Body Language in Different Cultures

November 29, 2011 at 5:03 pm (Uncategorized)

What is body language? How can we use it? How is it used differently in other cultures?

Body language is ubiquitous!! Dictionary.com defines body language; “nonverbal, usually unconscious, communication through the use of postures, gestures, facial expressions and the like.” Can you think of a time when you have used body language to get your point across? Are you sure sent the right message?

How can Body Language be used Effectively?

Body language can be more important than your actual words. What message are you really sending? For example; you would not want to have your arms folded during a job interview or you would not want to point at someone in a negative manner. Body language is a very powerful tool that should be put to good use. Be certain that you are sending the correct message verbally and physically. For example; sitting up-right during a job interview shows that you are interested. Be very clear and direct with your actions. Mixed signals can cause someone to be confused, offended and uncomfortable. Hand gestures can help express emphasis on the current topic. Facial expressions can show interest or disinterest.

How is Body Language used in Different Cultures?

In you culture, what is considered the social norm? As Hoosiers, we all share similar nonverbal communication messages. We tend to be more comfortable with certain situations than others. For example; we have our “boundary lines” and we do not like them to be crossed. By “boundary lines”, I am referring to our levels of comfort in certain situations. How close is too close? I know that I have what I like to call “my bubble.” I tend to get very uncomfortable when someone invades “my bubble” without warning. For example; when I am having a conversation with someone I like to keep at least 2 feet of distance between faces. However, someone from another culture might be offended if I keep distance from them during our conversation. Let’s use japan as an example. It is well known that Japan is a very over-populated country. Just how comfortable would you be working less than 5 feet from your co-workers every day? The Japanese have adapted to their population and are comfortable with the situation.

drawing of a typical North American office arrangement   drawing of a typical Japanese office arrangement
Typical North American Office   Typical Japanese Office

In closing, I want to remind you that I have just touched this topic with a few examples. As I mentioned before, body language is ubiquitous.  I will leave you with a few things to think about. Body language is very powerful and effective. Always think about your actions. What message are you really sending with your nonverbal actions? Will I offend anyone with my actions? What is considered the social norm?

Works Cited

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/body+language

 http://anthro.palomar.edu/language/language_6.htm

By Michael Ayers, Business Major at IUPUC

Leave a Comment

Body Language in Different Cultures

November 25, 2011 at 9:51 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: , , ,

What is body language? How can we use it? How is it used differently in other cultures?

Body language is ubiquitous!! Dictionary.com defines body language; “nonverbal, usually unconscious, communication through the use of postures, gestures, facial expressions and the like.” Can you think of a time when you have used body language to get your point across? Are you sure sent the right message?

How can Body Language be used Effectively?

Body language can be more important than your actual words. What message are you really sending? For example; you would not want to have your arms folded during a job interview or you would not want to point at someone in a negative manner. Body language is a very powerful tool that should be put to good use. Be certain that you are sending the correct message verbally and physically. For example; sitting up-right during a job interview shows that you are interested. Be very clear and direct with your actions. Mixed signals can cause someone to be confused, offended and uncomfortable. Hand gestures can help express emphasis on the current topic. Facial expressions can show interest or disinterest.

 

How is Body Language used in Different Cultures?

In you culture, what is considered the social norm? As Hoosiers, we all share similar nonverbal communication messages. We tend to be more comfortable with certain situations than others. For example; we have our “boundary lines” and we do not like them to be crossed. By “boundary lines”, I am referring to our levels of comfort in certain situations. How close is too close? I know that I have what I like to call “my bubble.” I tend to get very uncomfortable when someone invades “my bubble” without warning. For example; when I am having a conversation with someone I like to keep at least 2 feet of distance between faces. However, someone from another culture might be offended if I keep distance from them during our conversation. Let’s use japan as an example. It is well known that Japan is a very over-populated country. Just how comfortable would you be working less than 5 feet from your co-workers every day? The Japanese have adapted to their population and are comfortable with the situation.

