Our Trip to the Hanna Center : )

Yesterday we completed our service learning project at the Hanna Center.  I was a little nervous before it all started because I was worried that the kids wouldn't like the games, or we would run out of things to do, or some catastrophe would occur.  Luckily, none of the above happened.  We got to the Hanna Center, had a couple minutes to set up, and then we gathered everyone around a large table for introduction (their name and favorite thing about Halloween)--I was shocked to find out that many of the children there did not have a preference for their favorite type of Halloween candy!! We then moved to snack time, which everyone seemed to enjoy--especially our team members haha.  After clean-up, Amanda had a pumpkin craft for the kids to do, we played a broomstick relay race along with other outdoor games that Ellen came up with, we had a "gross food guess," and a mummy wrapping competition.  All around good times.   Brett and Josh's costumes also seemed to be a big hit with the kids.  

Although everything ran smoothly, I will say I realized the importance of flexibility!  We came prepared with an agenda of activities, but we quickly learned that we were just going to have to "go with the flow."  Kids can only stay focused on one activity for so long, so we had to switch things around in order to keep them entertained and content.  

I'd have to say my favorite part of the day was coloring with the kids at the end of our time at the Hanna Center.  I forgot how therapeutic coloring can be!! Maybe one of these days Jasmine will let us color as an in-class activity : )

Problem Solving Task Forces are intense!

This last few classes when we worked on the problem solving task-force it made me realize how problem solving works. I wish that we would have done this about a week ago, because I had an interview and one of the questions that the interviewer asked me was, "Tell me about a time when you used your problem solving skills?" At the time this was a very hard question and I was caught off guard because I really hadn't ever thought about how I actually use problem solving skills. But we use problem solving skills everyday! Whether its just to decide what to eat for lunch, or how to deal with your roommate. I never really thought about how important problem solving skills are and how much we actually use them.

The scenario that my group was given was about Texas A&M, the school was building a bond fire with huge logs for their homecoming game and there was an accident where the logs fell and many students were crushed and many died. Then our group was to come up with a plan on how to handle the situation. At first I was so overwhelmed with the problem and I felt bad(even though it wasn't real!) I don't think that I would be a good person to put on an actual problem solving task force for a real situation like this because I feel that my emotions would probably get the best of me. Haha! Anyways, so as the group and I really started to dig into the scenario we first identified what needed to happen as soon as possible then moved on to who needed to be addressed in the situation (parents, media, students, ect). Then lastly we thought of ways to keep something like this from happening again in the future. We went though it step by step basically, the problem solving skills came so natural to everyone in the group because we do these things on a daily basis, thank goodness the problems that we encounter everyday are not like this scenario and are not as intense.

So next time I have an interview question about problem solving I will have a much better answer for the interview than the last one.

-Amanda Wise

Task Force

Yes, I will also say a few words about the Problem-Solving Task Force assignment. I don't mean to jump on the bandwagon, I just think it's a unique assignment and will provide us with useful skills for the future. It was interesting to be assigned to a different group, mostly because we have grown used to each other (as members of Boiler Volunteers) and know each other's communication styles and other nuances of the group and there is an established level of comfort with each other. However, our task force group had some new members, and we were missing some from the Boiler Volunteers, so some adjustments were needed. Under normal circumstances, this would probably happen over a period of time, say a week or two, but in this f aux crisis situation, everything came together so much more quickly. I just think it's interesting how quickly people become acquainted with each other in high-stakes situations.
A great example of this would be my experience this past summer as a high ropes challenge course facilitator. Normally it takes a group of new acquaintances awhile to adjust to one another and become comfortable with one another. With no past experiences to refer to, it's hard for them to have free-flowing conversations and there is usually a strong sense of personal space and very limited personal contact. However, when said group is sent thirty feet into the air with sling lines and harnesses holding them there as they walk across a steel cable, this touch barrier is broken almost immediately and participants are a lot more willing to get close with one another and help each other across. This is why these activities are usually used as teambuilding activities; they push people outside of that comfort level and speed along the "getting to know you" process.

