Penguin Posh Group Presentation

Wow so I'm glad that's over! We had our presentation in front of the class for our consulting project for Nordstrom and what a lot of work to jam into one week! Working together, knowing our stuff, practicing and keeping organized were really what pulled us through. It was great to use the strengths of our team to really make our project a cut above what any of us could have done alone. We were all really satisfied with our final result and felt confident in presenting to the class. I felt like a did a LOT better with maintaining eye contact and not fidgeting and I felt really good about how it turned out.

Online Group Meeting

So I actually preferred meeting online, I felt it was a little more focused and more productive. I am also a shy person, so I felt like it was a little less confrontational, too which is probably why I liked it better. However, that can be a good or a bad thing. I felt like we got the most work done together as everyone used the google doc to edit and produce our finished project and it made communication pretty easy as well.

Flip Charts and it's the WEEKEND!

So I had a presentation in MCOM this week using a flip chart. At first I was slightly baffled about using such an archaic form of presenting, especially to present on a website (my assignment was to report on asana). However, Iended up really enjoying the presentation. The only thing I wish I had done was practice a little more beforehand. I really noticed how presenting multiple times helped me get over my nervousness and overall improve my presentation. I also enjoyed using something so "unplugged" - without any technology. In the future I will be more open to using unusual forms of presentation and practice more ahead of time.

Hemos, the Frontrunner and Instagram

So I rode the Frontrunner this morning for the second time in my life. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was taking instagram pictures the whole time on the way up. I successfully made it to the Discovery Kids Museum in Downtown SLC where I helped out with an activity for the Utah Hemophilia Foundation. It was great! And also a larger dose of Utah culture than I usually get on campus. It was cool because this was my first time meeting with this organization, so I wanted to make a good impression. As I was getting ready I kept thinking about what I had learned in MCOM about making a good impression and communicating in the way you dress, talk, act, and how you present yourself. I ended up making a very positive impression and am excited to keep working with them!

Presentation Reflection

So we had our presentation this week for chapter 8 and I felt like overall it was very successful. It was useful to watch the recording and see what went well and what can be improved. I enjoyed our approach and coordination as a team and I feel like we all presented well. I thought it was cool to get feedback about my posture as well as what worked and what didn't work with our audience. As we prepared I was really looking forward to the presentation, however I didn't realize how nervous I would get. I'm hoping I can get better at that through practice.

Mock Online Interview

To be honest, as I went into this interview I felt inadequate. I was worried about my hair, my voice, the camera angle, my cover letter, my qualifications, my "presence". It almost felt worse than a regular interview. This person was in my house! On my couch. As I went through the interview I was surprised by a few questions, but the more I treated it like a normal interview the more comfortable and confident I felt. I had prepared. I dressed my best. I made sure I was somewhere quiet and well-lit. And I was qualified. Who wouldn't want to hire me?

I felt that this mock interview was successful in helping me gain confidence for online interviews, and also in helping me prepare for the unexpected and what could go wrong (I realized the night before that my microphone on my computer wasn't picking up my voice, so I had to use my smart phone instead).

My interviewer was Kat and I would give her a 5 for helpfulnes - among other reasons, because she gave me good feedback.

Kenneth Branagh

I am a big fan of the work of Kenneth Branagh, especially his films about Shakespeare. Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing are my recommendations. Last night I was watching Love's Labour's Lost late enough at night to realize that it wasn't a movie you could fall asleep to because you have to listen to what's being said. What stuck out to me in the movie though was despite some cheesiness and a somewhat low-budget set as well as a challenging dialogue, the presentation really held the movie together. Plus it's Shakespeare. Shakespeare's ingenuity, humor and human appeal combined with the music, colors, and acting really made this movie enjoyable. What does this all have to do with communication? By appropriately catching your audience's interest through whatever medium you are using to communicate - music, dance, film, writing, verbally - and having a good presentation, you can achieve your purpose. I feel like this can apply to my writing for this class as well as presentations. Also it can help build relationships that will be beneficial in the future.

A Night of "Mex"stasy

I have a confession. I am OBsessed with Mexican food. During my mission in Florida, I was only able to eat Mexican food a few times, since there were very few Mexicans where I served and therefore a lower demand in quality Mexican food. So I just got back from a fantastic evening in Salt Lake with a bunch of friends. The occasion was to say good bye to my friend Josh who will be going into basic training tomorrow. We went to a Catholic Mass in the St. Madeleine Cathedral, toured on Temple Square, and then went to the Red Iguana, a Mexican Restaurant with very delicious authentic Mexican food. Let me just say they had over 6 types of mole. Now as I sit here watching Les Miserables and write this blog post, I am thinking about communication. I have always understood that repetition aids in communicating a point because your brain automatically recognizes what's more familiar and is more likely to retain it longer. It's a mnemonic device, to attach something familiar to a thing you want to remember. That's why car commercials make sure to repeat key information like the name of their company and their "unbelievable" APR. Basically, people will attach more significance to things that are repeated.

At Home for the Weekend! We have some darn cute poopies

So I had the best drive home to Washington yesterday. Somewhere around Boise I passed out and slept the last 4 hours straight, and woke up right when we were driving into town. I then proceeded to spend all Valentine's Day cuddling our six a-DORBS 3-week-old foster puppies and could not have been any happier! We have a foster dog named Sadie who we decided to foster while we attempted to convince our mom to adopt her. A few days later (after I came back to school) they took her to the vet and found out she was pregnant. Five weeks later, here we are. So my mother, who was stressed about having one dog around, now had to take care of one dog and six puppies. But they're all doing well, very healthy, cute and happy.