 

     

Typical American Office

 

Typical Japanese Office

 

In closing, I want to remind you that I have just touched this topic with a few examples. As I mentioned before, body language is ubiquitous.  I will leave you with a few things to think about. Body language is very powerful and effective. Always think about your actions. What message are you really sending with your nonverbal actions? Will I offend anyone with my actions? What is considered the social norm?

 

Works Cited

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/body+language

 http://anthro.palomar.edu/language/language_6.htm

By Michael Ayers, Business Major at IUPUC

 

1 Comment

Problems with Artistic Expression

November 22, 2011 at 4:01 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: , ,

          Problems with Artistic Expression(Graffiti).

Graffiti is a world renowned art form that uses city streets, buildings, public transportation, and many other inner city surroundings as murals to display a wide variety of ideas and images. Although this outlet for artistic freedom is remarkable it seems to be an eyesore for some of the population. Graffiti by definition is the mainly illegal/legal markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom. (Dictionary.com). The art form can be done legally it, it is done by a wide variety of taggers (graffiti artist) illegally making it an ever growing problem worldwide.

Many communities view graffiti as an eyesore saying that it frightens the public and makes them feel for their safety, while putting a large in dent tax payers’ wallets. This is especially the case among the residents of America. The problem is costing the nation millions to cover up unwanted graffiti images from schools, small businesses, churches, and many other buildings that make up the communities of the nation. The overall amount that taxpayers contributed to in 2009 was 38.5 million dollars, for graffiti cleanup. America isn’t   the only nation that is having trouble with the growing art form.  Australia spends an estimated $260 million dollars annually on graffiti cleanup.

                Estimated Cost for Graffiti Removal

» City of San Jose, CA spent approximately $2 million in 2006 fighting graffiti.

Pittsburgh, PA (population just over 300,000) spends around $350,000 annually for graffiti cleanup.7-

» Omaha, NE spends about $100,000 a year on graffiti removal (population just over 400,000).

» Chicago, IL budgeted $6.5 million in 2006 for graffiti removal and Graffiti Blasters, the city’s removal program (population a little over 2.8 million).

» Las Vegas, NV with a population of about 1.7 million spends more than $3 million each year cleaning up graffiti.

» Springdale (AR) paid more than $15,000 in 2007 to remove graffiti around the city. Graffiti appeared on buildings, bridges, drainage ditches, signs, traffic boxes, streets and sidewalks. The reported incidents of graffiti climbed to 454 in 2007, compared with 220 in 2006.

» Seattle Public Utilities spent about $1 million last year for graffiti enforcement, removal, education and outreach, while King County Metro Transit spent $734,000 last year to rid buses, tunnels, park and rides and bus shelters of graffiti.

Nations continue to pay due to illegal graffiti, not only is it hurting the pockets of taxpayers, its giving true graffiti artist a bad reputation. Murals need to be done legally to rehabilitate the smudged reputation of Graffiti, not only does it add to the artistic variety of a city, but it can show the cities heritage or other characteristics. Luckily local cities and even campuses such as IU have embraced the world renowned art, by initiating the community graffiti project during the campuses Moveable Feast of the Arts and Arts Week. The project was made to show that graffiti is an art form just like any other, and deserves to be treated as one, regardless of it past history.

The unique art form of graffiti has been costing taxpayers and cities millions annually. Although the form is a great way to express ideas and beliefs of artist it’s becoming too costly for the nation.

