Business Communication II – BUS 9553 S1BA Summer

Some advice I would give to employees I would be supervising and who would be new to the system would be as follows:

1)      Don’t hesitate to ask for help in case you are stuck at something.  Almost everybody is happy to help.  There is no shame in asking to be helped. It is better to get corrected than do something absolutely wrong.

2)      Speak your mind. It’s very important to have an opinion; it not only shows your direction of thinking but also reflects your confidence. It also helps people know your competencies and those are which will help you shine apart. It’s very important in today’s world to excel in something because that’s when people start to look up to you for something. Also, it helps you build good contacts.

3)      Set definite targets for your future. Until and unless it is clear to you as to which direction you want your efforts to be directed towards. It is very difficult for anyone to help you out. Also having clear, concise and achievable objective makes it easier to steer ahead and in the direction of success.

We first met right after the groups were assigned to chalk out a plan for working on this project. Soon we came up with a schedule detailing each of ours roles and matching each of ours times for meetings aimed towards project completion. Since our group was “All girls”, we came up with the plan to do something on Women Empowerment. That’s when one of us decided to go for Women Empowerment in the developing/underdeveloped countries.

The next hurdle was what we would use to empower these women. It was a pretty hot week in New York that day and all over the Baruch Campus notice for electricity Conservation was posted. It clicked to us then that underdeveloped/developing countries not only have resource crunch but also face the problems related to energy crisis. Most of the old towns and villages don’t even have 24 hours electricity. Using various searching techniques we came up with enough data to support the fact that infact these countries need a source to fuel their lives.

Next since our plan was to empower women, we had to come up with something not overly complex which would take years to form. 3D Printing to develop solar cells and fuel homes and business places with much needed electricity was what came to our minds next. We all sat together to work on the feasibility of this concept.  After some research by all three of us we found that this was an excellent source idea. Once that bridge was crossed, we now had to set into action our execution plans and the financials to be presented before the funding committee (Echoing Green in this case).

We worked together to come up with numbers and figures which would help us set up a funding presentation. The presentation was divided into sections which explained why we thought what we thought, how we plan to execute what we think and finally why we need you money to bring our thoughts to action.

The leadership style we chose was that of a meaning maker. Through our project, we really want to make a difference.  If women from these countries could get a little push in the direction to support their families, it would mean a lot to all of us.

The three pieces of advice I would offer a new employee I am supervising that has trouble with his/her written and oral communication are #1 – You need to seek help from your coworkers. In the short term I would suggest you ask one of your colleagues to proofread your work when needed.

#2 –  Your long term goal should be to get professional help. Short term help from a co-worker will not solve the problem, it is only a start. A continuing education class will help to make long term, lasting changes.

#3 – None of us are perfect, we all have strengths and weaknesses so don’t feel ashamed. I think this is very important to say because there is a perception of unintelligence associated with imperfect grammar and speech. Too often people forget that we are all a product of our upbringing, education, and environments, some of which we have no control over. Therefore, you may not have had the privilege of attending private schools and getting a first rate education. Also, English may not be your first language.

Speech and written communications are subjective. After all, there is the perception by many (especially Brits) that Americans have butchered the Kings English.

1. Create written content with high skim value. No matter whether you are writing an email, a white paper, a project proposal, or a marketing plan. Executives’ time is valuable and writing a story will only make your document get lost in the shuffle. Try to write in a direct manner, ‘cut through the fat’ of passive tenses; use bold, bullet points, underlining, and italics. Anything that is essential for your boss to read should be easily found and understood.

Also, understand when something should be written in an email versus discussed on the phone or in a meeting. If there are a lot of decisions to be made with a lot of factors that could play out, a meeting might be more appropriate to be able to explain specific situation.

