A521.8.4.RB_OyeyemiOlusanya

Making Contact

The only way to begin a conversation is to start talking. It’s safe to assume that other people want and enjoy contact just as you do McKay et al., (2009, P. 2815). This has always been my practice right from my youth, some say I talk too much but many said they enjoy my company whenever I contribute to their conversation. This has made it easy for me to engage any stranger in conversation. Even though I still feel shy to initiate a conversation with strangers in many occasion, but I am found of penetrating them through what McKay et al., called ice breaker unknowing. When searching for an ice breaker, two things to watch for are similarities and differences McKay et al., (2009, P. 2843).

Similarity has been so helpful to me in engaging people most especially opposite sex in conversation that some leads to a longer relationship. I could remember the relationship with my high school girl friend which emanated from sharing choir notebook. It all started the day I saw her with a choir notebook. I asked to see the book and latter showed her mine. So we are both choir from different churches, then we started sharing music and latter resulted to a relationship that almost resulted in a marriage.

Differences has initiated a lot of arguments with strangers that resulted in friendship and at times getting closer to a new co-workers or person meeting in a bus for the first time.

In many occasion the discussion started with government issues when I was in Nigeria. We begin the argument about politics whenever I am on a journey inside a commercial vehicle where most people will be contributing their different opinion, in many cases it ends up in personal inquiries of the stranger sitting next to me.

In 2003, I was in my final year of my first degree on my way to Abuja from Ilorin Kwara Nigeria, I was sitting next to a beautiful charming lady whom I love to chat with during the journey. The discussion started on government lapses, many people on the bus were contributing their differences, arguing, including the lady sitting next to me and me. The discussion ends up on personal information inquiries among us. Fortunately, we were from the same school a second year student and an aspiring member of drama group that I was the current president. She was highly delighted to meet the president of her dream group. I gave her all she needs to become a full member and exchange each others contact.

This was a lady that ordinarily I taught was of high class to engage in conversation, I might not be bold enough to talk to her if not because of the discussion. That day mark the beginning of our friendship till I graduated. Conversation is the art of combining questions, active listening, and self-disclosure in such a way that people keep talking and enjoy it……basic rule of conversation is to ply McKay et al., (2009, P. 2913).

Reference:

McKay, M., Davis, D., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages. Oakland, CA.

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KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Telling my personal story regarding knowledge sharing, I will divert a little bit from professional or technical knowledge sharing to a more daily and spiritual experience. This shows that knowledge sharing is not limited to a particular aspect of life but applied to all phases of life and organizations.

Narrating testimonies is a part of Sunday routine in many churches, to tell the entire congregation what God has done for them; be it blessing, safety or exonerate from a disgrace either at work or somewhere else. The purpose of this is to encourage others to be more fervent in their Christian life and to raise the faith of those whose believe are weak in the efficacy of fasting and prayer.

Furthering ones education in Africa beyond high school most especially in Nigeria is not easy as it is in America where government and schools are appealing to people to get their degree. In Nigeria it is a competition, applicant always out number school capacities for each year admission.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has 36 States; with at least 36 Federal universities and 36 Federal Polytechnics, 36 State Universities and 36 State Polytechnics plus more than 36 Colleges of education and Colleges of agriculture own by both Federal and State Government. In the recent years, more and more private universities have sprung up, now we have more than 20 private universities scattered across the nation. Each of these institutions turns out nothing less than 5000 candidates at every graduation in government schools, while private institutions turn out a little less, yet the schools have to raise their admission requirement mark “Cut off mark” every year to reduce the number of student admitted to match their facilities.

This makes securing admission a turn in the flesh. To be admitted into higher institutions for first degree requires at least five credit subjects out of nine high schools subjects relevant to the field of study, then one must score at least 300 points in four selected subject for entry examination, each candidates are entitled to three choice of institutions.

To be qualify, depends on the number of student that score the cut off mark, if the students that score above cut off mark are more than required then they will increase number of credit subjects. These makes it tough to gain admission fast, many spent three or more years before they could secure admission into higher institution after their high school.

Thanks to the advent of new technology, things are becoming better everyday, when I graduated from high school in June 1994, we had to wait till January 1995 for our result, I did not have enough credit at first sitting so I had to register again in 1995, which the result came out January 1996. I therefore registered for entry examination into both Universities and Polytechnics respectively. None of these exams favored me and I do not want to loose focus on my interest to become an engineer. I was discouraged that no admission coming my way that year.

