her).  Afterwards, I was glad the situation was resolved without further misunderstandings.

Collaboration (involving cooperation, collective action and mutual assistance) (Cahn & Abigail, 2007) is a combined effort to arrive at a solution that is satisfying to all participants. She communicated her desires and I acquiesced with a convenient timeframe. It was diffused with minimal effort and represented a win—win outcome.   Denise

Cahn, D., Abigail, R. A. (2007). Managing conflict through communication. (3^rd

 ed.) Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Retrieved online on 2/2/2011. http://www.ethicsscoreboard.com/list/confrontation.html

Retrieved online on 2/2/2011.  http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/conflict_stages/