This week's business communication chapter deals with interpersonal communication and teamwork. One of the more interest things this chapter dealt with--and which many people confuse--is assertive vs. aggressive communication style.

Aggressive communication does not take into consideration people's feelings, thoughts, or rights; the focus is on the aggressor being correct at all costs, and such behaviors and attitudes are usually accompanied by words such as, "You're so stupid" or "That idea was the worst idea you've had yet. How did you even make management?"

In contrast, assertive communication assures that all have a voice and active participation. The assertive person will recognize the thoughts, rights, opinions, and feelings of his or her fellow co-workers, while asserting his or her own and working to achieve a comfortable balance for all involved. As one who used to interchange the two terms, I learned that one does not have to be aggressive to be assertive. I look back on past job experiences, and I see where someone (or even I, myself) has made the mistake of being overly aggressive, believing that they were just asserting themselves. It's only when the situation is carefully reviewed that one learns the proper balance and degree to assert oneself before crossing the line from assertive to aggressive.

My second post will be dedicated to my business and philosophy courses. I just took my GHA, and I got an 80. Not bad, considering what a rush job I did on the readings. Next week, though, I'll have more time to devote to the readings, as I'll be more settled in from the move. But this section dealt with presentations and visual aids used in business. The problem with visual aids used in business sometimes is that not only does it sometimes not fit the needed format, but the information could be old and outdated or inaccurate (as with stocks and mutual funds). Maybe that's an idea for a final report in business class.

As for philosophy, we focused on the arguments of the Dalai Lama vs. Tom Regan, who argues for animal rights and whether or not philosophy should be focused on what's considered a moral/religious responsibility. I say that treating animals with loving, attentive care and valuing them as unique living things is connected to being a moral, possibly religious person (you can be moral and not necessarily religious). To mistreat animals by cruelly beating and killing them for sport is immoral and in no way represents the views of a loving Creator.

So last week, I was attempting to play catch up with all of my work assignments for my professors because of moving. This week, I'm all caught up and will share my thoughts on the assignments at hand in two blog entries.

The first blog entry will be devoted to my CIS 125 course. The second part of this course deals with integrated projects using different Microsoft Office 2007 software. When I first started out, I wanted to pull my hair out, seriously. It wasn't so much that it was that frustrating; it was just that it seemed like everyone else got the idea except me. So once I calmed down (key element # 1) and re-read the instructions (last week, I was just too tired to really focus on the assignment), I was able to finish both projects (I was given an extension on one of them).

But as one student pointed out, it is definitely more user-friendly in terms of completion of assignments than is the Microsoft Office 2003 software; it's just really a matter of navigation and concentration. I really foresee this type of technology as the wave of the future. A co-worker of mine confided to me that she used this type of technology when it came time to print out our company's brochures. Fascinating, huh? You can learn a lot from people of all avenues--school, work, home, etc.

Now, I know I said that this blog would be entirely devoted to my CIS 125 projects, but I can't forget about my sociology class. We are steadily working toward the completion of our final project (in fact, I was asked to look up business permit fees for starting up our business, and I was able to come up with some figures for a business that would be located in Hoboken, New Jersey). I believe we will be using PowerPoint in this project, too, so having a working knowledge of the basics of PowerPoint 2007, I feel that I will be ready in this regard.

This has been a really rough week for me, as I'm moving into a new house and trying to complete my coursework for the week all at the same time. I did manage to keep up with my sociology and philosophy readings, but I am hurrying through my CIS 125 assignment, because I'm a little behind, and I don't want a zero for my grade. So I will be working diligently to assure that that doesn't happen. As for my business class, I need to complete that assignment, as well. I'm so tired, I wonder how I'm even typing on the computer.

In sociology, we learned about groupthink and what it means in terms of how a group proceeds with an assignment or task: good or bad. And we looked at groupthink in terms of the Iraq war, the Bay of Pigs invasion, stem cell research (should we throw the baby out with the bad cells, so to speak?), and Hurricane Katrina. In each instance, we discovered that major catastrophes could've been avoided had the red flags been heeded and concerns taken seriously. But groupthink can also apply in the workplace, in terms of going with a medical or financial plan simply because the higher-ups suggest it and no one dares to question it. This makes me think of what happened with regard to Enron; it seemed as though the employees trusted (and understandably so) and fully supported (some would say "blindly") the company, only to have their life savings wiped out.

So I just got my grade for my final PowerPoint project: a B+!!! Professor Bonofiglio told me that my second presentation (for the Kid Kare project) was a bit wordy, but that overall she really enjoyed them both. I really enjoyed doing the Dog Walkers, because I love animals and I got a chance to flex some creative muscle with the project, ending the final slide with job opportunities for dog enthusiasts. I even posted a link for applying online: www.Iheartdogs.com. The pricing was a little extreme--at least I think--but I think it was realistic in terms of where I live (Summit, New Jersey, where pretty much everything is expensive).

Last week's philosophy discussion went pretty well, too. We had to discuss religion and prove, with sound reasoning, that there was actually a God who created everything. Case in point: one gentlemen, who touched on the idea that we came to be by cumulative selection, suggested that the finer grains of sand were filtered out each time until only the finest sand remained; he compared that to us as humans in that only the fittest had those qualities that enabled them to survive as a human race. Well, my point was this: even if that were true, there is still someone to do the sifting. So there has to be a creator (or in Aquinas' case, a First Mover) in order for the thing to survive.