One morning, I was in a friend’s place, we were all chatting including some elderly people of which her mum was one.  The discussion was based on fasting and prayer. I did not know what initiated the discussion because I came into it at the middle. I heard them giving their personal experiences concerning fasting and prayer and different style they had used and their results.

The testimony that triggered my interest was what the narrator called ‘Marathon Fasting’ fasting for days without eating in between until the last day like Jesus Christ’s Forty days and Forty night fasting as recorded in the book of Matthew 4:2.The woman said her promotion was delayed in her working place and all the people behind her have been promoted. Then she went into the three days marathon fasting and prayer. After some months her boss was transferred to another state while a new boss was posted to their office. In the process of refurbishing her new boss’ office, the new man found a file under the carpet. He discovered that it has been there for a while as he peruse through, he found that she has been deprived of promotion for a long time. In short, she was promoted to her rightful position and all entitlements were paid.

When I got home that day, her story kept on revolving my memory and I decided to give it a trier. The following morning I started my own three days marathon fasting and prayer for my admission. After 72 hours I stopped the fasting, but that night in my dream, I saw my closest friend and myself living in the same apartment, I was studying and he came up to the table saying that “even though we are in higher institution your writing is not improving” when I woke up all that I kept saying was ‘higher institution’ and I assured my self that God has done it. Few days latter, my aunt’s husband in the city sent for me and told me about a new Federal Polytechnic that offered my course and still admitting students. I went to the school and succeeded in gaining admission that year.

The funniest part of it was that, my friend that I saw in my dream gained admission into the same Polytechnic the following year and we were living in the same apartment. I have even forgotten my dream not until one day he said my writing has not improved. I just started laughing and thanking God for his fulfillment, he was embarrassed initially until I explained to him.

Since that time fasting and prayer has been part of me, hardly will I engage in any thing without first inquire from God if need be end up in fasting and He has been faithful to me by directing my path. Knowledge sharing fuel the courage to be strong and never give up on any thing, it change the courage to try a new idea and remain the best means to a successful business in the present century.

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High Performance Team

Elements of High-Performance team are results that exceed expectations, adjusting performance to the shifting needs of situation, turning setbacks into good fortune. Become highly skilled in coordinating activities, mutual concern for each other’s personal growth fueled by interpersonal commitments, and carry out ones’ duty with shared passion Denning. (2011, P.156). In my present organization, I have not work in any high performance team, looking at my division as a team. We do not exhibit a high performance but what Denning called ‘competent team’ is what we are; only get the job done, generally without hostility or alienation. Yet the sense of excitement that might have brought them to the job in the first place isn’t there. Being on the team is just a job Denning (2011, P.157). But I have experience high performance team in my previous organization where engineering department was tasked with building project for the company office different from our paid job.

 Our passion for the project was as a result of the urgent need and our job that was at stake. It was my first professional supervised project, I remembered when the money for erecting the electric pole and connection to the power supply was released, It was on Friday and on Monday morning my Chairman asked me when we are going to working? Because he was not expecting it so soon he did not even noticed any changes. I pointed to him to switch on the light. He was amazed. Every staff in the room started clapping. That is exceeding the result expectations as Danning put it. We all work on the project in accordance with the urgent need of the company. Over time, even the entire company sees those of us on the project as a family. We had a mutual understanding as if we’ve not been working in the same place to have discovered each other earlier.

Where people don’t share the same values, a work group may be the most effective modality of working together in the short run Denning (2011, P. 159). What influenced our team shared values was that, our superior has advised the stakeholders to build their own office instead of renting, but they still found it economically wise then to rent, until we were given a quit notice which will adversely affect our business. Therefore, the urgent need arose. We all new our job was at stake and that successful completion of the project is a plus on our profile. We all gave assistance to helping each other, because failure of one is failure of all. On the team of six men one lady; the civil engineer had about 20 years working experience, two process engineers, one had ten years working experience and the second one was new graduate. Three mechanical engineers of different specialization, they were all new graduate and me the only electrical engineer with two years of working experience in oil and gas fertilities. It was a challenge for all of us, as we are proud of ourselves. Though none of us had building experience, all experience has been in Oil and Gas engineering designs.

Our pattern of working together on the project was because of its urgent need, and the survivability the company depends on it.

It was necessary for us as well to protect our job, because if company loose client, contracts will be withdrawn and we will loose our job.

