My Learning Experience: Class Presentations
Gerald Zerpa
Professor Sinkoff
SPC 1017
2/4/2025
My Learning Experience:
Class Presentations
During class presentations I learned a bit from our fellow classmates who stepped up to present. Overall, it was more about the information recalled than information learned. Sometimes in life, even if things seem the most obvious to us, we must have a little refresher every once in a while, to not lose track of what skills are necessary for success, especially those in the field of communication.
In my group's chapter 3 presentation, after coming up with examples that would be the most relatable to our general audience, gave me a little eye opener on how different we, Hispanic people, are from the average population in the United States. Some things that are considered normal to us, might be quite abstract to the outside view, which is important to know when interacting with others, since knowing treat people plays a big role in which connections we make, and might make a difference between striking a deal with a fellow businessman and causing a less than ideal first impression, losing possible sales, and possibly more than that depending on the context.
Part of my partners' presentations led me to think about how Hispanic cultures and the US compare in terms of what type of society we are. The US places a higher emphasis on individualism and self-achievement, while Hispanic cultures focus more on collectivism, forming communities of close friends and family, working together to reach a goal; perhaps that is what makes it easier to form deep relationships in Hispanic countries. All of these values are passed down from our families, and many of those values can be beneficial, or hindering to our abilities to interact with others, and point of view on certain subjects, such as what people from other cultures consider right or wrong, as presented in chapter 9.
I learned that as we move on to the workplace, it is important to be capable of understanding the point of view of people that come from different cultures, since those who come from countries with a different socioeconomic status will have a different point on how to approach things, such as their willingness to take certain business decisions, or recommendations to their business partners. Different points of view can lead to unnecessary disagreements among the parties involved, hindering productivity, and possibly leading to disbanding. I wholeheartedly believe that communication, and knowing how to treat people, are one of the key aspects of success. It is often said that it is not always about what you know, but who you know, and for a good reason, since effectively communicating can help you reach a wider public; perhaps you will get to know a technician, or two of your friends might end up becoming mechanics, so you will have an easier time getting out of a tough spot, compared to the person that peaked in high school but sheltered in for the remainder of their lives. If you sell life or annuity insurance, you might know a lot more people who need insurance, so not only will you have more clients at your disposal, but you will also be helping those friends in your social circle, allowing a mutualistic relationship to flourish. Something else that caught my eye during the presentation, was the mention regarding the development of meeting etiquette; it is something I have not thought about, but I definitely know it will be worth knowing it for the future; having rules set in place, while promoting a positive disposition before the first meeting can help things go smoothly and allow communication to have a better flow, improving team efficiency. Communication is a really important skill to master, no matter which field one is constantly attempting to master. These Chapter 9 topics could have been fleshed out a bit more, but the key points are present, serving as a foundation for deeper investigation; I believe there is a lot more out there to discover about interpersonal communication. To conclude, love that the presentations brought these topics to the table; just the emphasis on the importance of knowing how to communicate with different cultures, and etiquette within groups can help us tackle future situations in which we could find ourselves in as we graduate and move on to the workforce.
Gerald Zerpa
Professor Sinkoff
SPC 1017
2/4/2025
My Learning Experience:
Class Presentations
During class presentations I learned a bit from our fellow classmates who stepped up to present. Overall, it was more about the information recalled than information learned. Sometimes in life, even if things seem the most obvious to us, we must have a little refresher every once in a while, to not lose track of what skills are necessary for success, especially those in the field of communication.
In my group's chapter 3 presentation, after coming up with examples that would be the most relatable to our general audience, gave me a little eye opener on how different we, Hispanic people, are from the average population in the United States. Some things that are considered normal to us, might be quite abstract to the outside view, which is important to know when interacting with others, since knowing treat people plays a big role in which connections we make, and might make a difference between striking a deal with a fellow businessman and causing a less than ideal first impression, losing possible sales, and possibly more than that depending on the context.
Part of my partners' presentations led me to think about how Hispanic cultures and the US compare in terms of what type of society we are. The US places a higher emphasis on individualism and self-achievement, while Hispanic cultures focus more on collectivism, forming communities of close friends and family, working together to reach a goal; perhaps that is what makes it easier to form deep relationships in Hispanic countries. All of these values are passed down from our families, and many of those values can be beneficial, or hindering to our abilities to interact with others, and point of view on certain subjects, such as what people from other cultures consider right or wrong, as presented in chapter 9.
I learned that as we move on to the workplace, it is important to be capable of understanding the point of view of people that come from different cultures, since those who come from countries with a different socioeconomic status will have a different point on how to approach things, such as their willingness to take certain business decisions, or recommendations to their business partners. Different points of view can lead to unnecessary disagreements among the parties involved, hindering productivity, and possibly leading to disbanding.
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