Communication Strategies

As a new technical editor, your supervisor has requested that you write a letter of introduction to the company that will be used as a formal introduction to the team of engineers with whom you will be working. In your letter of introduction, state four major points that you feel are important to your success as a technical editor. Remember that you will be working with to import the writing and research of the team in preparation for publication. Make up a company name, address, phone number, and any other information necessary to create a complete introduction letter including proper formatting.
Please submit your assignment.


Aspire Network Solutions
R135, Grove Central Avenue, 45208
Pleasanton, California.
Fax  321-547-654
Phone  1-432-876-765

Hello,
I have recently been appointed as a technical writer in the Aspire Network Solutions to help assist the Research and Development efforts of the company by technical writings so that these could be brought into the shape of a research paper and later be patented. Before joining the company I deeply studied the research and development that is being taken place in the company and I am very much appreciative of the work. For the past 7 years I have been involved in writing and editing technical documents and there are several papers of international repute on my credit.
For the mutual benefit I would suggest you to include the following whenever you are documenting your RD results. These recommendations usually bring the best out and turn to become good quality papers.

Graphs
Try to use graphs to enhance your result for example, if you are evaluating the power consumption of a certain type of devices such as processors than try to show it using a graph, mentioning and comparing that how much energy is consumed by each processor. Graphs are always better than Tabulated results.

Simulator
Whatever simulator you use to simulate the results before actually doing the project for example you are designing a circuit and you simulated the problem on OrCAD then try to include some details of it, parameters , limitations , optional features etc because it improves the quality of the paper. (Fletcher, 1996)

Picture
Take picture of the hardware setup or the screen shots of the simulator results to improve the quality of the work this gives a visual effect to the reader because after looking at the setup they might be able to redo the experiment easily.

Units
Please always include the units while documenting your work, you might be familiar with the units but I might not be able to understand those at all.

Details
Always include the minute details like how was the simulator setup , how were the reading taken , why was a particular step in an experimental work was causing problem , how did you improve the algorithm etc. because in the long run this would become useful , in describing and explaining some aspect of the work.

All these above recommendations would help me to organize the project report into a research paper to be published in leading computing journals such as ACM. As a note I would like to mention that these are not my requirements but are usually required by the paper reviewers.
Thank you and I wish a very cordial relationship in future with you, if you have any question feel free to email me.

David Cabrejos
Technical Writer

    The audience of a technical document plays an active role in determining the characteristics of the writing process as they act as receivers of the messages found in the document (vanAlstyne, 2005). The writer should move away from situations where readers are either confused because of the documents complexity or are insulted because of the shallowness of the written document (Myers, 2001). In developing a report that addresses a specific audience, it is important that the writer knows who the audience is, what their characteristics are, and what their needs could be in relation to the document.

    First, the writer must identify the intended audience. For technical reports, the business proposals are usually associated with entrepreneurs. However, assumptions based on common knowledge about technical documents may not suffice especially for situations when business proposals require the involvement of engineers and scientists for a complex project. In some instances, there may also be a combination of more than one group of audience based on their culture. In such situations, the technical writer should identify all possible audiences.

    Second, the writer must conduct an assessment of the audiences characteristics. If these are engineers, then they share a certain set of characteristics that would make writing a technical report of a building structure different when compared to that of a group of entrepreneurs. The characteristics of the audience would let the writer know the depth, quality, and kind of information that are needed for the paper. Likewise, there is also the need to distinguish the characteristics of the audience based on their nationality since not all may have the same educational curriculum, expectations, or technical know-how (Pringle  OKeefe, 2003).

    Lastly, the writer must also evaluate the needs of the audience in relation to the document and make sure that these are addressed. The needs of the audience translate to what they intend to see in the document. These things are what they usually look for or wants to know based on the report given to them. Thus, the writer must learn to identify and incorporate all of these in order to satisfy the audiences purpose for the document.