2. Employees need target goals, they need to feel like their opinion matters, and they need to be motivated to come to work everyday. As a manager or a colleague, or both, do not underestimate the power of casual, seemingly meaningless conversation. People need to feel like you genuinely care about them and that they’re more than just a deliverable. Take time to get to know the people you work with and determine the best ways to communicate with them. Empower people by requiring that their opinions are heard. Know when to be the provocateur, critic, learning advocate, and innovation coach as these are all vital communications styles at different times.

3. If you use ums, ahs, you-knows, likes, etc., you lose credibility before people even listen to the content of the information you’re attempting to share. If there is one thing you, and all of us, should be conscious of and working to mitigate it’s the use of these vicious filler words that we have picked up throughout our lives. When we pause to collect our thoughts, it feels like there’s a lot of dead space in a conversation, but that brief moment actually creates a stronger, more structured demeanor and makes people want to listen more. Practice makes perfect, it will not come overnight but we must start somewhere.

We first had a meeting to discuss and brainstorm on an idea that seemed viable and interesting. Our previous blog posts where we developed social entrepreneurship ideas became our baseline for discussion, as we’d all already put thought into the process through this outlet. We determined that the Mobile Market idea was the most tangible and provided a large pool of research to work within. We then shared our annotated bibliography research, created an outline for the paper and presentation, and delegated particular sections.

Using Google docs, we each built out our sections of the paper and had a meeting to discuss once complete. We then each read the paper throughout to ensure cohesiveness, although we are aware we are being graded individually, we do not want to duplicate information or provide contradicting information.

For the presentation, roles were assigned based on the information that each member contributed to the paper. This makes intuitive sense because this is what we have the most comprehensive understanding about. The presentation is shorter and more straightforward than our paper. We want our audience to see that we care about the project and that it’s a viable and essential utilization or resources. We have included a few graphs and charts to convey that we’ve done quantitative research and have strong forecasting and money management skills. We’ll also use statistics from credible sources that we feel will highlight the macro-level problems faced in low-income neighborhoods relating to food availability.

The leadership style we will try to inspire is one of a meaning maker. Our project should really stimulate a sense of community. If there is buy-in from key community members, the neighborhoods should really take to this initiative. This sense of inclusion is one that the Mobile Market will look to inspire with its nutrition lessons, cooking lessons, and subsidized fresh food. We also want our audience to feel this camaraderie.

My group has taken a few steps critical steps to prepare for our Proposal Presentation. First, we decided to work on the presentation using google drive so that each person has access to the presentation at the same time and we can all see how the work is progressing. This also allows us to collaborate without being physically present. Second, we split the presentation up so that each person works on a specific section, allowing for equal contributions.

The presentation is a summary instead of the deep detailed analysis our report provided. It outlines the important and critical aspects of our paper: what the project is, why we think of is important, why we think it will be a success, and the financial aspects of the business.

We plan on maintaining our audiences attention by using attractive visuals and speaking clearly and passionately. To build credibility and persuade the audience, my group will use credible information we have gathered that’s show how critical our project is and the amazing life altering effects it can have on the lives on families in 3rd world countries.

We will use the story teller communication style because it lends the most opportunity for us to really drive home the importance of project. We will be able to persuade our audience better if we can make them visualize the change we are proposing.

Both Nikhil and I  did a good job of establishing a strategy on how we would tackle the presentation. I began and he closed it out. We were very effective in transitioning between speakers and also outlining the points we would each speak on.

Our body language was not distracting or disruptive, which are two things every speaker should avoid during a presentation. We also had good eye contact with the audience.

While reviewing my portion of the presentation I noticed a few things. First, I said “um” way too many times. It is something that I am working on. I hope to curtail this in future presentations because an audience may view me as not being knowledgeable of the content I am presenting or of being nervous. Either way I want to avoid any misperceptions.

In conclusion I think our presentation had many strengths. The content was well organized and well presented. It was clear that we had a thorough understanding of the Leader as Communicator “Trust Builder”. Overall I think we did a great job.

