Handling Substandard Professional Behavior

Contrary to popular opinion, the military emphasizes dealing with the whole person concept when interacting with others. Generally speaking, the idea exposed in military culture is that a person needs to be guided and mentored in order to be successful. There’s a time for reprimands and stern correction. But that’s not usually where we begin. I’ll demonstrate how this method would apply to the current scenario.

As a member of a tech company that provides customer service, people skills and technical knowledge are essential. When meeting with the individual, I would not begin with blame, criticism or correction. First, I would ensure I don’t put the person on the defensive by being accusatory. I’d start with the facts, not my opinions about them.

As an employee, I would ensure they had the right qualifications for the job. I’d mention why I wanted to speak to them citing specifics. I would say things like “Last week I received a complaint from one of your co-workers and several customers regarding…”. Then I would ask for their take on what happened. I would make a light inquiry into their personal life. A person may be going through an existential crisis that’s causing them distress. While that may seem odd, it’s more common than people realize. Thousands of people commit suicide and one of the tell-tale signs may be bumptious behavior. It’s a good idea to see a person as more than just an employee.

Based on the limited information in the scenario, I have to make some assumptions. I’ll assume that the person feels innocent and can’t see what’s wrong. Or perhaps, they’re blaming others for their behavior. If that’s the case, arguing with them is both useless and unproductive. There’s an old aphorism that goes “People don’t need to be taught as much as they need to be reminded”. Given that, I would remind them of the manner in which they’re expected to do their job and ensure they understand it. All this would be done in a matter of fact and respectful way.

I’d explain that every unpleasant interaction with a customer has a ripple effect that translates into less revenue. Additionally, every unpleasant interaction with co-workers lowers morale and makes work more unpleasant for everyone.

I’d review their history and the number of complaints on file with the Human Relations department with them. Because the problems are a trend and not an isolated issue, they’ll be under more scrutiny. Additionally, their performance will now be subject to a review every 30 days for the next 3 months beginning today. I’d then explain that unless a significant change in performance occurs, I’ll have to dismiss them at the end of that period.

Finally, I’d remind them of what our company’s mission and purpose is. I would explain that their contributions are needed and valued. I’d also let them know I’m available for help and guidance if needed. Negative interactions like this should always end on a positive note whenever possible.

The Internet is slowly transforming the world as a media form in itself. It’s the highway that serves up video news, print media that can be read online, streaming radio, blogs, advertising, music, and TV. More and more Americans are relying on internet based news sources instead of the traditional print and broadcast media.

Americans still visit traditional media outlets online such as NBC and CNN. But increasingly they're turning to unique online news sources such as weblogs. Websites can provide text, audio, and video information. All of the ways traditional media are transmitted. The web also allows for a more interactive approach by allowing people to personally tailor the news they receive via personalized web portals, newsgroups, podcasts, and RSS feeds.

The explosion of accessibility to various media outlets via the internet and mobile devices has enabled an unparalleled opportunity to customize ones news sources.

Another type of media is radio. Before television (around the 1950s), most Americans relied on radio broadcasts for their news. Although fewer Americans rely on radio as their primary news source, many people still listen to radio news every day.  The most common times listeners tune in are during commutes to and from work in the mornings and evenings.

Local news stations have a particularly large audience because they can report on local weather, traffic, and events. In a short time, listeners can be treated to several areas of interest that matter to them the most.  Since the 1980s, talk radio has emerged as a major force in broadcasting. Talk radio is a radio format in which the hosts mix interviews with political commentary and insight.

Many news reports on television, for example, are merely follow-up stories about news that first appeared in newspapers. In other words, newspapers are often the first to break a story.  The top American newspapers all lean sharply to the left.  Newspapers like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times, often set the agenda for many other media sources.

The main broadcast media networks each have a news division that broadcasts a nightly news show. For the past fifty years, most Americans watched one or more of these broadcasts fairly consistently.  But, since the 1980s, cable news channels have chipped away at the broadcast networks.  In short, variety produces competition.  CNN and MSNBC both broadcast news around the clock. And because the cable news channels are always broadcasting news programs, many people who want to follow a story closely tune in to these stations first.  All major news outlets lean very far to the left in their reporting, save one.

The relatively new Fox network news program has drawn numerous viewers away from the big three networks.  Again, it’s an example of variety breeding competition.  For years all mainstream broadcast news media outlets were unabashedly biased toward the left.  Until recently, there was no competition.  Once the public was given the choice, their preference became clear.  As of July 2014, It has reached the 147th consecutive month at the number one spot in total viewers among cable news networks, in both total day and primetime.

Media in all it’s forms is one of the most ubiquitous things we interact with.  Not a day goes by in this modern society that we aren’t impacted in a major way by some form of media.  I’ll discuss print media, broadcast media, radio, and the  internet.

The oldest form of human communication is the spoken word.  The advent of printing made it possible to transfer the spoken word to print.  This is seen in the form of newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, ads, brochures and other printed material. Collectively, these are known as print media. Although readership of various formats has dropped in the last few decades, many people in America and all over the world still read a newspaper every day or a newsmagazine on a routine basis. Because it’s still relevant, its influence is still significant.

Some studies reveal that the readers of print media tend to have certain characteristics.  Regular readers of print media tend to be more likely to be politically active and reasonably informed. I think this is because reading requires active attention and those that take the time to read daily periodicals are more likely to keep up with current events.  The print media is responsible for more reporting than other news sources.

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