-Ellen Rohlfing

On Wednesday, we were assigned new groups for problem solving task force. My new group was assigned the task of deciding how to respond to our company, "Jack in the Box", having an E-coli outbreak. Our new group functioned well and we came up with a good solution to the problem. I enjoyed seeing how the roles formed in our new group. One person took the leadership role and we relied on him to lay down the structure for our response to the problem. He got email addresses and phone numbers from every one and sent them out. Other people in the group were always there with useful ideas. I noticed when group members were supportive, clarifying, and questioning of ideas. While I have not figured out what every person's role was in the new group, I am starting to realize the different roles that people naturally fit into.

~Josh Heber

We're Having a Crisis Here!

 Today in class we were assigned our "crisis" to discuss in our problem-solving task force.  Our goal was to come up with a valid solution to address the issue, cover any concerns the public might have, investigate, talk with the media, and more.  We only had about 20 minutes to discuss the issue with our group--and is it turns out, this was hardly enough time at all.  Before today, I never really took the time to think about how much time, effort, and planning has to be put into finding a solution (or even a temporary solution) to an actual crisis.  There were much more variables that had to be taken into account than I would have imagined.  Thankfully, our collaboration allowed us to uncover some of these variables that I definitely would not have come up with alone.  

Our crisis dealt with the collapsed bonfire at A & M.  While I understood that the school's liability aspect needed to be taken care of, I had totally neglected to think about the parents that would have needed to be contacted and the counseling services that should be provided.  

This project changed my perspective on the way crises are handled, and the important role that the media plays in broadcasting information.  I can only imagine how much coordination and networking it takes to cover all of these issues in real life!!

-Kristen Gilson

REAL-LIFE Application to Problem Solving

Yesterday in class we talked about applications for problem-solving, and as I sat in class, I realized that these techniques would come in handy sooner than I thought.  I will admit I am one of those people who hates making decisions, and unfortunately my friends are too.  Consequently, it become a big struggle just to figure out where everyone wants to go eat for dinner.  Well not anymore.  

Step 1: Define the problem.  

-What? We need to determine where to go for dinner.

-Who? My friends and I.

-Where? This happens when we are all at the pool.

-When? Right after swim practice at 5:30.

Why? Because we are swimmers, we are starving, and we eat more than you can imagine.

-How? I will drive to dinner because I have the biggest car.

Step 2: Analyze the problem.

-Causes: No one wants to be the one who is responsible for choosing where we go to eat for the fear that another group member will be upset with the decision. Lack of ideas.  Lack of brainstorming.

-Effects: Hungry, agitated swimmers who really want to eat dinner. A verbal-war of "I picked last time, its your turn to pick." A consensus is still not reached.  

Step 3: Generating several possible solutions

-We list all the restaurants that sound good to each one of us.

Step 4: Evaluating options and selecting the best option

-Analyze the pros and cons of each solution using measures such as: which restaurant has the widest variety, is there a type of food that all of us our craving that night, which restaurant is the most cost-effective, which restaurant is the easiest to get to, which restaurant has the quickest service, etc.

Step 5: Implement the solution!

So the next time our team goes out to dinner, and we all have to unanimously decide where to go, I will let you know how these problem-solving strategies worked out. : )

-Kristen Gilson

Am I a Critical Thinker?

The other day in class, Jasmine asked us a question about what we thought our group's biggest problem-solving issue was.  Initially, our group could not come up with an answer, because we honestly felt like we did not have any major issues when it came to problem-solving.  And when we said this, Jasmine told us that our biggest problem was probably lack of critical thinking.  

  After taking time to consider this, I think she was probably right in this assumption.  Because our group does get along so well all of the time, I think in some cases we might have settled on a solution without delving into it much further.  We like what the members of our group say, we respect their opinions, and we do listen to all of the options that we come up with, but sometimes I think we do not take that extra step to come up with EXTRA solutions to the problem.  

With this being said, for the next task that we are given in class, I will personally make an attempt to be more of a critical thinker and follow some of the guidelines outlined in Chapter 9.  For example, instead of just sharing opinions when analyzing the problem, I will use data and information as well.  Second, I will help our group establish criteria so we know what a good solution will look like, and third, we will evaluate the potential negative consequences of the possible solutions we have come up with.  

So the next time our group is asked what our biggest downfall to problem-solving is... we can honestly answer that we don't have one!!

