Week 13 D-3

One concept that I found interesting this week was, brainstorming.  Brainstorming is popular and a useful technique for creative problem solving. There are four guidelines that are helpful in facilitating brainstorming, they are:

1.       The more ideas, the better. Quantity is desirable.

2.       All ideas are welcome. The wilder the idea, the better

3.       No criticism of ideas at this stage. “freewheeling” is welcome

4.       Hitchhiking on ideas, using someone else’s idea as a springboard for additional thoughts, and combining and improving on ideas are encouraged.

Brainstorming is helpful when thinking of ideas. It can also be a fun icebreaker for groups to get to know each other. I know that from previous experience, when I have been in a group, we have used brainstorming to come up with ideas. When have tried it as an ice breaker for our group. We had everyone write an idea down and then out it in a hat, then one person reads them all. Once they were all read, we tried hitchhiking off the ideas for more. It was a fun activity and it worked for our group.

Week 13 D-2

Collaborative conflict has to do with a win-win situation. A time that I have been involved with a collaborative conflict that was resolved would be the other day. Me and my cousin couldn’t figure out where to get breakfast and we were both annoyed with each other cause we were hungry and wanted to eat, but couldn’t agree. We were finally able to settle on getting coffee and bagels. The best part was there was a Starbucks right next to a Noah’s bagels, so we were both happy with that, it was a win-win situation. 

A competitive conflict has to deal with a win-lose situation. One person is happy while the other is not. The book says competitive conflict strategies can be constructive. It can be a good thing to have a little competitive conflict in a group. It can push others to complete what they need to quickly. I prefer and think that collaborative conflict is more satisfying. I like being in a win-win situation, where everyone is happy.  I also think that the other party would be happy with it too. When everyone win, it helps to eliminate conflict altogether.

Week 13 D-1

In  regards to making public presentation, there are a few formats that groups use for the presentation. The four formats are forum, panel, colloquium, and symposium.

The Forum-  A format that provides a layout for speaking and listening to a larger audience.

The Panel- A public format in which a group of 4 to 8 experts discuss a problem or decision in front of an audience.

The Colloquium- A form of public discussion in which a group of 3 to 6 experts, usually chosen for their divergent views, discuss a problem, following the problem solving format, in from of an audience with a moderator facilitating their interactions.

The Symposium- A format for a series of 2 to 6 brief speeches made on different aspects of a complex and difficult problem.  

I prefer the panel format out of all the formats. I think that listening to a group of experts discuss a problem is interesting. It also involves a moderator who starts the meeting. It is mentioned that it sometimes involves an informal, humorous, style of interaction to keep the audience’s attention and share the information. It also provides no direct interaction with the panel and audience, which can be a good thing.  All of the formats are interesting and it would be fun to participate in each one.

Week 12 D2

There are numerous cultural barriers to creativity, and over times there will become more even. Some cultural barriers that the book talks about are; requirement to conformity, particular arenas for competition, dependence of generalization, expectation of politeness, and reliance on expert knowledge. I think that some of these barriers would keep a group from being creative. For example with expectation of politeness; one person might not think that they are being polite with what their idea is, and they might share it in fear of being impolite to someone of a different culture. People like to follow the norm for a certain culture, so that they don’t get mocked or left out. They could also have a better way of doing something and very creative, but they don’t share it because of the cultural barriers. It would be nice for there to be no barriers and people would be creative on their own. I don’t believe that I have experienced any of these barriers personally, but I might have and just not realized it.

Week 12 D-3

One concept from this weeks’ reading that I found interesting was the Gibb’s Communication Climate Comparison. There are 6 different comparisons that Gibb’s talks about. They are all very interesting. They are Evaluation vs. Description, Control vs. Problem Orientation, Strategy vs. Spontaneity, Neutrality vs. Empathy, Superiority vs. Equality and Certainty vs. Provisionalism.  These are the six comparisons that Gibb’s explained about the differences between defensive and supportive communication. The comparison that stuck out the most to me was the Strategy vs. Spontaneity. I liked how it was compared. It talks about how manipulation and gimmicks can be used as strategic was to get a particular outcome in a group. Some people don’t like being manipulated and it doesn’t always work. Spontaneity is the willingness to be honest and  direct to people. “Gibb proposed hat we remain open and responsive to the group process as it unfolds. Rather than trying to plan how we are going to achieve our own goals(strategy), we should be open to the fresh ideas that evolve in the context of the ongoing group process(spontaneity)” (Harris & Sherblom, 2011).  This statement by Gibb is very powerful and stuck out the most to me when reading about the six different comparisons.

Week 12 D-1

I usually don’t think of myself as someone who is creative. After reading this week’s chapter on creativity, I realized that at times I can be very creative. One example of my creativity from my own experience has to do with work. I am a nanny/babysitter and at times I will watch kids of friends of the families that I usually nanny for. I will briefly meet with the parents beforehand and then be thrown into full force with the kids while the parents leave, since they feel like they can trust me and I get recommended from the families that I nanny for. When this happens, I have met the kids for about 10mins and their parents’ leave, so they aren’t used to me. I have to come up with ways to distract them so that they don’t realize their parents leave. I have had to think quick and come up with games or I will at times use my phone to pull up Youtube videos to distract them. It can be hard when they cry but I can at times be very creative and get that to stop quickly and the kids warm up to me and we have fun. The books mentions that “Creativity is the result of looking at things and seeing them in a new way, synthesizing two or more previously unrelated phenomena or modifying something that already exists”(Harris & Sherblom, 2011). I feel like I can fit into that description, and become creative, even when I don’t think I am.