Sources:

 Cathy. (2010). Tax payers and environmental cost of graffiti in Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://www.greenecoservices.com/taxpayer-and-environmental-cost-of-graffiti-in-los-angeles/

Campus-community graffiti project is part of IU’s moveable feast of the arts and arts week 2008-2009. (2007). (Master’s thesis, Indiana University) Retrieved from http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/6600.html

Graffiti Hurts.com- http://www.graffitihurts.org/getfacts/fastfacts.jsp

Written By K yle Roach

Leave a Comment

Junk Mail: Like It or Hate It

November 21, 2011 at 8:44 pm (Social Media/Technology)
Tags: , , , , , ,

 Have you ever received junk mail for something and thought, “Why the HECK did I receive this? This is irrelevant for me and my family.” The definition of junk mail according to the Encarta World Dictionary is “unwanted mail: unsolicited mail, especially advertising material (Encarta World Dictionary, 2009).” You receive junk mail because you have given out some personal information to a business or have put some personal information on the internet. Junk mail is liable to get you when you give any personal information out. Remember that word travels fast.

Many companies use junk mail for advertising purposes. If you show any interest in something, such as clothing, that is the time for a business to pull you in and advertise to you other products they feel they can get you to buy. They try to keep you coming back to their business. You may also receive lots of junk mail that you have no interest in or is completely irrelevant to you. Companies try to get anyone and everyone to come to their specific business, due to competition in their market. Many companies also rent out their information lists to other companies. Renting lists is a big business for many companies (Privacy Right Clearinghouse, 1192-2011).

Junk mail comes in many shapes and forms:

• Mail: You may receive junk mail through the US postal services that is delivered to your house or business. This may include flyers, magazines and advertisements.

• Email: Due to technological advances, we also receive junk mail through email.

• Text: Many people that text receive forwards of long sayings. Some claim you need to send to a certain number of people or something will happen to you. This is also considered junk mail to me. It is unwanted and unnecessary.

• Newspaper: The inserts in the newspaper are also a form of junk mail. This is an easy way for companies to get their advertisements out to a large number of people.

• Internet: Internet even has some junk mail through blogs and other forms and comments.

• Landline/phone: Telemarketing phone calls are considered junk mail.

Many families may receive all of these in one day. According to Mike Volpe, “In five days we produce enough junk mail to reach the moon. Junk mail produces ONE BILLION pounds of landfill each year (Volpe, 2008).

I personally get extremely annoyed with junk mail. I have lost complete control of my email due to junk mail. I’ve got a ton of college junk mail. I have been in college for two years now. I have one on my email about tricking my brain to learn a language in ten days. Facebook has blown up my email as well.

Most junk mail serves no purpose but to take up more space in your trash can. Although there is not a lot of junk mail that is useful, I do receive junk mail that does serve a purpose for me. An example of useful junk mail for me is clothing stores that have coupons and some of their products that I may be interested in.

Junk mail can be fun to look through and sit and think, “What are they trying to tell me? Why did they choose me?” Just keep in mind that it was YOU that gave YOUR information out. Remember that word travels fast and businesses love to try to persuade you to buy their products. If junk mail really irritates you, there are many ways to get rid of the junk. You can contact different businesses by phoning or writing a letter to explain to them you do not want to receive junk mail. Next time you receive junk mail ask yourself, “Who all has my personal information?”

Works Cited

Privacy Right Clearinghouse. (1192-2011). Retrieved 11 5, 2011, from Junk Mail: https://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm

Encarta World Dictionary. (2009). Retrieved 11 5, 2011, from Junk Mail: http://www.bing.com/Dictionary/search?q=define+junk+mail&qpvt=what+does+junk+mail+mean&FORM=DTPDIA

Volpe, M. (2008, 4 21). Hubspot. Retrieved 11 5, 2011, from 5 Shocking Statistics- How Junk Mail Marketing Damages the Environment.

By Danielle Trenkamp, Business Major at IUPUC

Leave a Comment

What you said and what I heard.

November 15, 2011 at 4:26 pm (Conflict, Diversity in the Workplace, Effective Communication, Job Interviews)

What you said… What I heard.

Your non-verbal communication could be the reason you are not getting the job of your dreams or the promotion you really deserve.  Some of the number one reasons companies are not or will not hire you is not because of what you say verbally but what your non-verbal communication is saying about you. Some of the top reasons are piercings, bad breath, visible tattoos, wrinkled clothes, and messy hair according to Forbes magazine.