Initially there was a conflict between the two senior engineers of who was superior? The company made the process engineer with ten years of experience because the civil engineer already left the company before the project, he was invited with a professional role. This was resolved amidst them later, because the stakeholders were easily approachable by the process engineer and has a better managerial skill said by the civil engineer. This justified what Denning (2011, P164) only insiders can understand the intricate web of interpersonal relationships at the heart of a high- performance team or community – who the real players are and what relationships they have to the community issues Denning (2011, P.164).

My positive experience was that we all learn different things from each other. Parts of what I learnt then were useful to me today because my present job is purely mechanical. One negative experience I had was that, the team leader wanted to micro – managed me because of my limited working experience but I hesitated and do things my own way, when everything came out successfully we all laugh together. His comment still makes me keep the video of my sent off from the company.

To influence the outcome; I would encourage face to face meeting, as in development meeting, before, during and after the project. Our passion was to save our company and our job. We started on no prior information not even house plan, it was just command …   you go there, you do this and you man that. That was all and after some time, we began to figure ourselves out. We never had a development writing report but physical report of erected building shows our progress and eventually our success.

Reference:

Denning, S. (2011).  The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling.

A521.5.4.RB_OyeyemiOlusanya

Base on the readings in the Denning text and the assessment you took in A521.5.1 identify in detail the process of developing and aligning organizational values. Identify the three basic components of an ethical community and discuss how they might be applied in your organization. Are there values that are missing from your organization?
Discuss how you might develop those values and also align them with the values of the individuals in the organization.

If companies want to embody certain values, then they have to begin by ascertaining what values are currently operational. Only then can they decide which value they want to change and how to go about it Stephen. (2011, P.136). 

The first step is to identify which value are lacking in the organization, followed by ways to align it. For instance, in my present organization (US Navy), In terms of ethical value, they have all you can think off to put it under control and are operational. Taking care of their personnel family, they have the best program. The foundation of USN was built on trust, in all their trainings, they taught their personnel how to be self confidence in doing their job as a professional at the same time how to work together as a team. They establish Loyalty with continuity in their training, repetition make their training a reality, never assume but train over and over again. In Navy, you are never alone. No one stands watch alone there is always someone to watch your back and you need to trust each other and be loyal to each other. In addition, their custom of transferability is a good system that does not make any personnel a subservient to another. Your benefits are not control by your immediate boss. The day you resume in a command, you already know the day you are going to leave the command. Navy train you so that you can train someone else, because of the effectiveness of all these over centuries, has sustains Navy loyalties and Trust amidst her personnel.

Solidarity, it is only in the Navy I have ever seen people been punished for the misfortune of others. Personnel are train to look out for each other, share phone numbers, know individual home addresses and study the mood of other shipmate. If you see your shipmate lonely from usual behavior and do not ready to open up to you, you are to report to your superior officer before he does something stupid to him/herself or to others. When you are oversea, you never allowed to go to town alone at least one buddy. If your partner misbehaves in town, all of you in that group are going to be punished for it. With my Ten years of working experience and two and half in Navy, It is only in Navy I have seen it, that personnel will be release from work to go and help other colleagues move to his new apartment. If you are foreigner, since you become citizen through Navy, to visit your home country you have to process it officially because they are concern about your safety. They provide all possible logistic for your safe trip. On the aspect of ethical value, USN has a reasonable percentage, they are not awarded 100 percent because it is not feasible for any organization. To the best of my understanding, USN still have the best ethical standard structure in place that go beyond requirement and I can not think of any missing value.

Reference:

Stephen, D. (2011).  The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling.

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SUBTLETIES OF COMMUNICATION AND HIDDEN MESSAGES

Sometimes people misunderstood my intention or let me say what observer sees in my body language are totally different from my thinking. For instance someone ask, “What is wrong? Are you angry? Many a times my response is no, but that was what they pensive with my body language. This happen mostly when I looked door. Observers see confusion in my facial look. Seriously, whenever I am confused it can be easily noticed because I will be short of words. Nonverbal communications are what give first impression about self before verbal. Nonverbal language: as facial expressions, gesture and postures, and with special relationships. McKay et al. (2009, P.800).

Sometimes the context is difficult for others to ascertain. I may be soliloquizing about how tedious the week workload is affecting my class work, but colleagues asking, “Oye are you Okay? Is anything wrong with your family?”

I am beginning to see how cultural differences affect both verbal and nonverbal languages. Many gesture are restricted to a specific peer group, others are typical of a particular region or culture, and some body movements are universal McKay et al. (2009, P. 834).

