COM 2301, Professional Communication 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

4. Discuss the impact of changing technologies on professional communication. 4.1 Identify communication noisemakers in a virtual meeting.

6. Illustrate appropriate problem-solving skills for effective professional communication.

6.1 Discuss strategies that virtual meeting facilitators can use to overcome communication challenges.

Course/Unit

Learning Outcomes Learning Activity

4.1

Unit Lesson Article: “Four Reasons Youre Tired of Zoom CallsAnd How to Fix It” Article: “Is It Time to Turn Off Our Zoom Feed?” Video Segment: “Importance of Listening” Video Segment: “Nonverbal Communication” Video Segment: “Listening Barriers” Video Segment: “Listening Skills” Video Segment: “Practical Listening Tips” Video Segment: “Communications Checklist” Unit VI Assignment

6.1

Unit Lesson Article: “Four Reasons Youre Tired of Zoom CallsAnd How to Fix It” Article: “Is It Time to Turn Off Our Zoom Feed?” Video Segment: “Importance of Listening” Video Segment: “Nonverbal Communication” Video Segment: “Listening Barriers” Video Segment: “Listening Skills” Video Segment: “Practical Listening Tips” Video Segment: “Communications Checklist” Article: “The Fatiguing Effects of Camera Use in Virtual Meetings: A Within-

Person Field Experiment” Article: “The Future of Videoconferencing” Article: “Legion of Zoom: Companies With Employees Working From Home

Fighting Video Meeting Fatigue” Article: “Zoom Fatigue and Distracted Driving Share a Common Problem:

Multitasking” Unit VI Assignment

Required Unit Resources In order to access the following resources, click the links below. Videos The transcripts for these videos can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database.

UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE Technological Tools

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UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2010). Importance of listening (Segment 1 of 7) [Video]. In Listening essentials. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40422&loid=88097

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2010). Nonverbal communication (Segment 3 of 7) [Video].

In Listening essentials. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40422&loid=88099

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2010). Listening barriers (Segment 4 of 7) [Video]. In

Listening essentials. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40422&loid=88100

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2010). Listening skills (Segment 5 of 7) [Video]. In Listening

essentials. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40422&loid=88101

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2010). Practical listening tips (Segment 6 of 7) [Video]. In

Listening essentials. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40422&loid=88102

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2010). Communications checklist (Segment 7 of 7) [Video].

In Listening essentials. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40422&loid=88103

Articles Biondi, F. (2021, April 20). Zoom fatigue and distracted driving share a common problem: Multitasking. The

Conversation. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A658961841/STND?u=oran95108&sid=ebsco&xid=177587b4

Dob, C. (2021, June 5). Legion of Zoom: Companies with employees working from home fighting video

meeting fatigue. The Toronto Star [Toronto, Ontario], A3. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A664172323/GIC?u=oran95108&sid=ebsco&xid=8ff1be40

Firozi, P., & Chiu, A. (2021, July 12). Four reasons you're tired of zoom callsand how to fix it. The

Washington Post. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A653687320/AONE?u=oran95108&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=471f0068

Kulp, P. (2021, July 12). The future of videoconferencing. Adweek, 62(12), 7.

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=151340518&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Moniuszko, S. M. (2021, March 24). Is it time to turn off our zoom feed? USA Today, 01B.

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A656116096/AONE?u=oran95108&sid=ebsco&xid=86de835c Shockley, K. M., Gabriel, A. S., Robertson, D., Rosen, C. C., Chawla, N., Ganster, M. L., & Ezerins, M. E.

(2021, August). The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings: A within-person field experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(8), 11371155. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2021-77825-003&site=ehost-live&scope=site

COM 2301, Professional Communication 3

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Unit Lesson

Overview In this unit, our focus is how technological tools have impacted our professional communication. Have these tools changed the way we communicate, or are they just thattools to help us connect senders to receivers?

A New Kind of Communication

Virtual meetings have become a new normal.

How does this technology effect your communication skills? (Fizkes, n.d.)

The above photo of the online meeting probably looks quite familiar. With the decline in face-to-face meetings in conference rooms, at job sites, or even during lunch (whether in a lunchroom or restaurant), online or remote meetings with bosses, supervisors, and coworkers have become the new normal. This new normal has created a new kind of communication: digital communication. Digital communication can be defined as online communication. However, this is the question to ask: Do communication skills change based on the kind of communication? When meeting online, we still need to send clear messages to a receiver and listen for their feedback while overcoming noisemakers. We must do this as well when meeting face-to-face.

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Though we can define digital communication as online communication or communication through technology, the skills we need to successfully communicate online has not changed. Think of digital communication or online communication then as using technology (as a channel) to send messages to a receiver.

It Is Not the Technology That Fails

(Adapted from Tan, n.d.)

How many times do you attend a remote meeting and your screen freezes, your connection is lost, or you cannot connect at all? Yes, technology can cause noise by not working. However, technology has created a channel for more people to connect. With this Zoom boom, we have seemed to learn how to overcome these technical glitches or at least be patient when they do occur. What we have not yet learned is that it is much more challenging to communicate via this channel. This has led to exhaustion as we spend our days staring at a screen. Why are online meetings so exhausting? Bailenson (as cited in Firozi & Chiu, 2021), Director of Stanford Universitys Virtual Human Interaction Lab notes in an interview with The Washington Post that more mental effort is needed for video meetings. Think about your face-to-face meetings and ask yourself these questions.

Do many occur as you are walking down a hallway or at a worksite? Do you use more nonverbal communication to gesture to a colleague? Do you feel more comfortable; is the conversation more natural?