-Kristen Gilson

Making a Decision

I am the least decisive (or most in-decisive) person I have ever known. Even when I go to the ice cream shop I have trouble picking out which flavor to get--they all look good, and I would be reasonably happy with several decisions. Unless I'm in the mood for something in particular (a rareity), I find it hard to come to a consensus with myself and choose one, just one, flavor.
At the same time, I can make what I always call "an executive decision:" a quick choice that is made objectively when there needs to be an answer, stat!, and no one else has anything to contribute. These I can make almost without thinking. I objectively look at the situation, figure out what would be the best solution for that particular problem, and make the call without sitting around and deliberating. With both of my decision-making tendencies in mind, I wonder where the middle ground is between the two, and if I have ever made a decision quickly with deliberation.
With several problem-solving skills and solutions being taught in class, I have actually found myself utilizing them at intermittent points in my day. Each problem calls for a different problem-solving approach, and for the lesser problems (such as picking the "right" flavor of ice cream), the problem-solving technique does not have to be as elaborate and does not carry the same weight as perhaps the problem-solving technique used to address scarcity within the human population. So, in the end, I was on the right path either way. =]

-Ellen Rohlfing

This weekend I ran in a race in Chicago. The race could be ran solo or as a team. I ran it solo but saw the negotiating process that the other teams went through. Different legs of the race had different challenges that were probably suited better to certain individuals. I watched as several teams used different tactics to figure out who was running what part of the race. Some teams were unorganized and seemed to pick at random. Others had a leader that stepped up and decided or had good group discussion on who should run what part. The latter seemed to be the most effective, given the time available before the race. I feel that those teams had a leg up on the competition because of their group discussion and thought instead of randomly assigning people to legs of the race.

Brett Sullenger

Deductive Reasoning

Watch this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHS9kbSqHgI

This is a really funny clip showing how a smart dog get's the ball without jumping into the dirty pool. The clip shows the dog's deductive reasoning... From the dog's perspective, the syllogism is:
-The ball is in the water and can be pulled out without jumping in.
-The mattress will float when I jump on it.
-I can paddle to the ball and get it out of the pool by jumping onto the mattress.

~Josh Heber

Easy Negotiating

I have never thought of myself as a good at negotiating but I really like the exercise we had in class on Monday where the groups had to negotiate which group was to present there proposal. During the exercise while we were at the beginning of the negotiating process I just wanted to give up and say we would do it on Wednesday, even though our group knew it would be tough since we all were very busy. Our group kept talking amongst ourselves trying to figure out whether we could even get a hold of our contact person for our project. As our group kept talking we really didn't want to go on Wednesday because our entire group was very busy and we didn't think we would have enough time. I knew that I was also very busy but I completely forgot how busy I was actually going to be on Wednesday.
The negotiating went on for a few minutes until I realized that I had a career fair on Tuesday and hopefully I would have interviews on Wednesday, which would be the day that we would have to present our proposal, all of this just started coming out as soon as I realized that I had something very important or (could) have something very important going on Wednesday. I hadn't even told my group about this yet but as soon as I realized this the words just started pouring out of my mouth and I was then in hard negotiating mode! Once I had a real purpose and better facts to support why our group should go on Friday rather than Wednesday, the negotiating became very easy and the other group decided to go on Wednesday and we could go on Friday.

Amanda Wise

Negotiation

I have been thinking about the types of negotiation we discussed in class and I realize that I tend to use soft negotiation with friends and hard negotiation when I am trying to make a deal. When I am with my friends and someone suggests something to do, I will be happy to join them and participate even if I have made a suggestion to do something else. I feel that if that's what everyone else would like to do, we will have more fun, and I will have more fun too, rather than argue my point on what we should do. Last year, when negotiating to buy a car, I talked to the seller and made an offer that was much lower than the selling price. I told him that I would not pay any more than I offered. I explained the cost of repairs that needed to be made for it to be in fair Kelley Blue Book condition. He was surprised at my figures for what it would cost so he told me that he would look into it and contact me. The next day, he called me back and told me that my offer was fair because the repair costs were even higher than what I had originally thought. So, I bought the car and have been driving it ever since. This is an example of hard negotiation because I showed my bottom line and said that was all that I was willing to pay for the car. I essentially said "take it or leave it" and he chose to leave it temporarily and look into it further, just like the insurance adjuster example in class.

-Josh Heber

Ignoring the Elephant in the Room

This week we talked about myths about conflict in small groups, and I instantly connected with myth number one: in group discussions, conflict should be avoided at all costs.

