This blog is called My So Called Crazy Life, but so far all I have posted are assignments from class. Not so exciting, huh? I have tried to post a profile but it keeps telling me that there is an error and will not let me add information.  After about the 6th try in 4 weeks, I have given up. 
Unfortunately, it is hard enough for me to keep up with my 4 kids, work, school and life in general.  I am going to be so happy when I am finally done with classes and able to get back to a somewhat normal life (if that is at all possible).  Normal really has never been in my vocabulary, starting during my childhood.
I will learn what I am doing on this, hopefully before this class is finished.  I can't say if it is something that I would continue, but we will see.

Week 3 Assignment

     There are many ways that managers can handle their employees.  They need to be careful about how they handle situations so that they do not escalate, or that they do not say the wrong thing that could possible get the company sued.

     The most important rule when discussing a problem with an employee is to make sure that you do not do it in front of other people.  It should be done behind closed doors so that nobody is embarrassed or uncomfortable.

     When it comes to actual communication techniques, there are many to keep in mind.  One very important behavioral technique is to “focus on the problem not the person: (pbs.org).  Often times, managers may form opinions of their employees based on what they hear.  Opinions need to be kept out of situations like this.  An important negotiation technique is to “listen without interrupting; ask for feedback if needed to assure a clear understanding of the issue” (pbs.org).  There is always two sides to every story.  For example, the employee many not have received the proper training to be able to perform his/her job accurately.

     Another good technique is “don’t view the situation as a competition where one has to win and the other has to lose. Work toward a solution where both parties have some of their needs met” (pbs.org).  A manager does not need to go in thinking that he is going to terminate the employee.  This is another case where there may be a reason for the employee’s actions and there may be a solution so that this does not happen anymore.  Any misunderstandings need to be cleared up.  The manager must be upfront and hones with the employee about the information that he/she has received without being harsh and without making judgments or jumping to conclusions.

     Misunderstandings are a big part of poor communication and communication conflict.  Everyone needs to get on the same page.  Information needs to be gathered properly and accurately to make sure that all of the facts are straight.  If there are any lies or falsehoods, it can turn bad for everyone involved.  Proper communication toward a conflict resolution needs to start at the beginning and continue until the issue is resolved.

There are many forms of media technology.  Some have been around for a very long time, and some are new. Some are easier than others. 

Email is a form of communication that almost everyone is familiar with.  It can be used for something as simple as just saying hello, or for business purposes such as sending a meeting agenda to employees.  It can be used to communicate back and forth with one person or with many people.  It was the first form of electronic communication and is now used by millions every day.  While email is very effective to communicate a message, it is very difficult to communicate feelings so sometimes things can be misunderstood.  People must be very careful how they word things in their emails so they do not offend anyone.  They have created emoticons to show certain emotions which does seem to help.

Many people have steered away from email for personal use just because there are so many other forms of media communication.  It is still used in many business settings because it is so easy send messages to mass amounts of people at one time.  For example, many stores have mailing lists of thousands of people and they send out advertisements on a weekly basis.

 The internet is a form a media technology that has so many possibilities.  It has so many purposes and our world would not be where it is today without it.  A person can search for anything that they want and find information on any topic.  It can be used for personal use, professional use, school purposes, and the list goes on and on.  It is the basis for many of the other media technologies.  We could not use Facebook without the internet.  We could not take our online college courses without the internet. We can conduct most things in our lives on the internet, such as paying our bills, buying a car, shopping, watching movies, keeping in contact with family and friends, making appointments and so much more.  Unfortunately, there is a dark side to the internet. People can steal your identity, use websites to commit other crimes, and post videos that really shoudn't be seen by anyone. 

The internet is universal and more and more is added every day.  There is something to find for everyone who is looking.  One search will bring up many choices and sites to look at to gather information.  Some are legitimate, others are not to be trusted.  It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference.

Facebook is used by millions of people every day. At first, it was created for people to keep in contact with each other and to socialize. That is why it is considered a social network.   It has grown to be so much more. People not only use Facebook to keep in contact with friends and family, they use it to post pictures to share, play games, shop, look for jobs, keep up on the latest news, follow their favorite celebrities in their every day lives, listen to music, watch videos, plan parties, wish people a Happy Birthday,make people aware of certain causes, or just let people know what you are doing at any particular moment.  People of all ages use Facebook.  It is fairly easy to navigate.  One downfall, from personal experience, is that they keep changing the layout which does tend to get confusing from time to time. 

There is also a scary side of Facebook.  People pretend to be somebody that they are not.  There are child predators, seaching for that vulnerable child that will tell them anything that they want.  They will send messages or videos with viruses in them in order to gain you information or destroy your computer.  People use Facebook to bully others, especially kids.  They use Facebook to distribute pornagraphic material.  People, especially kids, should be very careful.

Smartphones are a form of media technology that more and more people are acquiring.  It is all of the above right at your fingertips with the benefit of also being used as a telephone.  They can be used for business or pleasure. You can download applications to help with your grocery shopping, directions, recipes, games, email, movies, television, game scores, internet, and much more.  It is a cell phone so it is small enough to be taken anywhere. It is amazing how something so little can store so much information. 

There are so many more types of media technology and I am sure that there will be so many more things to come. I look at the capabilities that we have now, and I can't even imagine what they will come up with in the future.

Here we go!!

So this is the first time that I have ever done this so I'm not real sure where to begin. This blog is going to be about my life and how I got to be the person that I am. I'm not sure that anyone will find what I have to say very interesting but I guess we will find out. Many people tell me that I should write a book about all that happened while I was growing up, and continues to happen now. I suppose this is a good start.