Week 7 Online Communication Podcast Reflection

For this week's Blog, I decided to listen to the Standford Graduate School of Business's podcast hosted by Matt Abrahms. This episode was called "How to Shine Online and Excel at Virtual Communication. Podcast Link. This podcast reflected ideas of how communication is impacted in Education through an online virtual setting. This podcast felt very relevant to the material we learned in class and the experiences we all personally hold as students who have experienced some form of academics and education through online platforms, especially following the pandemic. Matt Abrahams a strategic communications professor at the Standford Business Graduate School reflects ideas from Brian Lowery, Lowery states at the beginning of the podcast that " All of us are moving towards more virtual communication, which is a shift in context, that is going to change the way people understand you and the way they experience you, you cannot engage in exactly the same behavior and assume that you are going to get exactly the same results - the context shifts" (2021).  Similar to the ideas we have learned in class about the way technology impacts our interpersonal communication. Lowery continues to state "We need to adjust our communication and presence to make sure we get the results we want" (2021). Throughout this podcast, Matt Abhrahms mentions tips he has gained from his fellow professors and lecturers as they reflected on their experiences with teaching and communicating with various types of students and audiences. the professors in the podcast mention that having to switch to a virtual classroom and education setting it is so important to be constantly changing the activities you do so then you can keep your audience and students engaged. With the gain and consistency of attention being so prevalent on virtual platforms and settings, this is a tip they mentioned that helps you build engagement.  He provides quick tips from carol robbins Professor Christian Wheeler, Professor Jennifer Ocker, and Naomi Bagdonis - how slight shifts in your presence can help you connect more authentically with your remote audiences. One of the professors stated ""I think we have become much more transactional as a result of the pandemic, and much more task-oriented especially in business at the expense of relationships. so we have a lot of contacts but not a lot a whole lot of connection and if we want more connection then we have got to make a little bit of time to ask either - how are you really doing?" (2021). Sustaining the personal and professional relationships that you hold throughout your life can be impacted heavily through technology and the shift to online presences and by being more intentional with the time you take to virtually connect with others, it will continue to benefit you. One of the final main points that Matt Abrahams reflected on throughout his podcast was the emphasis and importance of your presence and the way you show up online. He says that "technology has allowed us to connect like never before and so many of us work from home but as we all know, technology can really make or break how we are perceived and how we get our messages across" (2021). This brings connections from our materials throughout week 5 on Professional Online Presentation. The ideas shared by Abrahams reflect the presence and professionalism you carry online whether that is in an educational academic Zoom meeting, class discussion, LinkedIn profile, or social media platform. Some of the ideas he shared on this topic are things that he does personally in any of his professional settings, "how you show up really matters - make sure you fill-up the whole screen with your face and at least half of your body, check out the lighting and professionalism of your appearance before your meeting - as human beings we read a lot on peoples faces and if we can't see your face it makes it hard for us to trust you" (2021). In Julia Green's textbook Communicating Online, she states that "One of the first signals of professionalism you give at a job interview is your appearance" (243). She then reflects on how the way you present yourself can help you throughout your interview, and in return, the way you perceive the company or professional interest you have can also help you determine the confidence you have as your own individual, and if this is a company that aligns with your goals. Perception, Presentation, and Presence are key.