Michael Ettinger Comm 1010 C.

Quintero Journal Entries Typed 8/26: Q: If you were interacting w/ a person from a different culture at the workplace, how would you bridge the difference? A: At every job/workplace I have been employed at, I have needed to interact with persons from different cultures. I realize that eye-contact is huge because it allows us to read signals/messages that are intended whenever the language barrier is encountered and words alone cannot get the job done. Also, hand signals and gestures are a great supplemental tool. Patience is very important too taking the time to work past any barriers not only improves trust and builds confidence between the parties communicating, but it also builds familiarity which improves the quality of the relationship. 8/28: Q: Choose one set of cultural values summarized in p. 42-46 and identify the characteristic that is not representative of your own culture. A: The United States is not a long-term oriented culture. We are entirely obsessed with immediate gratification and the profit that follows it. We are also an overly masculine culture. We are very intolerant of uncertainty, (this ties in with shortterm orientation & immediate gratification), and have a relatively low-power distance But I feel that this distance is increasing steadily. 8/30: Q: Consider a time when you did not feel like you were being listened to. How did that make you feel? What could you have done differently? A: With my Dad, often times I find myself feeling like he is not listening to the entire message I am trying to send. It does not feel good, especially because he is my father. I guess it feels like he does not hold any interest in seeing/finding exactly how I feel or how I see things. He often interjects, but now I see where that comes from. He is an extremely smart man, he is a doctor and has a wealth of knowledge, but I guess I could express my frustration and my desire to be completely heard rather than giving up on expressing myself so quickly. 9/11 Q: How do you communicate nonverbally in the workplace? Provide examples: A: For me, one way I communicate unintentionally and nonverbally is through my body language. Often times when I am very busy, fellow coworkers ask me if I am doing okay, or if there is any way that they can help me. Im often very surprised because I guess I never realize how I appear during those busy times. One way to use nonverbal signals effectively is to make eye contact consistently to show co-

workers you are engaged. Another way to communicate nonverbally is to use handsignals to wave a manager or fellow server over to assist you. 9/16 Q: Describe a situation when you responded defensively to criticism. Why did you respond defensively? Did your response improve the situation in any way? Imagine a different outcome. What would it be? A: This past summer, my roommates (2 girls) were criticizing me for spending too much time studying for my 1 summer class. They wouldnt let it rest and kept criticizing, saying that they did not understand why I lived in Park City if all I did was study. I responded defensively because I felt attacked and to be honest, Im not sure if responding defensively was the right move. I explained myself, as well as the differences between them and I, and they did not bother me once more about it after that time. A different outcome could have been me not responding at all they probably would have gotten even more frustrated and lashed out at me more. 9/18 Q: Think of 3 times when you have responded defensively to criticism. What were the consequences? A: In the restaurant I work at, when I was first learning to serve & working the crazy shifts when we first opened I was criticized when making mistakes. It only happened a couple of times, but in those high-stress/high-pressure situations, the chefs and managers can become quite upset. I took their criticism, listened closely, and began making changes in the way that I conducted myself. The first time though, I tried defending myself by reiterating what it was that led me to make the mistake, pointing to the chef and the kitchen. My manager quickly called me out for that, and emphasized that those things will happen I just need to learn how to mitigate/handle those problems in a more effective way by asking for help. Another time is when my sister pointed out that I really abandoned her in many ways when we were younger and struggling to deal with my moms issues. I responded defensively, ignoring her points of view. She became more upset and called me out on not being able to acknowledge it. She was right and I looked heartless/uncompassionate. Another time, my friends called me out on being reckless and inconsiderate when having a relationship with a girl that another friend liked. I was so ashamed that I made an excuse of being drunk, and mentioned how the girl had no interest in my friend anyways. This caused my friends to become even more upset and to abandon any hopes of getting through to me. I was isolated from them for months after that. 9/30 Q: What is the most difficult thing about working in teams? What is the most enjoyable? A: The most difficult thing, in my opinion, is that there are multiple voices wanting to be heard & it is not easy to mediate and navigate through team efforts when there are conflicting views and intentions. I think that the most enjoyable part of working in teams is the experience gained when working through/past the

differences among group members, when the group is able to embrace and enjoy the differences in thought and come to compromises when necessary. 11/18 Q: Consider the significance of your body and voice when delivering a speech. How do they contribute to your ethos, pathos, and logos? A: I would say that your body is the vessel through which your message and voice is carried. Your nonverbal posturing effects the ethos or ethical credibility by proving that you are knowledgeable and prepared enough to involve and express your message through movement and confident speech. Those two aspects, speech and posturing/hand movements also influence the pathos, or emotional appeal, in the same way. The logos, or appeal to logic and reason, can be influenced greatly by the effective use of voice in terms of tone and pitch. By emphasizing certain points with appropriate pitch and voice characteristics, it can emphasize the logic behind your beliefs and cause the audience to adopt your beliefs. 11/20 Q: How can visuals help/add to your speech? How do they contribute to your ethos, pathos, and logos? A: Visuals provide an observable representation of what you are intending to convey. They can help increase the attentiveness of your audience and also improve your credibility (ethos). They can also display information/relationships for the audience to visualize for themselves, rather than simply relying solely on their auditory sense, and this can appeal to their logic (logos). Using a picture or video, possibly including examples, can contribute to the pathos appeal (emotion) depending on the topic/subject matter.