# data[].attributes.body
Hello, my name is Dominic Martinez and I am a current student of COM230. I am analyzing the case study of Waking Up Inc., and helping the team discover new methods of effective communication.

# data[].attributes.body
The problem is that the Waking Up Inc. team is getting tired of having weekly face to face meetings. Beebe (2016) describes the Is/Not Analysis as a technique to ensure that a group is investigating a problem and not the symptom of a problem. The five step process involves exploring the what, symptoms, when, where, and who. In the 'what' category, the object of the problem is the surplus of face to face meetings, and the amount of meetings are not the object of the problem. The symptom of the problem is that the Waking Up Inc. team is wanting a new channel of communicating meetings, and the symptoms are not that they want to communicate less. The problem is observed after hearing from the employees, and it wasn't observed before examining how the employees feel about the meetings. The problem occurs inside of meetings, and it does not occur when employees are doing work on their own. The employees are the ones affected by the problem, and the leaders are not affected by the problem.

Reference: Beebe, S. A., & Masterson, J. T. (2016). Communicating in small groups: Principles and practices. Boston: Pearson.

# data[].attributes.body
In order to define the problem, we can examine the Force-Field analysis technique. Beebe (2016) describes this as having a clear statement of the goal, which can be stated in terms of what the group wants more or less of. This five step process can allow the group to focus on the causes of the problem rather than the symptoms. The first step identifies what the group is attempting to achieve, which is to find a different channel of communication in meetings. The second step is to list all of the restraining forces, which are the communication barriers involved with not meeting face to face. The driving forces involved include the fact that the employees would prefer an online channel of communication to increase productivity. The group has concluded to increase the driving forces and search for an online virtual platform that will allow the team to effectively communicate.

# data[].attributes.headline
Step 3: Generate solutions to the problem

# data[].attributes.subject
Step 3: Generate solutions to the problem

# data[].attributes.body
The two solutions that have been generated as the most efficient platforms to communicate are Facebook and Skype.

# data[].attributes.headline
Step 4: Evaluate Solutions to the problem

# data[].attributes.subject
Step 4: Evaluate Solutions to the problem

# data[].attributes.body
Facebook is a contender because it has a group page feature which allows teams to post, share, and collaborate in a group page. There is a group messaging feature which allows members of the team to communicate at any time.

However, individuals may get distracted by the personal features that Facebook offers, and there is still a lack of nonverbal communication.

Skype is the top choice because it allows individuals to interact face to face, detect body language, tone, and paralanguage. Individuals are able to enter in groups on Skype and chat in the side box during the call. Individuals are able to meet from the comfort of their desks.

However, for the individuals who dislike face to face meetings, they may feel like the channel was just moved to a virtual meeting. This is the most efficient platform besides face to face and should be used when necessary in order to increase motivation for attendance and active listening.

# data[].attributes.body
After implementing the suggestion of utilizing Skype in the office instead on in-person meetings, employees have reported higher success of productive meetings, preparation, being on-time, and overall satisfaction. The Waking Up Inc. team has completely replaced face to face meetings with Skype meetings to ensure successful communication in the office.