A conflict is a situation that arises when there is a variation of interests of two parties, and both want situations or results that might make the other party unhappy. A conflict can be broadly categorized into two branches internal or external  that is, one might have a conflict in their heads while choosing between alternatives or could be external which involves other parties and their varying perspectives. A disagreement on interests, values, beliefs and actions is what usually causes a conflict.

A conflict exists, but ideally, the purpose of existence should be the resolution of it  only this will lead to a peaceful world. There are various methods of resolving a conflict. The result is usually in three categories firstly, Win-Win  this is when both the parties get what they want and are extremely happy with their parts secondly, Win-Lose is when one party wins and gets what they wished for and the other party loses and is not happy with the result lastly, there is a Lose-Lose situation as well, where none of the parties get what they wished for and the conflict ends in nobodys interest  this usually happens when the cause or basis of the conflict is not right and could generally result in the harm of somebody else or human mankind (Brem, 1995).

Whenever there is a conflict, there are five phases that the entire procedure goes through. First, Prelude to conflict this is the existence of such variables that might result in a fight later, the factors that result in the conflict. Second, Triggering Event this is the happening of a certain event or the occurrence of a certain situation that might trigger the variables that exist and result in increased tension. Third, Initiation Phase this is when either of the two parties openly makes it clear or gives a message in any form to the other party of the existence of tension and conflict  this is when the conflict is made public. Fourth, Differentiation phase this is when both parties give their own arguments and tell reasons for their opinion. Lastly, there is the Integration stageResolution this is when both the parties make an effort and try to resolve the issue by finding common grounds.

The conflict that I usually face is in my university class. It is a great thing that my university has a very diverse student base  Africans, Americans, Canadians, Asians, Indians, Hispanics, anything you name, we have them, and that is beyond amazing. However, when working in teams on class projects, it becomes a little difficult because everybody has such varying perspectives and making sure that we take into account all of their opinions and not hurt anybodys beliefs or values.

We had to work on a marketing assignment this time around. We had to make the marketing mix of a new product Shampoo. This is a much generalized product and thus, we need to keep a huge target audience in mind. Also, we had to launch it globally.

All of us on the team understood that competition is not only restricted to your local market with increasing globalization, the entire international forum is becoming your playing field.

Although, the world is becoming a global village and international scope for all products should exist but there are still many cultural and regional differences that producers and marketers need to keep in mind before launching the product. There are a few changes that one needs to make to adjust the product according to the needs of the market in a particular region otherwise, it can result in major losses.

Naturally, in doing so, the team resulted in a conflict because everybody had their own brilliant ideas which were well suited in their culture. Some of the ideas being used in one culture were considered offensive in other cultures  this was also a major source of conflict between team members. There were instances where the American in the group wanted to use a thumbs up sign in the advertisement to show sign of approval of the shampoo. However, the Iraqi in the group took this as an offense because in Iraq, a thumbs up sign is a curse and is usually used for abusing others. A Mexican wanted to show a smiling lady in the huge crowd to imply confidence in a person but the Indonesian in the group did not approve because smiling in public in Indonesia means embarrassment. These were some cultural clashes. However, the problem shouldnt have been there if the ideas were rejected normally. But the problem was that the Mexican was not willing to understand why smiling was a problem and was not willing to accept this cultural difference and refused to believe the Indonesian. Something similar happened with the Iraqi  the American said that the Iraqi was lying and only creating problems because he was an American and Iraqis are against Americans.

A conflict is usually resolved using five strategies
1. Accommodation  this is when one party agrees to let go of their ideas and wishes and agrees to do whatever the other party wishes.
2. Avoidance  this is when all the parties involve try to ignore the fact that there is tension and that a problem exists. This can only work temporarily and can buy you time, but not in the long run it only makes things worse.
3. Collaboration  this is when the parties want to resolve the issue and want to involve all parties in doing so. Thus, they all sit together and try to come up with a solution which is mutually beneficial.
4. Compromise  this is when the problem is presented to a third person who analyzes the issue and gives a solution this often means that one party has to give in and agree to whatever has been decided (Timor Australia Friendship Manual).
5. Competition  this is when the resolution is heated, and the view of one party is forced on the other party. This is more inclined towards coercion because it is at the expense of the good of the other party.