The Dynamic Sirens are also doing well as a discussion board group. We really had a lot of insight and experiences to share as far as what we experienced on the job as women. Again, with our shared experiences and valuable insight, we can be sure to dodge the slings and arrows of prejudice (racial AND gender-based, in our case) in the workplace.

So I just discovered something else about Berkeley College blackboard that's pretty cool: the e-mail function. I guess you say, "Well, how's that so cool?" Well, I'll explain. Even though the older messages can be deleted, they're never FULLY deleted. So if you have some information in one of the e-mails from a previous class that you can use to help you in a future class, you can actually click on that older e-mail, and the information is still there from that last quarter.

Case in point: my old study aids from my business math class are still in those e-mails that Professor Luing and I exchanged during the semester, and I really feel that this will help me tremendously in Math 211 (college algebra). The basic formulas are pretty much the same, and so if I just remember that and study really hard and concentrate on that particular section, I should have no problem. Math hasn't always been my strongest area, but I'm working to resolve that right now.

I'm still looking through Career Services, as well, and I saw a listing for a position in Admissions (or Student Accounts, I'm not sure). It would've been perfect, except for the hours. But it's okay; I'm not discouraged. It just means something awaits that's just for me. Also, I got an e-mail from the Accounting Club. I'm going to e-mail them for more information, because this would be good practice for me, as I plan to enter the Business/Finance/Accounting field. And it would finally be a club that I could join and list on my resume. But, as the e-mail mentioned, I wouldn't just be a member in name only; I'd be an active participant.

So we're reading and submitting summaries about race and sex bias in the workplace in our sociology class. It'll be pretty interesting to read what the other ladies have to say about this topic, but as for me, I definitely have seen myself in some of the situations that were mentioned in the articles. I won't get into specific details, but if I had known then what I know now about what steps to take to fight discrimination, I would definitely have fought harder for what I felt I deserved in terms of pay and promotion. Thankfully, once I graduate from Berkeley, I will be armed with that knowledge, and hopefully I will be able to impart these pearls of wisdom to my 'girls' (my nieces).

And in philosophy, it's become pretty obvious that Professor Bronson expects us to argue and to refute each other's arguments. This is a tricky area for me, because I'm not the argumentative type. If I see a discussion reach what I feel is an impasse, I usually just walk away. Not in philosophy, you can't!!! You really have to prove and stand by what it is you are saying. It's a challenge for me because I'm a naturally shy person, and again, I don't like to argue. So it's gonna require me coming out of my shell more. But hey, this IS college, and you have to change a little to adjust to the environment around you without totally losing who you are.

I'm really enjoying the discussions in my business course. We are learning about effective ways to persuade customers to listen to what is being said with regard to sales or claims. One important thing we are learning is how to NOT send a persuasive letter.

First and foremost, you should always present the positives of any letter. Secondly, you should always present the you-viewpoint (customer, co-worker, prospective student, etc.). Third, you should convince the receiver to take the necessary action so that the desired results will come to pass (in a positive, encouraging way). Finally, you should close with a friendly closing that will almost guarantee that the reader/receiver will take the necessary action to ensure the success of the letter.

What you should NOT do in a persuasive letter is mention what the receiver should do for you; it completely leaves the you-viewpoint out and is a turnoff. In a sales letter, a request for an employee to take on additional work, or a collections letter, the writer should make every effort to take into consideration the feelings and circumstances the receiver may have at hand (for instance, a collections letter might consider that a long-standing, usually prompt-paying customer may be having some type of financial difficulties and try to work with that individual to not only resolve the debt, but to keep that one as a customer). When I have to make these types of calls where I work, I am firm but friendly; customers respond more readily to someone who is friendly and firm than a demanding customer service representative.

So it seems that everyone in my business course has had experiences dealing with angry, abrasive customers, and many of us have offered opinions and ways to deal with it all in business. The first rule is to never return angry word for angry word. It's not only counterproductive and unprofessional, it's bad for business, and it could drive other customers away; the thought would be, "Well, gee, what if I came in with a complaint? Could the same thing happen to me?" And thus they would consider taking their business elsewhere. We also learned how to be the bearers of bad news should we have to deny a customer's request for credit or adjustment/refund of their claim, but in a positive way that will keep that customer a customer for life. We just can't say, "I'm sorry, but that's company policy; we can't do anything about that." I work with someone who does that, and it's like, "Do you realize you're scaring off potential business with that type of attitude?" So to anyone going into any type of field dealing with customers (and no matter what, you will have to deal with customers), learn how to deal with them professionally, pleasantly, and efficiently.

Speaking of business, our sociology group The Dynamic Sirens has come up with some ideas for our business, The Unique Boutique, as far as location, venture capitalist involvement, and discounts from local businesses/vendors. I must say, we did really well in not only choosing capable leaders, but also adding significant input. As the old saying goes, "There's no "I" in "we" and no "me" in "team". It is definitely a group effort. I'm so anxious to see how it all comes together. Same with my PowerPoint project, which is to be submitted by next Saturday.