  • Piercings: 37%                                                                
  • Bad breath: 34%                                                                            
  • Visible tattoos: 31%     

But how far will employers go? For example American Apparel’s corporate policy states that shiny lip gloss and bangs are forbidden as well as over drying hair may cause excessive drying. Yet most companies don’t have a written policy on tattoos and piercings. Tattoos have come a long way from when they were only on felons and bikers. Today it is just as likely for Robin to have a tattoo as it is for me.  Roughly 24 percent of Americans ages 18 – 50 have at least one tattoo.

Although a tattoo may represent a fond memory, your personality, or that one crazy night in Vegas, they are nothing more than a body adornment just like a wedding ring or even the clothes you wear. They also project just as much non-verbal communication as the tone of your voice. Your voice can clearly let another person know what kind of mood you are in, if you are comfortable, or if you have a bad attitude. Same can be said for your tattoos and piercings. They could be misconstrued as negative simply because the tattoos could be misinterpreted.  An example is a petunia tattoo, a petunia in the flower world stands for anger and resentment. There are also Hindu tattoos such as a swastika. A swastika can easily be mistaken for having Nazi beliefs as opposed to a very common form of Hindu art meaning good fortune, luck and well-being.  The problem is most companies do not know what you are projecting with piercings and tattoos since they can be easily misunderstood.

An employer’s main concern is how to cover up the tattoos or sometimes will just write the potential employees off because of their tattoos. Companies may not be realizing that they could be missing out on the next best thing since sliced bread because of how they are interpreting the tattoo or piercing.  Be aware of what your non-verbal communication is saying about you. You may not get fired for having a tattoo but you also may not get hired.  As always, think before you ink.

Cites: Faw, Larissa. Visible Tattoos and Other Corporate No-Nos. ForbesWoman. Forbes.com. September 25,2011

By: Natalie Taylor

1 Comment

Internet Consensus and IUPUC

November 15, 2011 at 11:00 am (Internet Consensus)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you go to the dictionary or Google the term “internet consensus” you won’t find much, if anything; believe me I tried. However unfamiliar the term may seem, the concept is something we are all acquainted with. Internet consensus is simply creating a format on the internet for people to collectively put their thoughts and opinions. Then you have a large source of information ready and available to you for whatever the purpose of collecting the data was for. I have three prime examples of internet consensus:

2002: M&M color change
Changing colors isn’t a new procedure for M&M’s. They changed their tan M&M to blue back in 1995. They had the choice of blue, pink, or purple and had to call a 1-800-FUN-COLOR hotline to place their vote. What about internet consensus?  It wasn’t until 2002 that M&M decided to introduce another new color, but this time voting was done via the internet. The choices were pink, purple or aqua. There were advertisements abroad, all over the world. Consumers were invited to go online to M&M Global Vote and vote for the next color. M&M marketed this new campaign to all sorts of media. In one particular instance M&M had put a voting poll on the AOL homepage, and in a single day registered over 600,000 votes! After the time was up, the internet consensus determined that purple was to be the new M&M color.

2009: Live Music by Mass Animation    <watch video here>
Mass Animation, a computer graphics company out of California, teamed up with Facebook to create an interactive consensus with Facebook users. People had the option to download software that had unfinished clips of a possible story line and make it their own. They then submitted their short film layout and people could then vote on them. The winning submission with the most votes won a Dell XPS System, and every week the submission with the most votes won $500 per shot. Once the polls were closed, Mass Animation studios then finished the short film and Sony then showed the short film on the big screen with Planet 51. The internet consensus produced a high quality and entertaining short film.

2010: DEWmocracy <get out and vote!>  <watch video here>
Pepsi knew it had a fan craze base with Mountain Dew products and wanted to provide tasty options to its many loving fans. They provided the simplest solution: give them what they want! Pepsi created a very comprehensive poll method allowing their fans to choose everything about the new product: the flavor,  color, name, label design and fans even had the option to choose which campaign companies would make the new commercials. That’s not all! Then they finally had the option to choose one of the three drinks they created to be the new mountain dew product. Geniuses.