All of us, being mature individuals decided to go with the collaborative approach and tried to go back to our basics and understand the situation well. We realized what an important part culture plays in marketing.

When marketing the product, it is important to form an emotional connection with the customers that is the selling trick.That bond can only be formed by keeping all perspectives in mind There are many cultural variables in different societies, regions, countries, religions, races etc. The major five variables are individualism vs collectivism, femininity vs masculinity, long term orientation vs short term orientation, power distance (how much power inequality is tolerated in certain cultures compared to others and lastly uncertainty avoidance (how calm one person from a certain culture can remain in emergency or unknown situations compared to another culture). It is believed that all cultural differences can be weighed in these five categories.

We then chose to propose our own strategies based on our beliefs and made sure that it was put out for criticism and ensured that the criticism was taken positively. There was a formal expectation setting meeting before it began  expectations to remain calm, rational, not take it personally, be open to ideas and take criticism positively. After everybody agreed on that, everybody took turns to present their ideas and in the end there was a question and answer session with feedback. Whatever that was not suitable according to differing cultures was then eliminated and an alternative was suggested by the rest  this means that it was a solution oriented approach. Even the rejections were not given in a failure-implying tone it was given with a very knowledgeable and learning perspective. In the end, all 4 team members had 4 strategies which were free of any cultural conflicts after discussions on it. At the end, whatever strategy suited the product and the needs of the audience the best was selected for the final project. Work was equally divided and responsibility was assumed by each for their respective parts.

It was a difficult procedure, but completely worth it because in the end we had a strategy that was extremely well-blended and suited the reality of our global customers and could be implemented successfully in any part of the world.

As my first step, I would seek to analyse the qualities that I would expect of the professional to head this group. Recommending a new computer system would require teamwork and negotiation. I would therefore be highlight communication skills as key element to look for in the potential leader. The leader would be expected to exhibit assertiveness, open-mindedness, good communication skills and good control of emotions (Larson, n.d Marks, n.d). Proper qualification and experience in the field would also rank high on my list of items to look for. To increase our chances of getting the best information system in the face of fast-evolving technology, I would be in favour candidates whose papers show that they have been updating their knowledge in the field.

Having captured the qualities and qualifications expected of the potential candidates, I would design several tasks which would be engineered to lead to a diversity of ideas and which would require participants to debate among themselves and agree on the most appropriate solutions. The tasks would be totally unrelated to the task they are recruited for, and would require the candidates to explore a wide diversity of ideas. The qualified candidates would be given the tasks with directions to work together and advance negotiated solutions.  Unknowing to the candidates, some executives would watch the team and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the team-members.

The executives watching the candidates would report their assessment of the candidates, identifying the candidates who best matched the qualities expected of a leader. Candidates who exhibited ability to communicate with team-mates, open-mindedness, good control of temper, and assertiveness would qualify for the oral interview which would again test the candidates communication skills and confidence.

I am  a student with average performance. I always tried to improve my academic performance by planning a rigorous self study routine. Alas,my plans were never instrumental due to various obstructions and distarctions. I observed the need to change by way of  attending specialised coaching classes.Drastic changes were brought about in my personality as a result of the coaching classes.The first class I attended made me realise how important it is to be coached to achieve success in my field of study.Coaching guided me in every aspect and that led to a satisfying and enhanced performance thereafter in my academics. The first thing I learnt there was realizing my own potential. Then aim at time bound achievement in each subject area.The next step is to channelize my time and energytowards that goal.And then exposure to different rigorous sessions of  practice teststhat gave lots of confidence and helped me gain strength in every topic. The best thing about taking coaching is this systematic and methodical approach, covering each topic in detail, working out on all aspects of it both practical and theoretical. What helped me a lot is the professionalism of my guide during the coaching sessions. My strengths were identified and then I was taught accordingly. I was guided to think positively, leaving behind my negative traits. Grasping the right point  according to requirement and presenting the answers without unnecessary deviations in explanations was mastered.Apart from  this, the coaching helped me in reviewing  the course work and communicate that verbally to other students in need of  improvement. As an individual it has made me more efficient and skillful. My overall performance amzingly got a boost and placed me on top in the finals.

