John T. Delaney’s blog in the Huffington Post on the topic of social media disconnect describes a key issue that directly correlates to the students at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. We spend an excessive amount of time using social media to connect with other people. In doing so, we become accustomed to communicating through texting/tweeting/emailing. Thus, the irony of social media is that although we are connected to more people through the internet, we tend to lose the face to face social skills that are necessary in order to be successful in the field of business. A high grade in a class can only get you so far; you still have to be able to convey your skill set to a manager in a job interview; you still have to be able to sell a product to potential investors. In addition, successful businesspeople must be able to efficiently interact with employees, customers, and in some cases competitors. Social media also has multiple advantages which is why it is important to find a balance between social media and social interactions. For this reason, I think COMM 101 is such a vital course in developing our business skills. We use social media, but we also participate in face to face discussions. This provides the opportunity to develop our abilities to express thoughts and ideas through social interaction.
Sources:
John T. Delaney, “How the Social Media Disconnect Will Affect Business Schools,” Huffington Post, Oct. 15th/14