Ch 8 Blog 2

Cellular Phones: One of my greatest pet peeves is having to listen to someone else speaking loudly on a cellphone in a public place that puts people in close range. Somehow, these loud one sided conversations are far more offensive than two people having a loud conversation. Maybe its because if we eavesdrop we can only hear half of the conversation?
Answering Machines: I don't care for talking on the phone, so leaving messages isn't high on my list either. I'd rather send an email or a text. My cell phone has the standard greeting that just says my phone number, its not even personalized. When i call other people, i hate listening to long greetings before i can leave them a message.
Keep it short and sweet.
Conference Calls: I've only been on a few conference calls, but i find them confusing because many people don't follow the rule of etiquette to announce their name each time they begin speaking so everyone knows who it is.
Faxes: I agree that its best to call before faxing any documents, that way they are expected and someone is looking for them.
Timing your communication: This is a major rule that should not be broken! I really don't like it when people call after around 8:30pm unless i'm expecting the call--and i would never call someone else that late without checking first that it's ok. People have kids sleeping, or they might go to bed early so they can wake up early. Unwelcomed calls too early or too late are just plain rude.
Screen names and ring tones: It's so important to have neutral screen names that are appropriate for the workplace. Ring tones should also be appropriate. The other day in my math class a woman's cell phone went off...."Pick up the phone B*#CH" over and over again. She was mortified, the class was speechless. I'll bet she changed her ring tone after class that day. 
Rules of etiquette are important and should be followed, in the workplace and most other social situations that require human interaction. :)

Ch 8 Blog 1

Organizations are tied to their environment the same way that a living creature is tied to the environment that they live in. The environment of an organization can be healthy or it can be toxic. Members of an organization determine if the environment is healthy or toxic through human behavior and communication. Schools are tied to their environment through their affect on the community. They supply a learning environment for the community, provide jobs, and influence the local population with an influx of young people. Organizations like colleges have an ethical obligation to encourage a healthy environment. They should be having a positive impact on the community through community relations and taking care of the campus. Hopefully that healthy environment will have a positive impact by seeing the organization grow and expand to further fulfill the needs of the community.

Ch 6 Blog 1

I think that rigid complementarity would be the most difficult pattern to change. If one partner is always the dominant role in the relationship, and the other is always submissive, it would be very tough to change. The dominant person would be too accustomed to having control and making decisions. The submissive partner may not feel capable of stepping into a dominant role, even if they were given the opportunity. This could be damaging to the self esteem of the submissive partner. I can see how this pattern may work for some interpersonal relationships, like parents and children as the text mentioned, but it would be a difficult pattern to follow in a long term romantic relationship or friendship. Eventually one party will become bitter at the one-up, one-down roles they play. For example, i dated this super nice guy while i was in the military. He was "too nice" in the sense that he forced me to be the dominant person in the relationship. I would have preferred a more symmetrical relationship, but he was incapable of making decisions for fear of making the wrong decision. In the end i felt more like his mother than his girlfriend, bleh, and i was bitter with the roles we played. Needless to say we didn't work out. My husband and i have a blissfully happy marriage today because we are constantly adapting and changing roles to suite the needs of our relationship. Sometimes I'm dominant, other times he is. At times we can get competitive, especially at the gym. We have blended complementary and symmetrical patterns to form a fantastic interpersonal relationship.