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OMG so tired, woke up for the class though. Fourth test today, individual score was 75%, team score 95%. We were asked to give (or not give) permission to be observed by some people wanting to study group dynamics for the next test - for science!.
We did a quick debrief on the lego exercise from last week - effective teams decisions are assisted if no member dominates, the team size is optimal, the team norms support creativity and the team has the right resources (information, environment, tools etc.) We talked a little bit about types of team building - and how often team building does not link back to the work context. I enjoy going offsite to assemble tents but I agree it doesn't build work-related team skills - it improves social rapport sometimes! Things to work on during team building include role definition, goal setting (important to increase buy in), problem solving and interpersonal processes.
We talked about happiness and optimism, lecturer recommended Dr. Martin Seligman and his books Authentic Happiness and Learned Optimism plus Barbara Fredrickson's book on positivity - there's a Positivity Ratio test you can do as well. I got eight which surprised me since I was sick, underslept and inclined towards self-pity but lunch with![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
transcendancing, OTW and some woofer cuddling boosted me in big, BIG ways.
Optimists tend to assume setbacks are temporary, local and external and that victories are permanent, pervasive and internal. Or in English, optimists focus on the good stuff and assume it is here to stay, everywhere, and at least partly influence-able by self. Optimism affects performance - especially in insurance sales, optimistic Olympic swimmers have been shown to bounce back far better (they lied to them and told them they were slooooooow - the optimists got faster).
The characteristics of happiness according the Dr. Martin are Pleasant Life am I having fun?), Engaged Life (do I care about what i do?), & Meaningful Life (will other people care about what I do?).
We were asked to do the 'Brief Strengths' test as homework and bring the results to class next week. I gotta say, the forced signup and insistence on information such as gender, age, education and employment irritated me. I dislike being required to provide this information and I dislike forms that don't provide an 'other' option. *enters garbage information*
My top were as follows and tell me I need to continue to work on being full of hope and gratitude, and engaging my sense of humour :p
Ways to manage information overload include increasing your ability to process information (learning to digest information faster, doing more hours) and reducing the information coming in (buffering, omitting, summarising). We talked a bit about email and netiquette but I'm not going to go into it because it's the really obvious stuff - spelling, grammar, courtesy, sarcasm (absence of), relevant, clear.
We also talked about Media Richness Theory which is all very interesting but you should go take a peek at Media Naturalness Theory as well (which was not covered in this lecture but will be relevant to those of us who work in virtual environments). The implication of the former is that you should use the appropriate medium for the message - talk if it's complex and urgent, use a newsletter if it's routine, needs a broad audience and does not require a response. The latter theory says we adapt to leaner mediums such as email and chat and learn to use them to communicate more effectively and that they are not inherently flawed as vehicles for communication. This certainly reflects my experience working with the OTW.
PS Good managers do a *lot* of walking + talking - this can be achieved virtually.
We then spent the rest of the class working in groups on a case study. We had an example of communication that didn't quite work out and workshopped ways to do it better and to minimise the problems. Good fun :)
We did a quick debrief on the lego exercise from last week - effective teams decisions are assisted if no member dominates, the team size is optimal, the team norms support creativity and the team has the right resources (information, environment, tools etc.) We talked a little bit about types of team building - and how often team building does not link back to the work context. I enjoy going offsite to assemble tents but I agree it doesn't build work-related team skills - it improves social rapport sometimes! Things to work on during team building include role definition, goal setting (important to increase buy in), problem solving and interpersonal processes.
We talked about happiness and optimism, lecturer recommended Dr. Martin Seligman and his books Authentic Happiness and Learned Optimism plus Barbara Fredrickson's book on positivity - there's a Positivity Ratio test you can do as well. I got eight which surprised me since I was sick, underslept and inclined towards self-pity but lunch with
transcendancing, OTW and some woofer cuddling boosted me in big, BIG ways.Optimists tend to assume setbacks are temporary, local and external and that victories are permanent, pervasive and internal. Or in English, optimists focus on the good stuff and assume it is here to stay, everywhere, and at least partly influence-able by self. Optimism affects performance - especially in insurance sales, optimistic Olympic swimmers have been shown to bounce back far better (they lied to them and told them they were slooooooow - the optimists got faster).
The characteristics of happiness according the Dr. Martin are Pleasant Life am I having fun?), Engaged Life (do I care about what i do?), & Meaningful Life (will other people care about what I do?).
We were asked to do the 'Brief Strengths' test as homework and bring the results to class next week. I gotta say, the forced signup and insistence on information such as gender, age, education and employment irritated me. I dislike being required to provide this information and I dislike forms that don't provide an 'other' option. *enters garbage information*
My top were as follows and tell me I need to continue to work on being full of hope and gratitude, and engaging my sense of humour :p
- Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience]: Taking an interest in all of ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering. Curiosity and interest in the world - You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.
- Love of Learning: Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one's own or formally; obviously related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knows. Love of learning - You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.
- Integrity [authenticity, honesty]: Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way; being without pretense; taking responsibility for one's feelings and actions. Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness - You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.
- Love: Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated; being close to people. Capacity to love and be loved - You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.
- Fairness: Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chance. Fairness, equity, and justice - Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.
- Leadership: Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happen. Leadership - You excel at the tasks of leadership: encouraging a group to get things done and preserving harmony within the group by making everyone feel included. You do a good job organizing activities and seeing that they happen.
Ways to manage information overload include increasing your ability to process information (learning to digest information faster, doing more hours) and reducing the information coming in (buffering, omitting, summarising). We talked a bit about email and netiquette but I'm not going to go into it because it's the really obvious stuff - spelling, grammar, courtesy, sarcasm (absence of), relevant, clear.
We also talked about Media Richness Theory which is all very interesting but you should go take a peek at Media Naturalness Theory as well (which was not covered in this lecture but will be relevant to those of us who work in virtual environments). The implication of the former is that you should use the appropriate medium for the message - talk if it's complex and urgent, use a newsletter if it's routine, needs a broad audience and does not require a response. The latter theory says we adapt to leaner mediums such as email and chat and learn to use them to communicate more effectively and that they are not inherently flawed as vehicles for communication. This certainly reflects my experience working with the OTW.
PS Good managers do a *lot* of walking + talking - this can be achieved virtually.
We then spent the rest of the class working in groups on a case study. We had an example of communication that didn't quite work out and workshopped ways to do it better and to minimise the problems. Good fun :)
no subject
Your Top Strength
Gratitude
You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.
Your Second Strength
Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.
Your Third Strength
Love of learning
You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.
Your Fourth Strength
Appreciation of beauty and excellence
You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.
Your Fifth Strength
Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.
Strength#6
Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.