IUPUC
With the knowledge that internet consensus is successful and can provide profitable data, how do we implement that at IUPUC? It would be simple for IUPUC to question their students with an on screen poll installed on all the lab computers. A lot of people are investing in smart phones and use an IU mobile app. IUPUC could use that app to retrieve poll answers. So what kind of information would IUPUC receive through internet consensus? IUPUC could ask the students and teachers about what kind of new lunch item they would like to see at the café. Ask the students what class they would really be interested in taking that isn’t provided. Come up with community volunteer ideas and let the students decide on which one they would like to participate in. Find out what pressing topics we are interested in and give those majoring in journalism an opportunity to write about what we want to know more about. Any information that IUPUC needs to come to conclusions or for research can be done through internet consensus via webpages, mobile apps, Facebook, Twitter and more.

By: Amanda Jo Lucas, Business Entrepreneurship Major – IUPUC

<additional dewmocracy video> <additional dewmocracy video>

Leave a Comment

Conflict has “bad” Connotation

November 8, 2011 at 5:19 pm (Business Ethics, Conflict, Effective Communication)
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Webster’s Dictionary defines conflict as a “fight, battle or war.”  My initial reaction to this definition was, can conflict be a good thing?  Conflict generally has a bad connotation surrounding it. Not only is there bad conflict but there is also good conflict and we see examples of both in everyday life. 

Conflict arises from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes or demands.  Conflict can be internal or external and all people deal with it in different ways, the most common form of resolving conflict is some form of confrontation.  I cannot go on without saying that there is another popular method for resolving conflict, which is ignoring the problem all together.  People who like to avoid conflict are often trying to keep the peace amongst people.  The problem with ignoring conflict is that the problem will still persist until it is dealt with or someone else handles it. 

In the 21st century change is continuous and always occurring.  The slogan leading Barack Obama’s presidential campaign “Change We Can Believe In” is one example of how the world is ready for change.  However, there is one setback; the more that change is added to an environment the higher the level of conflict there will be.  Conflict is often slower to arise between people and organizations in a normal environment without change.  Living a conflict-free life is all but impossible in a world full of change. 

How conflict is handled determines whether it is good or bad.  Many of us do not like conflict but it can really be a good thing, especially when it helps a team or employees identify the best possible ideas.  When emotional responses are set aside progress can really start.  A key for conflict to go well is to have good communication skills.  The tone of an employee’s voice alone can dictate how the conflict is dealt with.  There are always problems that have to be dealt with and if handled correctly they could make some good out of the bad.     

There are a number of reasons why conflict can go bad very quickly or even be doomed from the start.  The way that an individual decides to deal with an issue sets the scene for results.  The first attempt to deal with conflict should be non-confrontational and more of a relaxed approach to achieve the best results.  That method does not work with all conflicts and sometimes laying down the law is the only option.  Being knowledgeable of the situation and who you are dealing with is also very important.  When dealing with conflict avoid playing the blame game, not listening, being defensive and trying to win. 

Personally I like to think of conflict as either good or bad while some people see conflict as neither good nor bad and just something that happens in life that has to be dealt with for progress.  Both good and bad conflicts lead to progress, it just might not be the direction you had in mind.

By Gregory Kelley, Business Major- IUPUC

3 Comments

Pro and Cons of Telecommuting

November 8, 2011 at 12:00 pm (Telecommuting)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I believe that telecommuting started to become popular in the twenty first century.  This is when computer and Internet technology really started to advance.  More people than ever before now own a cell phone.  Very powerful computers including laptop computers started to become very affordable and popular for people to own in their own home.  High speed broadband Internet became much more affordable and available to many more people than in the past.  There was also the desire for more people to be able to spend more time with their family at home than to have to travel to and from work each day.