USN has a pool of nation’s diversity culture; hardly would you see a tribe or nations that are not represented. In less than three years of my service in three commands and one Ship, I’ve worked with people from many nations including many from different American states. Working together as family, relates as one force. Body language means different things to us and even some verbal languages.

For instances, when we are discussing and someone asked me “Oye! are you mad? ‘Mad’ in Africa means “Crazy” but in America they interchange it with “Angry” Even if I was not angry before, that question got me angry. Here you will see that even the use of language differ with different culture.

Recently, I observed in one round table meeting with my Commanding Officer (CO), and my division, that I was the only the one leaning forward all others seated relaxed though still responding to the conversation as I did. I felt embarrassed as if I was hearing impaired for leaning forward then I adjusted my posture, but few seconds latter I was leaning forward again, on and on like that. With this study I come to understand what was going on then; erect posture is generally associated with higher spirits, greater confidence, and more openness and interest McKay et al. (2009, P. 883).

In Nigeria where I grew up, there is what we call ‘official language’. Irrespective of your age, who ever is your box has to be respected with your tone of voice, the way you relate and address them. That has been part of me, but in Navy it is different, I was used to addressing my Chief as well as officers and my entire superior as ‘Sir’ but corrected several times that “sir” is only for officers. In Africa, even your Teacher in schools, Pastor in church and anybody superior to you in whatever capacity are addressed as ‘sir’ or ‘Ma’ as a means of salutation. Paralanguage is the vocal component of speech, considered apart from the verbal content. It includes pitch, resonance, articulation, tempo, volume, and rhythm McKay et al. (2009, P. 958). When addressing people officially, it has to be more different from when off work.

Finally, one more thing I have to work on is to always have it at the back of my mind the purpose of agendas at every communication. Listeners sometimes misconstrue me for “I know it all” have in mind that; the agenda serve to build up and preserve an existential position, a basic stance in the world, also promote ulterior motives and needs. I will try and put in practice the four corrective suggestions; to let my audience know about my agenda, keep track of the agenda, reward myself with something nice when I block an impulse to use the old agenda and rehearse a new position, not to be stuck on one agenda.

Hope this will make me a better orator.

Reference:

Matthew .M, Martha.D, and Patric .F (2009). MESSAGES The Communication Skills Book Third edition,

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TOMORROW BEGIN NOW

I hail from a polygamous family of 4 wives and 19 children. When I was in high school, six of my father’s children were in high school scattered across the classes. It was tough for my father to pay our school fees in most cases. He was a peasant farmer along with other wives except my mother that has her separate business. She sells raw foods order from the northern part of Nigeria, she was a little richer than the rest of the wives and my brother and I lives with our mum separately in her house of about two street from my dad’s house.  Our usual system was attending school Monday through Friday and on Saturday we help our father in the farm.  In 1991, I was at the middle of high school, as usual, whenever my father could not raised all our school fees at once.Some would have their money and asked the rest to get loan from our mum and promised to pay back.  I was usually a victim of this because he knows my mother is capable she was also responsible for the full fees of my brother’s undergraduate. Then I decided to stop going to my father farm instead work for my mum where my school fee could came easily. At that time, another five of my step sisters and brothers were in different higher institutions which my father was the only source.. All my siblings advised me to stay but I told them, we are still together only that I wanted to be serving my mother for a prompt school fees. The decision I made that day exposed me to the world of business, after my high school my mother would sent me to the northern part of Nigeria where we bought raw Beans and some other raw foods that she sells. Though I was a science student, my experience of my mother’s business was a training ground for my entrepreneurship and risk taking.  I have seen the rising and falling of business.  It’s my driving strength today for a friendly negotiating ability.

THE PREFECTS

In 1988, I was nominated as the senior prefect in my primary school after three years of class captain consecutively. Two of us were nominated for the position, but I won the election leading with 25 points. I led the school for one academic year successfully and was honored for my performance.

I became the first class captain in my first year in high school for three years. In the forth year, I steps down for someone else to occupied the post but my classmate disagree that I should continued. I insisted that someone else should do it, still they wants me as assistance to help the new class captain.

In 1993, I was in my penultimate class when our seniors misbehave and the school authority dismissed their entire prefects. Four people were nominated to lead the school for that year from our class, two male and two female. I was fortunate to be the senior prefect for that year while I was still having senior in the school. I led the school successfully with no rancor.

