Essay

With today’s technology rapidly growing and evolving, one might utilize a number of methods to facilitate group communication. One method that has gained prominence in recent years is video conferencing. These meetings take place on a computer with web cams and instant message tools. This is a sufficient means of group communication when the participants of the meeting can not physically meet. Attendees of a group meeting can conveniently participate in this meeting from home or from their office. In a situation where staffing at the office is an issue, attendees can participate in the meeting while still being able to excuse themselves and help their fellow employees. One of the biggest flaws of this method is that everyone’s computer connection may not be fast enough to have a meeting in real time--the video feed may lag and cause a delayed response to questions and feedback. In a team charter, the team members can use video chat to discuss assignments such as term papers or group projects. This will allow for quick responses and eliminate the time wasted waiting for people to respond to email or forum messages. Another technological method of group communication is phone conferencing. Participants call into a given number and deliver the meeting via a phone. This method can be paired with the video conference to insure that everyone clearly hears what is being said while viewing visuals on the computer. Members or the team charter can use video conferencing if everyone does not have a web cam for video chatting. Like with video chatting, this method is quick and convenient for participants; however, with both video and phone conferencing there are some similar disadvantages. With these types of group communication one can not effectively read body language or read participant’s facial expressions--things that one will monitor in an in-person meeting to gauge participant’s understanding and attentiveness. Also, since participants access these types of meetings remotely, there is room for many distractions to disturb those in the conference. Lastly, time zone differences could make creating a meeting time that is convenient for everyone a hassle. Aside from the minor disadvantages, these technologies prove to be great means to facilitate group communication.