Problem Solving Task Force

On Friday we were given a new group to work with to do the problem solving task force.  It seems as though this is going to be a good group to work with, although it will be a little weird not working with Sticky Thinking.  Our group was given the situation of Family Mart.  Our store is facing problems with radioactive material in the area where we get some of our seafood and produce due to the earthquake and tsunami effects on the nuclear plant.  Our job is to come up with how we are going to handle the situation and what our goals and some solutions are.  It is scary to think that this is going on right now over in Japan and that the people over there are doing it for real.  We get the luxury of being able to be in a classroom setting while we determine our response to the crisis.  The people overseas are over there making decisions that could affect millions of lives, whether that effect is good or bad.  They need to act fast, yet think carefully through all the situations so the correct decision is made.  After doing this activity, I have gained the utmost respect for all the people that are faced with this crisis and have to make decisions such as the ones our class will be presenting.  I hope that I am never in the position that some of these people in Japan are currently in.

-Andrew De Jong

When everything doesnt go as planned

Great leaders in history are remembered not for what they did during most of their lives, but for what they did in hard times and during crisis. They problem times can also not only affect individuals but also groups of people.  In today’s business age one bad move can lead to closing up shop.  Management knows this so they spend millions of dollars on something called crisis management.  Everyone know what this is if they work in a large business and most people either hate it or think it’s a waste of time.  I always felt like the company was paying me to sit and be bored listing to this traveling expert.  This all changed when the oil spill in the Gulf almost destroyed one of the biggest oil companies in the world.  BP did such a bad job at crisis management it is almost laughable.  Thousands of people are out of work or considerably worse off because of terrible clean up and a general lack of leadership.  This oil crisis is the biggest goof since hurricane Katrina.  The Bush administration is still being prosecuted for lack of leadership on that natural disaster. 

                In class we are challenged with a life like challenge to be effective in a crisis and manage a company or other group of people in a simulation related to Japan and the earthquake crisis.  This activity landed in a time slot for me that is already in a crisis.  My senior design project is taking almost all my free time this week now I have to devote time into this presentation.  I am really learning how to think on my feet and get things done fast to solve these two crisis’s at the same time.

                Below I have attached a cartoon that pokes fun of how most people see crisis management in business.
-Jarrett Hullinger

Project Update

The week before spring break Mark and I visited the Cary Home for Children to meet with someone, ask a few questions, and exchange paperwork. The staff we met seemed really happy that we were putting on this event for the kids since it has been a few years since the Cary Club has done so. We left sign-up sheets there and received confidentiality waivers to be signed by activity participants. One small change we made to our project is how we are going to feed the kids. Instead of taking them to the dining court we will just order pizza and drinks. We did this because it will be significantly cheaper to do so. Also, it looks like at least one Cary Home staff person will be present at our event. Having a staff member there should not interfere with our group being in charge of the event.

This week in class we worked on group problem solving. To mimic a real-life situation, we were all assigned into new groups. In the workplace this would represent people from different departments coming together to solve a problem. While it can be uncomfortable stepping out of my comfort zone, this will be a good experience and good practice for dealing with these types of circumstances in the future.

- Steven Gitter

Group Problem Solving

   Problem solving can be difficult sometimes.  It can be even more challenging when you are working with people who you aren’t very familiar with and when it is urgent that the problem be solved as quickly as possible.  In light of the recent events in Japan, and other affected areas, our class is taking the opportunity to observe and learn from the current situation going on as the backdrop for our project in COM 320. 

   I think this project will be a great learning experience because of the nature of the project: new groups members, limited time, and the fact that it involves serious events that affect people’s lives.  I feel like as a group member I was comfortable in my current group.  Switching it up by putting everyone in entirely new groups has forced us to go through the group forming process again.  The limited time constraint of having to form a PowerPoint and present in less than a week will also be a challenge.  I think using the current events in Japan and other surrounding areas as a backdrop will also help us realize the seriousness and the importance of group problem solving.

   I think that even though I am working with a new group that our project and presentation will be successful.  I think this also is a glimpse into how the real world works, especially in times of crisis. 

   I'll leave you with another comic about problem solving.

-Rachel Page

Spring Break Week

Spring break week was amazing! I went to Honolulu, Hawaii with my family! It was nice that I finally got to spend some quality time with them. I do not get much of a chance to because of how busy I am with school and I spend the rest of my time with my fiancée. It was quite the adventure to get there. We had to switch our entire flight schedule because our first flight was so delayed! We finally made it there after a whopping 24 hours spent on planes and waiting for them. It was worth it though. Hawaii is a beautiful state! Everyone should make the effort to visit there at least once. I did learn a lot from this trip. On our various excursions, the shuttle bus drivers were always willing to answer any questions and share the history of Hawaii. The state has a very colorful history. It was settled by the various Polynesians early on and then was followed by the Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, British, and many others. The British helped the Hawaiians unite the islands, which is why there is the British flag in the corner of the state flag. Then the US came in and convinced the Hawaiians to let us use the islands as a fueling depot. Years later, we basically overthrew their kingdom and claimed it for our own. The sad part about the trip was seeing how bad most of the locals have it. Hawaii is a very poor state. The only thing that keeps them alive is that you and I take the time to visit there. Anyway, it was worth it to visit and learn something new and explore around!

-Mark

Midterm and Spring Break

Last Wednesday in class we had our midterm exam.  There was quite a bit of material that was covered in the chapters we were assigned to know.  I was not able to meet with our group for a group study session so I had to go over everything on my own.  I spent several hours reviewing those chapters covered, and then I moved on to the study guide slides we went over in class.  I went through and answered all the slides and this was what I based my studying off of.  I went over the study guide multiple times so I felt I knew it like the back of my hand.  This turned out to be a good approach for me, because after the exam I felt like I did pretty well.  There were only a couple questions that I was not too sure about.  If I did how I feel I did, I will be happy with my grade. 

For spring break I went to Venice, Florida.  We drove the entire 19 hour drive nonstop there and nonstop back.  I noticed several things about small group communication while spending all those hours in a car with three other people.  Some of the things I noticed were the fallacies in some of the conversations we had.  The big one with this was bandwagon.  The three of us said how we were rooting for the Butler basketball team to beat Pittsburgh, so the fourth said she was going to just root for them too.   This was just one of several examples I noticed.

-Andrew De Jong

Catching Up

Two weeks ago we had our midterm on Wednesday in class.  I think the midterm was a good exam to test our knowledge and understanding of small group communication.  My group was able to get together and study for a while which I think helped me to be more prepared for the midterm exam.

Last week was spring break and while I was home I was able to go laser tagging with a few other people.  Laser tag is a fun game that is played by shooting lasers at others in order to score points.  There is certain attire needed to play laser tag:  preferrably dark clothes, a vest which has receptors on it, and a laser gun.  It is preferred that dark clothes are worn because the game is played indoors in a smoke-filled room with black lights.  Lighter clothing in black lights are really bright and would make you more visible when playing.  The more I thought about it the more I realized that playing laser tag involves small group communication.  When I played there were three different teams:  green, blue, and red.  I was on the green team.  The mission of the game was to shoot the opposing team's members with laser guns and to destroy their home bases.  It took communication between team members to coordinate a successful attack on the opposing teams.

I’m seeing now how small group communication truly is a factor in just about everything we do.  I'll leave you with another funny comic. Have a good week!

-Rachel Page