This reminded me of a girl I know (who, thankfully, we'll leave anonymous. She doesn't even go to Purdue) always diverted from conflict in our group meetings. Sadly, she wasn't skilled in resolving conflict or moving forward from it, but instead just avoided it all together. Frankly, it was really annoying. As the book states, conflict was a natural byproduct of our conversation every so often, and was necessary at times in order to move the project forward and get things done. And it really felt unnatural and counterproductive to steer away from the subjects that could stir up conflicting beliefs or ideals. It was like trying to avoid a giant elephant hanging out in the corner of the room. Clearly there is an elephant there, just because you don't reference it doesn't mean others can't see it.

In lieu of this past experience, I have a different outlook on conflict and its resolution. First of all, do not be afraid to walk into a situation that could involve conflict. Second of all, don't just avoid the issue--there are times that conflict must be dealt with in order to move forward. Although, that doesn't mean you need to create conflict or that it's ok to conflict all the time. Just don't ignore that elephant.

-Ellen Rohlfing

Groupthink

"The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it."
- Dale Carnegie

While this quote from Dale Carnegie may be true in some instances, I don't think that all conflict can or should be avoided. I feel like trying to avoid conflict will suppress many great ideas from group members. Someone might not share an idea because they feel like it will start an argument. Also, avoiding conflict may keep people from voicing their opinion when they disagree with another member of the group.
I feel like our group has been great at minimizing conflict and when someone disagrees, we come to a quick solution that pleases everyone.
-Josh Heber

Conflict

In class we have been talking about conflict and what kind of conflicts we encounter and how we resolve those conflicts in our own lives. When I was asked in class what types of conflict I encountered growing up with my siblings I really couldn't think of any because my sister and I really never fought much at all. But I have definitely dealt with alot of conflict and I feel that the way my family tried to resolve conflict was not always the best.
I grew up in a small town on a farm in northern Indiana. Growing up on a farm taught me work ethic and also taught me how to work in a team. As many know living and working on a farm is not a one man job, many times you have to work together to get a job done and done right! As we also spoke about in class when we work together with others there are always going to be some conflict. I remember many times when my whole family would be baling hay in the field during the summer and it was getting late and we had to hurry and work together in order to get the job done efficiently as possible because it was getting too dark or it was going to rain that night. But many times my family would disagree on how things should be accomplished, so the conflict began with the disagreement. One of the only ways my family really ever resolved these conflicts was to yell. I have learned through other experiences in my life that yelling is not the best way to resolve a conflict, because this just makes everyone even more unhappy. Both of my parents were very good at yelling the way they thought things should be done on the farm when there was a disagreement. But really the yelling was just unnecessary, there are ways to get the point across of how things should be solved by speaking at a normal volume.
My family has gotten much better at resolving conflicts by simply talking about the issue instead of yelling about the issue after talking about how yelling causes doesn't solve conflict very well. I hope that when I have my own family I will be able to show them how to solve conflicts through talking about issues rather than yelling the issues.

Amanda Wise

Ego Conflicts

On Wednesday we talked in class about conflicts between siblings, and since I am an only child I had nothing to share on the topic.  However, this doesn't mean I haven't seen my fair share of conflicts/arguments.  I still also stand by the fact that just because you don't have a sibling does not make you any less capable of using strategies during conflict or having the ability to work through problems.  In fact, I think a lot of people who HAVE siblings still struggle to resolve conflict.

For example, I have two friends whose personalities always seem to clash.  They seem to get into arguments over the tiniest things. ( The other day the argument was about who's hometown was more ethnically diverse--clearly not a subject of mass importance since they are now both living in West Lafayette.)  Honestly, I think that THEY need to be taking COM 320 so they can learn some ways to work through their ego conflicts.  Most of their arguments are yelling, which does not help the other member understand your points better--so they should try to maintain a cool emotional climate by lowering their voices and speaking more calmly.  Also, they could learn to be more descriptive rather than judgmental (in this case they were attacking the other person's hometown).  And lastly, the goal of their conflicts should not always be about who is right and who is wrong.  They should both try to take a more objective view to turn the discussion in a problem that needs to be solved.  

When I was growing up, most of my conflicts and arguments were with my parents because I was the only other one in the house with them.  Any time that I would get into an argument with my mom or dad, our family always had the rule that you couldn't leave the house angry or with an unresolved conflict.  I was taught that you had to try and recognize why the other person was upset, and then be the bigger person and apologize for any boundaries that you might have crossed.