This week I was talking to someone in my ward who works closely with the basketball team who told me that one of the players was getting some criticism for swearing during a game and being what some would a consider a poor role model. She seemed to want to defend the player, however in my opinion it seems like a natural consequence for his behavior. IT may be a difficult lesson to learn, but it is one I am working on as well, that people are constantly watching and affected by the actions and personal decisions that I make in my life. I believe this applies to communication because business includes so much interaction, and usually teamwork. The actions someone takes, even in our class as part of a group presentation, comments in class, etc., affect both those on their team as well as the mood and attitude of the entire classroom. Having a good attitude is a constant project. I think reading the material, making constructive comments, and being enthusiastic in group projects would all help me maintain a positive attitude about this class and be a good example for others as well.

Date and Dance and Puppies!!

This week was our stake Valentine's dance and I just want to say I LOVE good clean dances. So this week my roommate and I were planning a double date, the only catch was that everyone I asked already had plans. So I was going around the Valentine's dance talking to the guys I knew and trying to find a date. Let me just say although it was last-minute I actually really enjoyed having a reason to try and talk to all these different guys. And even though I got rejected, overcoming the challenge of putting myself out there to ask people on a date was actually rather exhilarating. I'm just saying that in any aspect of the world taking a risk and putting yourself out there can really benefit you in the long run. Every guy I asked who was busy told me he would totally go on a date with me another time. So I have a date tonight, and potential dates with at least three other guys in the future! In other news at my home in Washington we have a foster dog who just had puppies, and the puppies are just starting to open their eyes. I'll share the whole story on that later, but they are SO cute! Well, time to go on my date! Enjoy watching the Olympics!

It's Groundhog Day!! Earlier there was Dodgeball

For Groundhog Day every year my parents would have us celebrate by watching the movie with Bill Murray and having eggs and sausage ("ground hog" - my dad's touch) for breakfast. If you haven't seen the movie I highly recommend it. Sometimes we just order pizza (with sausage haha).

This week we have been focusing a lot on grammar since we have an intensive grammar exam that we have to take this weekend. In order to be more fully prepared I am waiting to take it on Monday. I have learned that not only does proper grammar distinguish you but it also helps make your communication more clear.

Another thing on nonverbal communication. Today we had stake dodge ball. I love dodge ball but I am not very athletic, so I usually feel like I'm automatically profiled as a poor player based completely on my appearance and perceived coordination. However, at least in dodge ball I have my moments of glory where I can dodge and get the occasional good throw, and today I enjoyed many good games where I contributed to my teams success. I was satisfied to earn their respect and to even have someone on the opposing team express his surprise at how well I ended up performing. I was grateful for the chance to try something new and get some exercise and have some fun. The thing is, you can be completely wrong about someone at first glance. For all the importance of making a good first impression, you might just have to wait to see someone's true colors. I think it's the difference of the beginning, raw materials, and the finished or completed result. Someone could have raw talent or passion that at the moment is unrefined. Additionally, where in one area a person might be weak, they could in another area be a great strength and contribution to the group. I'm not saying I am in any way any better at dodge ball than I was before, but I do feel a little more confidence that I can maybe not be the best, but go have fun and contribute to others having fun and have an enjoyable morning. I really think it's one of life's challenges to see in others what they can become, and see beyond what might be perceived weaknesses in the current moment.

A Blind Date and A New Discovery

So I am going on a blind date tonight and it is making me un-endingly nervous. So as I sit here and wait for that unavoidable knock on the door, I will tell you a little about my week. Last weekend I made the discovery of the recent BBC TV series Sherlock. I was instantly hooked. The plot was interesting, clever, clean, and uplifting, the characters likeable, and without that usual feeling of most American TV shows that they're just stalling you to get you to watch another commercial. What stands out to me about this show is that while the main character is haughty in his unique talent, he is still kind, compassionate, and loving to his friends (at times in a roundabout way). And just like our first day in communications Sherlock's talent is to observe things that people are communicating without speaking. When he explains the evidence for what he reads on people, the evidence is all there. This has made me desire to be more conscious about the messages I carry as I stated in my previous post. I can also see the benefits of picking up the signals of others. Both for empathetic as well as communication reasons. In our communications class we talked about how communication can help business run smoother, and for individuals to express themselves better. This can therefore help everyone get what they want so that everyone is better off.

Lincoln bLogs

Perhaps a better title for this post would be "bLincoln bLogs". I'm just not a fan of the aesthetics of it in type. Anyway, since brevity is the soul of wit, I will do one better than Polonius. I was prompted to start this blog based on an assignment for my business communications class, however, I had recently been contemplating starting my own blog based on the things I had learned at my college, Brigham Young University, so I also intend for this to be useful and entertaining (and, for me, therapeutic).

First of all, what I've learned is the miracle of a paradigm shift, when the world you see suddenly alters and expands outside the bounds of your previous definition. For example, based on the fact that I always spoke the way that I heard English spoken my whole life, I assumed my skills of communicating were passable. However, the nuances of grammar that have been emphasized in the class thus far have opened my mind to consider that perhaps I am not being as clear as I intended and that a working knowledge of grammar actually is useful.I also feel an increased awareness of what it means to communicate as well as what others and I myself am communicating. This new knowledge and awareness enables me to have new learning experiences both through observation and application. I pay attention more to the way others talk and the way I speak and present myself. It is a refreshing new perspective.

I feel that a blog builds off itself to create a collection of writing from the blogger, so I present this as my first Lincoln bLog in building my Log Cabin.