I want to base our Group Proposal on 3-D Printing – Digital Manufacturing Facilities geared towards female entrepreneurs in 3rd world countries. I have 2 reasons for this: 1- 3-D Printing is the wave of the future and 2- It is a proven fact that when you empower, educate, and provide resources to women, you empower, educate and improve the world. Women are nurturers by nature and their resources trickle down to their family, friends and neighbors.

This project is important to others because it will provide opportunities for people in 3rd world countries to create products cheaply that they need instead of paying for shipping from other countries. Also, they can design the products to suit the needs and requirements of their particular region.

By getting in while the market is still emerging we can lay a strong foundation for the future, build trust around the world and create a brand image that will be tough to rival. Start-up costs such as labor, rent, utilities, and insurance will be greatly reduced since the businesses will be run overseas. Thereby, increasing our likelihood of a substantial greater ROI.

I would like to work towards introduction of digital manufacturing facility like 3D printing to women entrepreneurs of 3rd world or developing countries. The concept of 3D printing goes towards actually getting/generating physical objects in three dimensions. These objects are actually printed through these printers. Entrepreneurs, especially women in developing countries often need goods/products which might not be readily available. Making 3D printers available to such a group will be a huge help financially and operationally for people belonging to this segment.

In developing countries as the rest of the world women are considered nurturers. Any income/profit they make in business flows down into the family resulting in paving the path for bright future of not only the family members but also the entire nation. In other words, their children are more educated, have better living conditions and have an overall hygienic living conditions. On a micro level, introduction of 3D printers will help small entrepreneurs access resources which will help them flourish.

In underdeveloped/developing countries, most often than not, people are not equipped with resources or money to pay for costly items which might not be locally available. Paying huge shipping costs to acquire such products is usually quite costly and troublesome for small entrepreneurs. Also, because some of the products are not available locally it’s often difficult to customize them according to the need of one’s business. With 3D printers readily accessible, such customization would be easy. This would benefit these small entrepreneurs both financially and operationally.

At the end, I feel that 3D printing actually is the wave of the future. An introduction of such a revolutionary technology into a flourishing economy will create huge demand. As the start-up cost such as utility, transportation and operations will go down by large amounts, there will be an increasing likelihood of substantial huge ROI (Return on Investment) as well as huge success (in terms of demand).

I would develop a system to get affordable and fresh produce to low-income families.  The food system in America is perpetuating the obesity and health problems in America.  If people do not have enough money to live on, it is only logical that they would purchase inexpensive, easy to cook, pre-packaged meals high in carbohydrates.  However, these meals also carry the most sugar and sodium content and do not provide the nutrients that our bodies need to be healthy.

I would therefore establish a ‘mobile farmers market’, such as a prefabricated school bus that could take these healthy foods to neighborhoods where local grocery stores or neighborhood corner stores were insufficient.  The food would be subsidized so it becomes the affordable and logical choice for locals.  I would also provide basic recipes and teach cooking classes to educate people on how to cook fresh produce in their everyday lives.

On a micro level, the social entrepreneur project would benefit individual, low-income communities.  Locals would grow accustom to the farmers market’s regular weekly attendance and do their grocery shopping accordingly.  They would also be able to teach their children about healthy eating habits.  On a macro level, if this program were successful in a target city, for example, New York City, it could expand nationally.  If this project could contribute to reducing the amount of obesity in these urban areas, it could have drastically positive effects on our healthcare system as a prevention mechanism.

I think donors would find this idea strong and easily digestible.  It does not have a complex business model, it does not necessitate massive amounts of start up costs, and it has the potential to create a big shift in people’s mindset and health.  Michelle Obama’s ‘Lets Move’ campaign has done a lot to publicize health issues, especially in kids and school systems in the recent years.  I therefore also believe that there are federal grants that would contribute to funding the project.  I would develop short promotional videos and a website to increase exposure to the project and I would attend conferences related to health and education.  I would then write a significant amount of grant proposals.