Proposal:

Enhancement and Enrichment of Group

Communication
Submitted by:
Maria Kristina R. Magtoto
Salt Lake Community College
Communication 1010-005
March 21, 2016

Individual Proposal

Contents
Overview

Project Description

Group Assets

Group Limitations

Recommendations

Conclusion

Works Cited

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Individual Proposal

Overview
For our Group-Decision Making project, the problem that we had was
how Salt Lake Community College can utilize the use of various social
media outlets as a form of communication to students and faculty. My
groupmates and I came up with different ideas to solve the issue.
There were great insights that contributed to the success of the
project.
On the other hand, there were a few concerns that occurred while
accomplishing the project. One of these was the realization of chatting
with each other about unrelated topics outside of classroom that
limited our time in perhaps developing more in depth ideas. Also, we
found ourselves going easy with the project without realizing the
amount of time left. Having said these, with the next projects to come,
I believe that enforcing a strict time management plan wherein all the
activities and discussions are timed accordingly would greatly help.
Additionally, restricting the use of gadgets during meetings unless
there is an emergency would help too.

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Individual Proposal

Project Description
The problem that we had was how can SLCC utilize its use of different
social media platforms as a way to reach out to the students and
faculty. We thought of different ways on how each social media outlet
(Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) can help in relaying important
news, alerts, announcements, and all other activities in all campuses.
The very detailed instructions were very helpful as they led us to the
right direction. Also, the progress charts were also very useful because
we were able to track where we were and if there was a need to do
additional works.
First, we created a Team Contract where it includes the issue that we
needed to tackle, the task norms that we needed to develop, and the
designation of relational and task roles. After agreeing on our question,
we reflected and discussed different reasons as to why it would be
better for SLCC to reach out to students and faculty through the use of
social media. Next, we thoroughly analyzed the problem and listed its
characteristics, decided on who the stakeholders would be, the policies
and politics that should be considered, and the resources that we need.
After that, the following step was the development of criteria which
was a great factor.
After the first and second meetings, we then did some brainstorming to
come up with several solutions that we can take into consideration. I
can say that my groupmates were really good and creative since we
were able to come up with a lot of possible solutions. That being said,
we needed to carefully examine and review if each and every solution
was acceptable as we also narrow down our choices.
Based on the chart, we ended up with the top 5 solutions. We were a
little bit undecided as to which solution would be the best so we just
combined some of them to generate the best outcome. After agreeing
on what we thought was the best solution, we then assigned each
member to focus and provide details of various social media outlets
like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Text Messaging, etc. so we
can enhance the chosen solution.
Finally, after all the discussions and meetings that we had, we were
able to finalize a developed and effective solution along with its
downsides. I am glad that everything went well for the most part which
resulted into a successful project.

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Individual Proposal

Group Assets
Personally, I believe that our group embodied several assets. However,
there were two assets that stood out the most that have contributed
into an effective communication within our group. First, every member
was a great listener and second, the ability of each member to give
sincere praises.
The textbook states that in numerous studies, listening proves to be
the most important communication skill throughout ones career in
terms of job and career success, productivity, mobility, and
organizational effectiveness. 1 I firmly believe that all of us were great
listeners. For instance, during the group meetings, when one was
talking, everybody was paying close attention to the speaker. It was so
evident because all eyes were on the speaker. After that, we would
then decide if the idea that was presented was good enough or if it
needs some improvement. By listening attentively, we were able to
formulate better input.
The second asset that we possessed was the ability to give sincere
praises. Sincere praise, delivered skillfully, can work wonders. 2 This
is entirely true. In our experience, whenever one of us presents a great
idea, we always make sure that we affirm the person. We would
normally say how smart and wise the person was along with the
recognition of efforts. Also, at the end of each meeting, one of us
would normally say good job team, keep up the good work. I believe
that this asset was significant because the sincere praises that we
received inspired us to do better and the sincere praises that we gave
out, motivated each of us to always strive for the best.

1 Ronald B. Adler, Jeanne Elmhorst, and Kristen Lucas. Communicating at Work:

Strategies for Success in Business and the Professions (Boston: The McGraw-Hill
Companies Inc., 2013), 60.
2 Ibid., 112.
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Individual Proposal

Group Limitations
On the other hand, our group also demonstrated two weaknesses
namely, preoccupation and the non use of multiple channels to
communicate.
As Adler, Elmhorst, and Lucas stated, Business and personal concerns
can make it difficult to keep your mind on the subject at hand.3 The
first weakness that we had was preoccupation. There were times that
some of our groupmates would be on their mobile phones and their
laptops before starting our meetings. I think that preoccupation limited
our time into having a more productive meeting. The time that was
spent into conducting personal business during group meetings
consumed the additional time that we could have spent meaningfully
towards the project.
Another weakness that we had was the non use of multiple
communication channels in some occasions. Though every after
meeting we send a report to every members email, we failed to make
a follow-up call or text to verify if the email was received. In some
cases, its wise to send a message using more than one channel. One
study revealed that following-up a face-to-face exchange with an email
that included supplemental information was more persuasive than the
single channel approach.4 For example, there was a time when one of
us did not receive the report and follow-up tasks so on the next
meeting, this member was not aware of things. We simply assumed
that everybody has received the reports without confirming it which
resulted into an ineffective communication.

3Ibid., 63.
4 Ibid., 13.
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Individual Proposal

Recommendations
As stated above in the Group Limitations, the weaknesses that we had
could be improved. If I could do this project again, I will be suggesting
the following:
With the issue of preoccupation, I would suggest next time that the use
of mobile phones or other gadgets should be restricted during group
meetings. They could either be put somewhere altogether and be
returned to every member at the end of each class which I have
personally experienced in my life as a student, or simply be kept in
every pocket during meetings. As an exception, if there is an
emergency, the use of such devices will be permitted. Laptops, on the
other hand, should be limited to one use per group by the assigned
member who will do all the typing. By these, we could maximize the
use of our time and have more productive meetings.
Ultimately, the failure to get everyone on board just meant that the
communication was ineffective. We assumed that all messages were
received without making follow-ups every after meeting. Next time, I
suggest to have a member that will be assigned in making follow-ups
after each face-to-face meeting with the use of different channels such
as phone calls, text messages, or emails. According to Adler and his
colleagues, this redundancy capitalizes on diverse strengths of each
channel and boosts the odds of getting your desired message across.
The dual-channel also enhanced the senders credibility.5
There is always something to learn every day. With this project, I did
not only improve my critical thinking skills, I also learned a lot in terms
of communicating properly and effectively within a group.

5 Ibid., 13.
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Individual Proposal

Conclusion
Fortunately, I was able to work with creative and smart people. Our
group was able to provide an efficient and effective solution to the
issue that we had. We were able to do this because everyone was a
great listener who was actively engaged and participated very well
during group discussions.
We also had our shortcomings that probably affected our capabilities
into developing richer ideas but those did not hinder us from coming
up with an effective solution. The shortcomings that we had have
taught me what it truly takes to have a fruitful and more effective
communication within a group, that is, personal business, no matter
how small, should not be brought inside the classroom so as to avoid
distractions and not waste time. Most importantly, always ask, never
assume.
In the future group projects that I will encounter, I will make sure that
my recommendations will be applied because I know that they will help
in improving the teams communication and relationship significantly.

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Individual Proposal

Works Cited
Adler, Ronald, Jeanne Elmhorst, and Kristen Lucas. Communicating at
Work: Strategies for Success in Business and the Professions.
Boston: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc., 2013.

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