1. My idea about leadership before is limited to learning that you cannot be a good leader without possessing the right wisdom and without knowing the necessary managerial skills. I learned from school and from the people around me that the best way to lead people is by example. You cannot preach what you do not know, in the same manner that you cannot ask your subordinates to be someone you are not. In this course, I have learned that all those I mentioned are not enough, in fact, they may not be really necessary. Henry Mintzberg, one of the worlds most influential mentors of business strategy (as cited in Reingold, 2000), said that one cannot create a leader in the classroom. This statement practically shook all faith in leadership as something learned. I am aware that there are born leaders, those who do not need any formal education to be able to lead well, but I also know and have come to believe that leadership skills can be learned. Even if you werent born with superb leadership capabilities, you can still be a great leader so long as you dedicate yourself to learning the right skills. But Mintzberg says otherwise. He suggests that successful leaders are those who interact, those who learn from experience. Then maybe its true that experience is the best teacher. And experience cant be encountered in just the four walls of the classroom. Mintzberg further shared that when he asked managerial groups what happened on the day they become managers, the dominant answer was Nothing Youre supposed to figure it out. Theres not really a secret. Management is, above all, practice, where art, science, and craft meet.

2. The idea of changing ones self before changing others is nothing new and its practically acceptable. You cannot give what you do not have. Having learned a new approach to leadership, I am very much excited to apply it on my work. There is a paradigm shift from knowledge to experience and I am positive about it. I believe its high time to transform the way we look at the corporate world. Its not all about academics. It is simply life. You grow and you become better as you experience things and interact with people.

3. This new approach gives encouragement to those who were not able to obtain a good degree from a reputable institution. It doesnt say that education isnt important it just says that even without a good education, one can still be an effective leader so long as he desires and works for it. Reingold said that cross-cultural interaction is as well important to be a good leader. You have to know how other cultures think and believe. I believe it is a great opportunity for people to mingle and get to know others as well. After all, were all humans, and it is beneficial for us to know about others. Theres nothing wrong with expanding ones horizons.

II.
Last weeks learning has made me realize a couple of things. One of which is the importance of taking a break for reflection. Cunliffe (2004) said that critical reflection is essential to developing not just more effective organizational citizens but critical thinkers and moral practitioners. It is in this statement that I would like to ponder more. Effective organizational citizens are critical thinkers and moral practitioners. Critical and moral (knowledge and values) these two I believe create balance and harmony. Its not enough that one is critical (highly-knowledgeable), it is important that he is morally upright. In todays busy and chaotic world, the challenge is to be both critical and moral. I take on the challenge. Fully aware that it is difficult especially in an environment and time like ours, I am full of positive vibes that it is possible to achieve, because it was already achieved by several people who dared.

I am looking forward to more learning as the course progresses. I know things will be clearer as we learn from the experiences of others and from our interactions as well.

Leadership is one of the essentials of any business organization. All the organizations work with several categories of resources, such as financial, human, capital resources etc. It is the responsibility of the manager or leader of the departments to ensure all organizational functions are carried out in coherence and unison with each other.

The word combination globally distanced multicultural marketing team refers to a group of marketers who are located in different places all over the world and belong to different cultures and identities. It would be a challenging task for me to bring them together at one platform, make them work and monitor their activities. Thus, I will have to manage them using different strategies than those of traditional leadership theories.

Bringing the Team together
A group of people which are located in different places globally can be supervised using a virtual platform. The first challenging step for me would be to choose a suitable communication channel to get my message across the marketing team that I am leading. There are many challenges, strengths as well as limitations as far as the choice of this channel is concerned, namely, choosing internet, telephone, video-conferencing etc. Internet would certainly mean communicating with the team through e-mails and such resources as msn. Videoconferencing can also be useful in case the team sitting on the other end consists of many people. Nowadays, people can also be contacted easily through social networking websites such as facebook and twitter and can be informed of the plans and schedules of upcoming meetings.