The major advantage for someone to telecommute is the ability to work from home.  I do believe that this can be a major advantage for many people.  Some people have families with children where they would like to stay close to at home.  In this case telecommuting can be a major advantage to them if the job has very flexible hours working in a very relaxing environment at home.  Most people that do telecommute every day from home have a separate area in their home away from the rest of their family so that they can focus on their work.  I do believe that telecommuting is very popular for stay at home parents.

Telecommuting can reduce the amount of money that is spent on gas.  With gas prices over three dollars a gallon now in many parts of the country, it might make sense to work from home more often than to drive to work every day.  This can really benefit the environment.  The life of a person’s car can be extended as well by not driving to work everyday. The telecommuter might be able to focus more doing their work from home then having to deal with the daily office distractions.

Telecommuting might also open up the job market for some individuals.  The economy in the U.S. is not really doing well right now.  Some people might have to look for a telecommuting job online in another state.  In the past if someone wanted to work for a company in another state, they more than likely had to relocate to another state.  Now they can just work from home anywhere if they were to get hired.  Telephones including cell phones, web cams,  and video conferencing might be used if the telecommuter has to talk with coworkers and managers in another state.

The major disadvantage of telecommuting is that there is no daily social interaction with coworkers and managers.  This could make it harder for some telecommuters to get promoted because managers do not see their employees daily.  Telecommuters can also sometimes be lonely.  The telecommuter has to really be self-motivated to be able to work every day from home because some people consider the home to be a place to relax and not work.  Some people might have a hard time separating their work life from their personal life working at home everyday.  Telecommuters working from home might be easily distracted from work if they do not have a separate area in their home for work.

Telecommuting does have some advantages and disadvantages.  Full time telecommuting is not for everyone.  It depends on what the person’s personal situation is at home and what type of job they would prefer to do for a living.  I do believe that full time telecommuting is not for someone who is single because they might desire the social interaction with people by going to work every day.   A telecommuting job might be more appealing for someone that has a family at home.

Personally, I do not believe that I would like or enjoy a full time telecommuting job but I would consider a job with some telecommuting work at home after I am done with college.  I would be someone that would enjoy going to work every day and having interaction with my coworkers and managers than someone that just does their work on the computer at home every day.  There are many benefits to a job that has some part time telecommuting.

I do believe that telecommuting will keep on getting more popular in the future because technology just keeps on advancing.

By Eric Shepherd-IUPUC Business Major, Ivy Tech Alumni

Leave a Comment

Real World Examples of Groupthink and the Consequences

November 5, 2011 at 2:04 pm (Business Ethics, Diversity in the Workplace, Effective Communication, Internet Consensus, Internet Consensus, Uncategorized, Working Well with Teams)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

First, what is Groupthink?

Groupthink was discovered as an undesirable by-product of group cohesiveness by a psychologist named Irving Janis. He further defined groupthink as a “mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.”

What are the symptoms of Groupthink?

Excessive Optimism                                      Assumptions of Inherent Morality

Suppression of Dissent                                 Desperate Quests for Unanimity

Stereotyping                                                  Rationalizing

  • These symptoms create a decision-making climate where the probability of making a poor decision is very high.

Real World Examples and Their Consequences

Corporate

Swissair’s Collapse: Thought to be so financially stable that people referred to it as the “Flying Bank.” Poor decision-making processes eventually led to its collapse.

Symptoms: The belief that the group is invulnerable and the belief in the morality of the group.

Lack of expertise, similar backgrounds / norms and pressure to conform were also present.

Consequences: Collapse of Swissair

Political

Vietnam: Groupthink is believed to be main reason for the war. Strategic advisors in 3 successive administrations rubber-stamped battle plans laced with false assumptions.

Symptoms: Groupthink prevented contradictory views to the war from being expressed and subsequently evaluated.

Consequences: 58,220 United States servicemen died.