Now think about your last online meeting. Did you find yourself sitting or standing still in front of that screen? Did you hear more self-talk as you wondered where is the raise hand button, or should I ask my question in the chat box now? Did you find your attention drifting away from the speaker to your own image on the screen? To compare this idea of staring at your own image during an online meeting versus a face-to-face meeting, Bailenson (as cited in Firozi & Chiu, 2021) further suggested imagining yourself being followed by someone holding a mirror so you are staring at your own face each minute of the day. How would this make you feel: tired?

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Technological Tools to Beat the Fatigue Exhaustion caused by technology has thus created noise. However, technology also has created tools to decrease this exhaustionthis noise. Simple tricks include turning off the self-view (which still allows others to see you). The easiest fixes for online meeting fatigue are often the same as those in a face-to-face meeting.

Take 5-minute breaks every 30 minutes. Set up small groups to allow for informal conversations. Ask: Does this require an online meeting?

Video conferencing is not the only technological channel available. Perhaps the cure for Zoom fatigue is remembering that an email or a phone call will work just as well or even better. Overall, we can use technology as a new channel of communication, or we can consider digital communication a new kind of communication, and we can use technological tools to help minimize the exhaustion created by this channel. Training and tutorials on how to best use the technology can decrease this exhaustion. If technology does not fail, then what does? Communication fails. Noisemakers do not disappear just because the channel or how the message is sent changes.

Decrease the Technological Noisemakers: Communication Tools No matter what job we havewhether we are a firefighter, safety professional, nurse, welder, or psychologisteach profession has its own set of unique tools. No matter what profession we enter, communication is a skill that we need to succeed in that profession. Yet, as we have learned in previous units, there are noisemakers that prevent successful communication. Whether it is perception, self-concept, nonverbal communication, listening, or language, these noisemakers still exist when meeting online. How can we decrease the noise and become stronger communicators no matter the channel we choose to use? In previous units, weve already discussed three tools to decrease noise:

active listening, perception checking, and empathy.

Lets now add three new tools to our toolbox:

etiquette, critical and content listening, and identity management.

Tool 1: Etiquette

In Unit IV, we focused on business codes of conduct. Think of etiquette as our own personal set of codes. What do you value: politeness, respect, trustworthiness, honesty? No matter the communication channel, follow your own set of conduct codes. Etiquette can also be linked to manners. We all have heard the no elbows on the table rule or do not talk with your mouth full rule. Think of workplace manners as less about dinner time and more about understanding how you want to be treated, and treat others in this same manner. Perhaps with a bit of cliché self-talk (mind your manners), we can decrease the volume of our noisemakers when communicating online.

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To learn more dos and donts when communicating at work, watch the video segment “Business Communication Dos and Donts”. The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database.

Tool 2: Critical and Content Listening As noted previously, active listening is another tool we should have in our toolbox. However, there are two other types of listening that should rest alongside this tool: critical and content listening. Choosing the right type of listening in the workplacewhether online or face-to-facecan decrease noise. For example, if we are being asked for our opinion on a new project, listen critically. However, if our supervisor is explaining a new policy, we listen to absorb this information objectively. To learn more, watch the video segment “Types of Listening”. The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database.

Tool 3: Identity Management Our third new tool, identity management, connects to our self-concept noisemaker. Think of this as how you manage your professional image. How do you want your coworkers or supervisor to see you? In our previous unit, we discussed that remote workers often have the mullet wardrobe (professional on top; casual on the bottom). This can be an example of identity management. Identity management includes

personal appearance, environment, and nonverbal communication.

How we manage each can decrease noise if we are face-to-face or online. For example, we present ourselves as professional by choosing to wear a clean button-down shirt and combing our hair. For our environment (our office or workspace), we ensure that our background or environment is also professional. For example, the camera is only showing your clutter-free desk or a wall behind you that has a solid background. Your unmade bed is not appearing in the background, and the television is not blaring in the background. When speaking on camera, we make sure to manage our nonverbal communication by using smaller gestures, standing or sitting up straight, and maintaining eye contact with the camera (our audience). To learn more, view the video segment “Communication Via Video”. The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database.

Summary In Unit I, we established the fundamentals of communication and began putting our professional communication puzzle together. In Unit II, we continued building our puzzle by focusing on workplace relationships including conflict causers, conflict resolution, and stress management. In Unit III, we added our third puzzle piece: crossing cultures. In Unit IV, our fourth puzzle piece, ethics, was added. In Unit V, we added our changing technology puzzle piece to our professional communication puzzle. For Unit VI, our added puzzle piece is technological tools.

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References Firozi, P., & Chiu, A. (2021, March 3). Four reasons you're tired of zoom callsand how to fix it. The

Washington Post. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A653687320/AONE?u=oran95108&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=471f0068

Fizkes. (n.d.). ID 179646241 [Photograph]. Dreamstime. https://www.dreamstime.com/laptop-screen-

webcam-view-different-ethnicity-age-people-engaged-group-videocall-video-conference-lead-african-image179646241

Tan, Y. X. (n.d.). ID 206106138 [Image]. Dreamstime. https://www.dreamstime.com/finger-art-two-fingers-

decorated-as-person-office-one-them-asking-another-if-feels-tired-due-to-vast-amount-image206106138

Suggested Unit Resources In order to access the following resources, click the links below. Watch the following clips to learn more about online communication dos and donts. The transcripts for these videos can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database. Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2015). Communication competency (Segment 1 of 7)

[Video]. In Digital communication skills: Dos and donts. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=58374&loid=269742

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2015). Communication via email (Segment 2 of 7) [Video].

In Digital communication skills: Dos and donts. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=58374&loid=269743

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2015). Communication via text (Segment 3 of 7) [Video]. In

Digital communication skills: Dos and donts. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=58374&loid=269744

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2015). Business calls and voice mail etiquette (Segment 4

of 7) [Video]. In Digital communication skills: Dos and donts. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=58374&loid=269745