In 1994, I was announced the labor Prefect of the school though, the entire student was amazed because everybody’s expectation was that they we retain me as the senior prefect. The school concern for changing my portfolio was that I have the ability and charisma to lead the school than the guy that was selected and they need such skill in labor prefect than in senior prefect. With our school system, the position of Labor Prefect supervise the cleaning and clearing of the school compound. On the other hand, senior prefect position is just a general overseer, a figurehead position.

In 2003, I was nominated in my class as their representative in the student union government and the president of the Drama Group in final year of my undergraduate.

All the leadership ability accrued from different stages of my academic life has been my knowledge based bank to withstand the secular world. Even when I do not think of it, without my knowledge leading role will just come my way. No matter how little, as an adage in my culture says; a one eyed man is the king of blind people. At times, because of my little experience or too early challenge at work I felt reluctant when called appointed to a leading role even if I refused completely they still seek for my advice at long run which has been so useful. And all accepted leading role has always ended up successful beyond my understanding. This is one of the reason behind my chosen cause for this master degree to build initial confident require in any leading role I find my self in future.

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How do you view her message in terms of what you have learned in this module?

Watching Chimamanda Adichi: The danger of a single story, the perspectives of people about Africa, was an interesting topic to me and for the fact that it was presented by a Nigerian makes it more attractive and arrests my patience.  Her points were real, updated, and exact of what I am experiencing.

In her introduction, she built confidence in her audience to proof to them her credibility to handle such topic: her background, family set up, and educational experience both in Nigeria and America.  The way she was a victim at one time or the other and how she realise such dangers.  All these show her involvement on the theme.

Her gesture was natural but her movement was mechanical, as she remains statue in a single place throughout the presentation depict a lack of confidence in her.  It does not show individuality in her audience.  She felt shy like a new presenter who was more concern about her words and lack attitude. Attitude is the engine - The good news is that the engine driving your tone of voice and the way you move is your attitude. To be a great oral communicator, first you must manage your attitude. It’s the way you say your words that makes you persuasive, not the words themselves Whalen (2007, P.17).

In her presentation, it was obvious that she could not control her own fear. She talks carefully as if the audience would react negatively to her points. She acted like what Whalen referred to as Professional visitor. This type is a nice, friendly, well-mannered individual who may be knowledgeable about his or her products and how they can help prospective customers. The professional visitor does make some sales, but not enough to be outstanding Professional visitors can take prospective customers to the edge of the decision, but in the face of the customers’ fears, they are not equipped or trained to help customers make the decision Whalen (2007, P.60).

The way she link her story was perfect match with a balance of what the change will bring. She first narrated the dangers she has experienced in single story and other prospective consequences; rub people of their dignity, makes equality in humanity difficult and emphasize how different rather than similarity. Spelling out what would have happen without the change idea helps make clear that the story isn’t about “the way things normally happen around here.” Stephen, D.  (2011,P. 70). It’s critical to link the change idea to the story with one of these magic phrases: “What if…” “Just imagine…”  “Just think…”  Stephen, D. (2011, P.77).

Reference:

Whalen, D.J. (2007).  The Professional Communication Toolkit.

Stephen, D. (2011).  The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling.

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Describe a common story in your organization and discuss its implications on the organization.  Does this story promote the goals and ideals of the organization?  Does it help describe, "who we are and what we stand for?”  What is the story's impact on the culture of the organization?

United State Navy happen to be a diverse working environment where people from different culture and languages work together as a team.  Navy promote honouring everybody’s culture and language but uses English language as the official language to carry out its businesses.

Deferent accent is the barrier that we face each day in every conversation, mostly especially when people like me from Africa with British English background communicating with American and people that have stayed for more than a decade in the state.

Initially, I felt embarrassed every time we had a hard time understanding each other.

Navy as an entity has free English class to improve speaking ability of those that comes from where English is not their first language or with a strong accent like my own.  However, I discovered that even with the English class accent is not what can be corrected within a short period. After some time I understand that when anybody needs my assistance, they understand my accent but when it is vice verse they will not understand.

This ushered me to see what my New Oxford America Dictionary has say about accent; a distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, associated with a particular nation, locality, or social class.

This findings brings me to a conclusion that accent that one has built over three decades is not what can be changed within a few years of changing environment.  This now gives the confidents to talk back whenever anybody said he could not understand my accent, saying that it is too strong.  I tell them that having an accent aren’t a disease but a natural skill of ones language. Now people listen to me better than before and we understand each other and able to work more as a team and achieving the primary objective of navy for having people from different cultural background. For instance, when my Ship was deployed to Africa in 2012, I was useful for interpretation in Nigeria when we had to communicate with people of the same accent.