Scavenger Hunt 2 Flashcards
Define communications
“A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.”
What is necessary for a symbol to communicate meaning?
A symbol is something that stands for something else. It is necessary to have a common understanding
Understand how behavior has different meanings in different contexts.
Different cultures assess different meanings to the same behavior.
Ex: sticking out your tongue - Tibetan culture sticking out your tongue is a sign of respect or agreement, in the U.S. it is playful or bratty
Roughly ____% of meaning is transmitted via nonverbal communications.
70-80%
What are the characteristics of email as a communications method? Strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths:
- Cheap ubiquitous - it’s everywhere
- At least everyone has one email account
- We can read email anywhere using almost any device
Weaknesses:
- The volume of work related emails we get can be overwhelming. People get and send about 121 emails a day
- Volume and interruption can reduce productivity. Only a verbal communication you don’t get expression with it
- Nonverbal: pace, tone. Non-verbal provides 70-80% of the message and it can be misinterpreted
What are the consequences of trying to juggle emails and other work?
- It can interrupt the other work you are doing.
- Lose 10 IQ points by trying to work and answer emails at the same time
- Interruption can reduce productivity
- Studies indicate that you can lose as much as 20 minutes when you’re interrupted when you’re in the middle of doing something
Why are email subject lines so important?
Because you have less than 3 seconds to use the subject line to catch someone’s attention
What are the two main reasons people read emails?
- The sender is important (boss)
- The subject line is compelling
___% of emails are deleted in less than ___ seconds.
80% of emails are deleted in less than 3 seconds
Know how to make a good subject line for an email.
Create subjects that are concise and compelling
They need to be short
The majority of email today is read on mobile devices and it provides less room for a subject line to appear
What does TL;DR mean?
Too Long; Didn’t Read
Only ___% of people say they only read ___ of an email.
60%; half
How should the fact that a lot of people don’t read the whole email change how you write emails?
You should instead take the important ideas and put them at the front of the email so people will actually read it.
What best practices were offered for formatting business emails?
- Use greetings and closings
- It’s polite and helps to establish relationships
- Makes it more personal
- May make people feel more connected to you and act more favorably
- Brevity - quick to the point, important info first.
- If you have lists and other info, then provide it as an attachment to keep the email short
What warning did Mr. Roberts give about people perceiving the tone of an email?
- People are no good at interpreting the tone of your email – we only get it right about half of the time and the problem is that we think we get it right about 90% of the time
- Don’t assume you are correctly reading the tone of someone else’s email
- When writing, be cautious that people may misinterpret the tone of your email so be careful when writing an email
- Proofread! Always write professionally. You never know where the email can get forwarded so be professional even with emails to work friends. You always want to be seen in the best possible light
- Be polite. There aren’t nonverbal communications such as a smiley face so stay professional
In what situations should you refrain from using email?
- Don’t send sensitive information, confidential information, items protected by law
- Don’t send overly long complicated messages
- Don’t send controversial sensitive messages
- Don’t use email to express grievances
- Don’t use business email for personal emails
What are the characteristics of voice communications? Strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths
- Can help people understand the full message being conveyed by the other person because you can hear their tone, pace, inflection, etc.
- Includes nonverbal
Weaknesses
- More expensive and time consuming
What does POTS stand for?
Plain Old Telephone Service
What is VOIP?
Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol) it is a special purpose computer that is plugged into the internet data network with phone software
What problem did VOIP solve?
It helps solve the multiple devices and things to connect/plug into the wall and it was expensive to do this
Very inconvenient to people who didn’t have the outlets to plug in the phone and computer cable
Software app
Know the benefits of VOIP (including savings).
Less machines and technology to buy
You save money because you only have one set of wires for your network
You can use it as your computer and for phone calls
Save even more money by installing a VOIP app instead of buying a phone and headset
It is also traditionally less expensive than landline telephone services
UF would safe a quarter of a million dollars a year by switching to VOIP and it has better features
How does the sound of the human voice convey meaning beyond just the words that are spoken?
Much richer communications because you can get those nonverbal communications elements such as pitch and tone
What are the characteristics of video communications method? Strengths and weaknesses?
Rich communication between 2+ sites (voice and video, share computer screen)
Weakness:
- Limited by the power of the traditional network which was designed only for voice
- Slow start
- Telephone lines limited quality
- Long distance charges
- Complex
Strengths of the INTERNET and H.323:
- Higher bandwidth
- HD video
- Smoother motion
- Lower cost
- Easier
What is video teleconferencing (VTC)?
Rich communication between 2+ sites, voice and video. Lower cost, the internet gives great quality
Know some of the benefits of VTC.
Reduce travel costs and environmental impact, increased productivity
What is telepresence?
Build environment
VTC on steroids
HD videos
Large screens
Multiple large screens
What is web conferencing?
Ex: Zoom, voice, video, and chat via the internet
With web conferencing, what is considered the “star of the show”?
Screen sharing – data
Know the difference between webinars and web meetings.
Webinar: is a broadcast, one way communication
Web Meetings: Collaborative
What is meant by “Room-based VTC”?
Room, video (monitor, cameras, audio, VTC system)
Understand the types of cameras and microphones described. Be able to make an appropriate
recommendation for an appropriate type to use in typical situations
Avoid built in computer microphone and camera
Use built in camera only as last resource
Good quality usb camera with good quality lens
High quality usb microphone (Yeti)
What does the acronym PTZ mean?
Pan, Tilt, Zoom
What best practices were recommended for engaging in video communications?
- Limit background noise
- Consider muting microphone when not speaking
- Camera image: position, backlighting
- Limit potential distractions
What is a CODEC?
It is the device in a video teleconferencing (VTC) system that takes all of the video and audio in your room, enCOdes it into a stream of digital data, and sends it over the internet to the other end
