Technology Regarding our Project

Technology certainly made it easier for our group to complete our project. First and foremost this was our primary form of communication between each other. We emailed each other to alert each other to deadlines and to transfer and swap pieces of our project. We also exchanged emails between our group and the women from Mauldin to arrange meetings and exchange information. We also used computers to actually piece together our presentation. Whether it was writing a cover letter, typing up a proposal or redesigning a poster computers were used in all of these processes. Withough technology, it is not that this project would have been impossible, it just would have taken a considerable amount of time more to complete. Also, it may not have been done to the standard that our group was able to accomplish.

Ethical Lapses

After discussing that incredible world war two letter regarding the treatment and disposal of human beings in class my eyes have really been opened as to how language and word choice can affect the meaning and interpretations of things. Although the content of the letter was atrocious I think the author actually did a very good job at masking the inhumanities of which he was writing about by using certain phrases and word choices. We discussed in class that this author probably wrote the letter like this because he did not necessarily agree with what he was writing about. Perhaps the subject itself made him uncomfortable and because of this he really avoided the upsetting parts of it. I think that a good underlying principle to take out of this letter is that although you may not always enjoy what you are doing or agree with it there is always a level of professionalism that should be maintained and that even if you don't enjoy it there is always a way to do it and do it well. Also, wording is everything.

Miscommunication in a Work Setting

I have been lifeguarding since I was 15. Through time I was able to work my way up through the ranks to headguard/assistant manager. Recently, as in this past summer, I was telling one of the guards that in 45 minutes it would be okay to move down from 3 lifeguards on duty to two. For whatever reason this was mistaken as 15 minutes. Following his next shift he told one of the guards that they were on break now and that we were going to two guards. Not ten minutes later a mother came to the lifeguard office complaining that there was not an adequate amount of guards on duty. Confused I looked out side and saw only two guards even though there was supposed to be three for another two shifts. Angry at first I asked the guard why he was not on chair and he said that I told the previous guard that we were to go to two. I am not sure where the miscommunication was in this situation. I guess it was as simple as someone mishearing someone else however heaven forbid if there had been an incident it would have been my fault. Sometimes miscommunications are unavoidable. Even if you tell someone something, have them write it down and write it down for them they may still not understand clearly and not do what is expected to be done. I think to avoid these situations as much as possible people need to make sure that they speak clearly and maybe even have the person that they are speaking to reiterate what they have just heard back to them. Like I said it is impossible to completely avoid every miscommunication however there are steps that can be taken to ensure that very few happen.