Conducting the Meeting
As the leader, my next step would be to conduct the meeting and inform my marketing team concerning our objectives, rules and methods of undertaking tasks. Once they are informed of the schedule of meeting through e-mails or any social networking site, I can hold the first meeting through videoconferencing. I would prepare an agenda of meeting and fax or e-mail it to my team. The agenda would include objectives, purpose of the meeting, points to be discussed and goals to be achieved. Then, we can talk, discuss and see each others expressions, body language and gestures of agreement or disagreement. The added benefits of videoconferencing will also let me decide and choose the participants who would be more productive to be included into my marketing team.
Strategies for the success of Multicultural Team

It is very much challenging to bring together and lead the people who are located in different places all over the world. I would have to apply such strategies which keep the team in harmony and working. My first strategy would be to develop collective trust which is vital to the functioning of a virtual team involving people from different backgrounds (Gibson and Manuel, 2003).  According to the research, trust in virtual teams can eliminate any possible conflicts and increase harmony, influential exchange of information and confidence in relationships. To keep the enthusiasm of the team alive, it is necessary to adopt the strategy of brainstorming. Since globally distanced team includes people of all cultures and classes, it would be beneficial to brainstorm as everyone would come up with different, newer and innovative ideas depending on their knowledge and aptitude. It would be very important for me to build awareness and develop knowledge of different cultures that I would be dealing with. On my part, I will have to identify, clarify and fulfill the needs and expectations of the stakeholders to avoid any sort of confusions and conflicts in the end.

I would encourage a participative style where the decision-making process would be assisted by the team members and decisions would be made and applied by the consensus of the whole team. Any problems or misunderstandings would be solved through vertical, horizontal and lateral communication. Moreover, I would take up the adaptation strategy to prevent team to become prone to misunderstandings. If the tension evolves, the structural intervention strategy would also solve the problems.

The group will ultimately excel in its performance and achievement of goals efficiently. The team members will have no complains against their leader or amongst each other. The environment of harmony and agreement would help building trust and confidence. There will be a cyclical pattern of the participation and collaborative behavior of the team members as shown below

The dynamism created in the team will also reduce the costs, time and improve flexibility and utilization of resources.

Problems
The problems that I should be anticipating in case of the globally distanced marketing team would be listed and explained further. The team may not be able to begin the execution of its operations rather it could be stuck in brainstorming or even move towards socializing with each other instead of working for corporate objectives. A few team members could appear to be performing all the tasks thus decreasing the expected productivity of the team. This could result in wasting time, resources and money. The team members could miss deadlines and deliver their tasks later. Moreover, there could be conflicts, problems in communication and punctuality. Since, this work would be done virtually and has no physical existence, the team members could just be invisible and out of contact. Then, the major problem that I would certainly expect will be the troubles with language, accents and fluency. There could be frustration or misunderstandings as the non-natives may not understand the accents or any other language (Harvard Business Review 2006). There can also be different behaviors in case the team follows a top-down hierarchy. For example, the Japanese people who are used to working in flat-structured organizations will find it difficult to follow hierarchy.

Monitoring and Synergizing the Team
I will have to control and monitor all the teams activities regularly and strictly. It would be rather difficult to perform all the leadership functions of planning, controlling, commanding and leading online. I will make a schedule of the periodical meetings and mail it to all the team members. In an effort to motivate them, I will keep rewards and incentives so that the people should keep learning and working in peace and with dedication. I would be strict with the submission of ideas and tasks within the deadlines. Moreover, I would encourage training those members who need polishing up on their marketing or related knowledge.

The wise division of tasks can result in easy monitoring and good synergizing of the team. The spirit of respect for each others cultures would also energize the groups abilities. Moreover, a good example of the synergy would be created when the people in the team will work with congruence and combined effort while productively using the skills and expertise of each other.