#bs220

[nabeelaharend]

Mock up quote and invoice 

[vee-tee-art]

[nabeelaharend]

A map of the specific values, characteristics, attributes that I would like to develop, presented in terms of short, medium and long-term personal goals.

[laurenbaileyctca]

Business Studies Week 4: Reflection on Reading

Principles underlying Nonviolent Communication by Erik Torenberg & Power Up Your Team with Nonviolent Communication Principles by First Round Review

The act of violence, contrary to popular belief, does not only manifest in physical actions. Violence can also manifest in our daily communications with one another. Poorly chosen words or problematic vocal tones can bring forth uncomfortable conflict and can hurt others. To combat this it is best to practice Nonviolent communication (NVC).

Nonviolent communication (NVC) can be described as the way in which we express ourselves to others in a respectful manner. It puts specific focus on empathy and “how we communicate and connect with ourselves”. In relation to ourselves, our violent communicative tendencies can ultimately be seen as a result of unmet needs and low self esteem. In response to these unmet needs people often resort to using labels when communicating. Labels such as good, bad, right, wrong and so on and so forth can be damaging and can create a hostile work environment. 

According to the readings it is best to stay away from blaming words like these and instead focus on yourself. Communicating your own feelings has proven to be more beneficial and less hostile than using negative labels. Using statements like “I feel…” and other forms of nonviolent communication can create opportunities for growth and healthy communication therefore avoiding conflict and hostility. 

[jarrodsmark-blog]

Proposal_Example.jpg

Shared with Dropbox

The Proposal: CG Animation Actual proposal included with critical information blurred out for personal and privacy reasons.  What should always accompany this, and is not shown, is the reply. Professional and reassuring, it is the opportunity that you have to engage with the client and assure them that you are able to deliver the product within the deadline and to the quality needed. Clear and concise breakdown of the services offered and required with expectations of delivery and feedback. Banking details included, along with SWIFT codes for international transfers and most importantly, the client signature or sign-off.

[laurenbaileyctca]

Business Studies Week Two: Reflection on Reading

How to Escape the Dreaded Drama Triangle by Remy Blumenfeld

This readings’ explanation of what the drama triangle is and how it functions is clear and coherent. The roles that are situated in the drama triangle were also communicated well. These roles include; the victim, the persecutor and the rescuer. Human beings in modern society all fall into one of these categories when responding to situations. These roles are however in constant motion and can change depending on the environment and situation. Important aspects of these three characteristic should be noted when participating in The Drama Triangle. When one portrays the role of the rescuer the fulfillment or relief that is felt is only temporary. The rescuer will also often overexert themselves as a result of trying to assist others and overachieve in their own sections. The victim will often feel powerless in work situations and is frequently associated with having low self esteem. The relationship between the rescuer and the victim is complicated as the rescuer will want to help the victim, which they allow, but this assistance results in further weakening the victims power. The persecutor is a difficult characteristic as they are not very well liked and have the negative trait of blaming others. This ultimately is detrimental to both the production of the office as well as the individuals own personal growth.

The Empowerment Dynamic (TED) is also an effective model of placing conflict and personal responses to a situation. However according to the reading The Empowerment Dynamic is considered to be more effective and beneficial than the drama triangle. It places focus on creating a healthy environment and growth for passion based actions. I feel that I would benefit more from The Empowerment Dynamic  as it seems to be nurturing and encouraging as opposed to The Drama Triangle’s more strict, labelling technique. 

[laurenbaileyctca]

Business Studies Week 1: Reflection on Reading

Reflection on reading What gets in the way of listening  by Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins

This article has taught me many useful skills about the art of listening. Often with abilities such as listening, one does not think it is something to be improved upon once you initially learn how to do it. However, this reading has shown that is is an ever expanding skill that requires continuous reflection and practice. 

After reading this article I have become aware of many malpractices within the context of listening that I myself am guilty of. I’ve learnt that in order to fully understand those around you, you must first learn how to understand yourself. If you are perfectly comfortable with who you are, you’re better able to participate in listening actively without letting personal anxieties cloud your mind. 

The trick is to become less ‘self’-aware and more aware of your surroundings. Through ignoring your “inner critic” you can be more present in the moment and thus absorb more information from your current interaction. The actual importance of listening far surpasses what many of us perceive. This skill enables us to confidently interact with those around us, presenting ourselves as an active and interested member of the conversation as well as giving us the ability to critically process and evaluate what is being said. This then enables us to broaden our views on any and all concepts being discussed.

[nazeerjappie]

Reflecting on Handling Conflict

Upon looking at my results for the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, I found that in most situations, I tend to lean toward joint problem solving. Though I understand that my decisions to handle conflict in any particular way depends mostly on the situation, I did not really notice that I also tend to avoid things quite a bit. I believe that the reason for this could be that I did not see this as avoiding the resolution of conflict, but rather as a way to prevent conflict. Perhaps I am not too confident in the way I converse within these circumstances; I fear that addressing the matter in the moment might be too dangerous.

Scoring quite high on joint problem solving suggested that perhaps I make use of this method too frequently, even when it’s not entirely necessary. This makes sense, given how time-consuming it is. The results also mention that my collaborative behaviour may fail to evoke a collaborative response from the second party if it is too tentative. I had not considered this, so it was helpful to know. I learnt that avoiding is useful when issues are not of crucial importance. This could be troubling for me, who ranks tasks in order of importance without question, allowing me to focus on the main task first. This could be the reason I seem to avoid things, when in reality, I am temporarily shifting my focus to what I deem more important in that particular moment. I realise now that I should be more fluid with how I manage tasks, operations running in the background may seem trivial to me, but could be immensely important for the business and allowing a little time to give input is likely to have a positive impact on a bigger scale.