Examples of Good Discussion Posts
Courtesy of Laura Chambers, English Instructor, Ogeechee Technical College
Work Ethics Topic 8: Communication
Example 1 (Topic: Communication)
I think personal communication is a trait that is dying a sudden death. Most people under the age of 35
don’t know how to communicate, whether it’s with friends, family, or a total stranger. I lay the blame for
this on the digital revolution. These people were almost literally born with a cell phone in their hand and
they don’t use it as a phone. Instead, they use text messaging to communicate with others.
I recently had a conversation with a friend whose job has taken him to Macon, GA and he always texts me. I
enjoy hearing from him but not by text, not all the time. In the conversation we had, we discussed just how
impersonal texting has become. I told him I’d rather hear his voice that to read an abbreviated version of
what he was trying to “say” to me in some text message. He didn’t understand what the difference was.
The best way I could explain it to him was to say that if I could hear his voice, I could tell from his tone if he
felt bad or if he was tired or any number of other things. I can’t do that with a text message.
Some might say I’m just being old-fashioned, but I prefer the more traditional forms of communication over
any form of impersonal communication any day. And there are certainly exceptions to that, too. If I'm in a
situation where it is inappropriate to be on the phone (in a meeting) I don't mind a text, if it is necessary for
that person to reach me. Other than that, I don't care for texting. I can say more in 2 minutes on the phone
that I can by texting for an hour.
Example 2 (Topic: Communication)
I agree with you on the part about speaking. When I first got into the insurance business, I was so shy I
could barely ask a customer to pay their premium, much less try to sell anything. An older agent worked
with me a lot. He told me if I was ever going to make it in insurance, I was going to have to get away from
being so shy. Sometimes I wonder if that was a good thing or not, because I love to talk now. I guess you
could say I did a 180 from being shy to not caring who I speak to (which is practically anybody... Ha! Ha!).
I believe age has a lot to do with being shy when speaking to someone in authority. I was only 21 when I
started in insurance. I think that as we get older, we gain confidence in ourselves along the way. Before we
know it, we can't quit talking. Somebody who meets me today would never believe how shy I was back
then.
Example 3 (Topic: Communication)
I've seen several people talk about becoming a better listener. I agree with everyone here when it come to
that. I learned how to listen to people and pick up on what they are Not saying, as well as what they Are
saying. I believe I could improve my listening skills, too. My biggest communication problem comes from
people texting me with stuff that they know I don't care about. I'd rather somebody call me on the phone
and tell me a joke than to have them text it to me. I just prefer the more traditional, more personal forms
of communication. The technological forms have their place, I suppose, in the right situation.
Examples of Good Discussion Posts
Courtesy of Laura Chambers, English Instructor, Ogeechee Technical College
Work Ethics Topic 9: Cooperation
In 200 words or more, evaluate some people you know who are supervisors or managers. Are they leaders
or just bosses? What good or bad qualities do they display? Then respond to two classmates. Be sure to be
specific in your responses to your classmates; don't just say "I agree." Explain why you agree or disagree.
Example 1 (Topic: Cooperation)
I believe cooperation and teamwork go hand in hand. Just as we need to be able to effectively work as a
team, we should also be able to cooperate with what our supervisors or teachers and get along with
everyone. If a teacher wants her students to proceed with their work in a certain way, they should do as
she has asked, and not complain. If a student balks on every assignment and complains about everything,
they could have just simply followed the teacher’s directions and probably would have already completed
the task at hand. After the student gets through being uncooperative, there is still work to be done.
The same applies to a job, except if you don’t cooperate with the boss and do what he says, you could be
fired. Nobody can ever benefit from a situation like that. Lots of times, morality plays a huge role in those
circumstances. It’s simply a matter of doing the right thing. We can disagree with a request, but we are still
obligated to follow through with it. If I were to spend 30 minutes arguing about not wanting to do my work
in Access, I have done nothing but waste 30 minutes that I could have devoted to completing the
assignment. I would still have the work to do.
I remember being asked to cut up some metal on a job I held a couple of years ago. This was in addition to
my regular duties. I decided to do what I didn’t want to do and cut the metal first. When the supervisor
came to ask me when I might be able to get to the metal, I told him I had already cut it. By doing that, it
made my regular job go so much smoother, because I didn’t have to dread cutting that metal afterward.
Sometimes we just have to bite the bullet and get the
Example 2 (Topic: Cooperation)
I had a boss like that once. He was having a bad day and came to my work station and started ranting and
raving about where I was placing ID stickers on the window frames I was making. He went on about it for
about ten minutes and I let him get it out of his system before I looked at him and told him I was putting
the stickers where he had told me to put them just 3 days before. He argued that he hadn't told to put
them anywhere. Three other employees who were there when he told me, came to my defense and told
him he Had told me to put them where I was putting them. All of a sudden, I took a sticker and put it on his
forehead and told him I'd put them there, If that's where he wanted them to be. When everybody else
started laughing hysterically, he remembered telling me three days before. We all got a big laugh out of it,
but he never did apologize to me for carrying on like he did. He was just being the boss, I guess.