Newly studied areas of groupthink outside of Politics and Business where symptoms were present.

Sports

Major League Umpire Association: In 1999, the Major League Baseball Association staged a mass resignation in a failed attempt to gain a stronger negotiating stance.

Symptoms: The umpires overestimated the power that they had over the baseball league and the strength of their group’s resolve. There was the presence of self-censorship; some umpires who disagreed with the decision to resign failed to voice their dissent.

Consequences: Failed strategy, Major League Baseball accepted their resignations, 22 umpires were out of jobs and eventually replaced.

Groupthink Consequences and Preventing Them

Previous examples show how groupthink can have devastating consequences. In some cases, thousands of lost lives have been associated with it.

How can we prevent groupthink?

According to Irving Janis, there are some things we can do to improve decision quality in cohesive groups but groupthink will always be a threat.

Most Important: Group members must always ask, “Are we allowing ourselves to become victims of groupthink?”

                Fundamental prevention measures:

  1. Avoid the use of groups to rubber-stamp decisions.
  2. Urge each group member to be a critical evaluator.
  3. Bring in outside experts for fresh perspectives.
  4. Assign someone the role of challenging assumptions.
  5. Take time to consider possible consequences of action.

References:

Kreitner, Robert. Management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Book.

By David Rice, Business (Computer Information Systems) Major-Indiana University Purdue University Columbus

3 Comments

Pros and Cons of PowerPoint

November 1, 2011 at 12:29 pm (Business Ethics, Effective Communication)
Tags: , , , , , ,

The ways in which we are able to communicate our message to others has changed drastically over time from writing letters to typing emails and then to sending text messages. The same thing can be said about the way we present information to others, whether it would be simply to introduce people to something new, inform others on a certain topic or persuade others to take a course of action. From the simple projectors that used knobs and transparent sheets to computers, Microsoft PowerPoint is the common visual presentation tool that almost everyone uses today for speeches, meetings and many other purposes. When presenting with one, it can help you out in the long run, or maybe hurt your presentation at the same time depending on how effectively you use it.

When it comes to PowerPoint, it is a great visual aid to use in presentations, so use it to your advantage! One benefit it has is that it can grab the attention of your audience, which not only brings interest to your presentation but also can take the pressure off yourself when you are speaking. Use it to illustrate your points such as using graphs and charts to back-up your statistics, or by using pictures to enhance your slides (or to distract in some cases). Another great value to using PowerPoint is that it helps adapt your message to people who learn in different ways. For example, there might be someone who learns better by listening while somebody else learns well visually. Believe it or not, you are actually using two channels to communicate your message this way. An interesting benefit of PowerPoint is that it can help nonnative speakers’ presentations be more understandable to an audience that has a hard time trying to pick up on the dialect of the speaker.

However, just because PowerPoint is a great tool does not mean it has its downsides as well. First of all, you do not want to take all the attention away from yourself otherwise your PowerPoint is being used more like a distraction than it should be such as adding music to your presentation. Unless you are trying to entertain, do not do this in a professional presentation. Also make sure you have a backup plan on how you are going to present because sometimes events such as blackouts may not create the most favorable conditions. Plus you don’t want to be too attached to technology for you techno people out there (Fact: The accident of the Columbia space shuttle mission was partially due to vague information used in PowerPoint instead of technical reports.). This is also self-explanatory, but do not put information in your presentation that may hurt others; otherwise, your audience may get the wrong impression about you. Last but not least, using bullet-points in your slides are great for summarizing what you are about to say, but do not use them too much in your presentation because it tends to be repetitive and in some cases too short.

These are just some of the pros and cons for this useful program. Hopefully, this will help you all reading this to become better presenters in the future.

I would like to give credit to the Web site “media.baruch.cuny.edu” for the information on some of the pros and cons of PowerPoint used in this post.

http://media.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/jbelland/powerpoint/tips.htm

Written by Derek Huffman, Business Major at IUPUC

1 Comment

« Older entries