TED Talks Overview and Reflection Assignment
1. Select a TED Talk pertaining to the subject matter this week.
2. After viewing the TED Talks video you selected prepare a summary of the topic that was presented. Be sure to include the following:
- Review of the TED content (focused and concise)
- Your assessment of the presentation – what did you like and/or dislike about the content, presentation, and the presenter
- Three “take away” points of the content
- How you believe the content can be put into action in the workplace
- A closing summary
- A link to the TED Talk
3. ALL details and components of this assignment must be completed in entirety to receive credit
Sample Answer
TED Talks Overview and Reflection Assignment
In the TED talk’s video titled the micronization of communication in the workplace, Paul Zimmerman argues that the onset of web 2.0 at the beginning of the 21st century has had a significant impact on communication, resulting in small but multiple channels of communication among individuals and across organizations. Therefore, the micronization of communication has made it easier for individuals to communicate and reach each other in real-time (TED xTALKS, 2015). For instance, through channels such as instant messaging, individuals are able to connect with each other easily and through short and concise messages. The onset of various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter has also given the power to individuals to communicate with anyone across the world and therefore not be controlled by traditional gatekeepers of information. The micronization of communication has also had a significant impact on language with the use of shorter sentences, abbreviations, and even emoticons commonly referred to as smileys to emphasize messages (TED xTALKS, 2015). The micronization of communication due to the onset of web 2.0 and the availability of various platforms of communication has also promoted an effective model for people to communicate in groups through channels such as group chats. Through technology, communication has therefore become more efficient, with consumers preferring the most effective tools that can help them pass their messages through the least effort but with the highest impact (TED xTALKS, 2015).
According to Paul Zimmerman, the advent of technology that has resulted in the micronization of communication also significantly affects the organization’s internal communication processes. Therefore, top-heavy communication models in organizations are being restructured and replaced by ground-up communication (TED xTALKS, 2015). The Grapevine model of communication is more widely distributed in an organization in the present day than it did before. Organizations that do not have a platform where workers can communicate openly and consistently are therefore at significant risk of having the employees move their Grapevine chatter to other external platforms such as social media. In contemporary times ideas, proposals, and guidelines can be disseminated instantly across the organization, with organizational members reacting to such material in real-time (TED xTALKS, 2015). The micronization of communication and the rise of numerous communication platforms have made organizations flat and wide. In modern-day organizations, information flow from the top down has therefore been significantly disrupted, which has reduced the power of the leaders of an organization to control the communication process in an organization (Piszczek et al., 2016).
In the presentation, Paul Zimmerman utilizes visual aids and presents well-researched and summarized content related to the changes in communication that have been witnessed in the workplace in the 21st century. Therefore, this presentation is effective in clearly highlighting the changes in communication in the 21st century and how such changes have affected organizations. In the presentation, Zimmerman also presents various solutions that organizations can adopt to deal with the rapid changes in communications that are occurring in contemporary times.
My main takeaway point from the presentation is that communication has changed significantly in the 21st century. Presently communication is faster, and people are able to connect more easily with large audiences. The micronization of communication has also made internal communication in an organization become more flat and wide, which means that all organizational members can be able to connect and communicate easily despite their rank in an organization.
Modern-day organizations should therefore consider having internal platforms that allow quick and easy communication among all organizational members (Beer & Mulder, 2020). In summary, leaders of an organization cannot be able to control the communication processes of such organizations in modern times due to the micronization of communication. Such leaders should therefore work to promote the effective use of modern means of communication for the benefit of the organization.
