Writing Portfolio Entry 1:

Since I have a required written portfolio for my Technical English class, he recommended that we keep in a digital format for printing, so I thought that I would take advantage of it and use it as an opportunity to post up here. Same concept, and hits two birds with one stone.

During our class we were discussing persuasion; its' definition and how it takes form in a written document.  We were each given five minutes to get our thoughts down on paper, and I found myself continually editing and changing what I was trying to say. I guess having a Project Management class before English was more influential than I first expected, because upon reflection, most of what I was trying to say sounded so corporate, by the time I handed it in, even I was at a loss to exactly what I was saying.

As much as I can see the greater purpose of taking a Project Management course, the overwhelming conceptual complexity and abbreviations seem to serve as more of a road block than a guide. Although my instructor has said that the terminology isn't important, I fear the lack of comprehension of the language is going to leave me behind. In other words, it the terminology isn't important, why is it still part of the curriculum if it is not relevant?  You must excuse me if my mind is a bit behind on this whole concept.

To move us beyond the bitter ramblings of an over taxed brain, I hope to have an understanding of this important information before I am stuck in the corporate wheel of a company and am fumbling to lead a team because of my lack of understanding. In the end, I am thankful for the education of this subject area that I have obviously have never been exposed to before. University is good for that. 

Persuasion: convincing an audience to act on either fact or bias that you have presented. Voluntarily. Happily. On your side. With support. Without manipulation or force. You are calling them to move, make a decision or cease an action. Persuading that you know best, or to trust the facts that you have laid before them. Independently working within a whole to come to a conclusion.  

We are either following, leading or standing still when it comes to persuasion. Someone needs to come along and present us with a solution, or a message to change where we are going, or to cheer us further on down the road. Status reports on products produced by a company, stopping the current procedures within an organization or announcing business quarter sales. Moving, changing or cheering.

If every word we say is persuasive, should we not then be more careful of what we say? Or is it that we should be more aware of the control that others may have over us?