Headphones in the Office - 29 August 2011

Headphones in the Office


My first use of office headphones took place several years ago when I attended an international online conference on online teaching, and – ever since – their use has become multi-purpose, including selection of video and audio material for courses and listening to background music while I work.

In this blog post I would like to focus on the latter application: background music. What is it for? Well, calm music can create a mildly stimulating yet relaxing atmosphere. I’ll have to admit though that I find it more appropriate when involved in routine, simple office work such as straightforward typing than when the work requires deep concentration or focused reading. The headphones also help muffle any intruding noise from corridors, neighbouring offices, etc.

Before AUB subscribed to the online Naxos music database, available on campus through the University Libraries, one would have to play audio clips (or CDs) over and over again, but now one has a wider choice from the database. The bulk of the music seems to be classical/ instrumental though one can still find other genres such as opera. Search for Pavarotti, and you’ll see. Searching for Fairouz though won’t deliver any hits, nor will searching for pop groups such as ABBA, which you’ll have to find on sites such YouTube; any accompanying videos should preferably be kept in the background away from view as they can be distracting!

Basically, when there is external noise in the office, rather than ask people to be quiet, one can try to muffle the sound – but should one have to? When people take a break, talk in the corridors, or chat loudly with their students, shouldn’t they remember that someone else is working and may need to concentrate? Or is the “real” work of a teacher supposed to take place at home these days, with the office being a mere transitional stop between the classroom and the home? Deliberate noise should, in my view, be considered a form of harassment, but most workplace noise does not seem to fit into that category. Disturbance from campus construction and student events is an example I’ve encountered complaints about in faculty emails.

Am I recommending the use of headphones as a solution? Yes, it could be a partial solution. One must be realistic though: it won’t block out all the noise and may be interpreted as burying one’s head in the sand rather than confronting the source of the problem.


Posted by May Mikati on 29 August 2011, 11:28 AM

Workplace Etiquette/ Netiquette - 21 August 2011

Workplace Etiquette/ Netiquette


Etiquette is a broad subject relevant to various aspects of one’s social life, including school, air travel, driving a vehicle, sports, and of course the workplace. Workplace etiquette is important because it helps people avoid misunderstandings by encouraging organization and effective communication. It also fosters a less stressful, more productive workplace atmosphere. In one way or another, the subject is relevant to all employees, regardless of their field and where they have been placed, or misplaced ;-), on their institutional hierarchy. For example, emoticons such as the one I have just used may be considered a violation of the workplace code, depending on the type of communication. They would definitely be frowned upon in formal correspondence, whether in the form of letters or e-mails. You need some guts to break some of these taboos, but in an informal, semi-professional blog such as this, it wouldn’t be considered too eccentric to use them – or at least one would hope not.

Netiquette is only one small part of workplace etiquette. One would need several blog posts to touch upon other important aspects of workplace etiquette, which encompasses peripheral matters such as gossip, written and unwritten dress codes, and various issues relating to sight, sound, and smell, as well as core matters such as punctuality and productivity, and avoidance of discrimination: nepotism, sexism, racism, looksism, ageism, discrimination based on lifestyle or irrelevant disability, etc.

Back to netiquette then. Since a considerable proportion of workplace communication takes place through electronic means (e-mail, web postings, teleconferencing, etc.), the topic is not to be taken lightly. For example, researchers have noticed that people tend to be more spontaneous in electronic communications than face to face. While this is commendable in some situations, rash messages are to be avoided. With one click, your message is irreversible, while face to face you may more easily clarify it if it is vague or patch it up if it is regrettable. The use of rude, angry messages known as “flaming” is a well-known problem in internet messaging. Online, people more easily forget the human at the receiving end, or misinterpret messages due to the absence of nonverbal cues such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and posture. Special care is therefore necessary.

Lack of concision, rambling on and on, is yet another violation of workplace rules of conduct as in terms of efficiency, it wastes your audience’s time, affecting their productivity. It may also be interpreted as a personal insult to recipients if they sense that their time is not being valued. Caution is necessary: whether in writing or verbally, give your audience what they need, no more, no less.

Furthermore, electronic communication renders the disclosure of information to third parties much easier. Inappropriate forwarding, cc’ing and bcc’ing of messages are unacceptable, as is misuse of company resources such as computers, e.g. in playing games while on duty. Yet the worst type of violation of all in my view is hacking into personal or sensitive information, especially when accompanied by further illegal or unethical use of the data, as in plagiarism or selling of content to third parties.

The list of subtopics is endless – and of course no one is perfect, especially since people may say or do things under stress that they would never accept under normal circumstances. Still, as a language teacher I’d like to stress that minding your language is an essential part of minding your workplace manners. For more insight into the topic of netiquette, see Virginia Shea’s famous book, The Core Rules of Netiquette, which I have recommended to my students; it is an EXCELLENT resource.

P. S. Please excuse the capital letters above; I didn’t mean to shout!


Posted by May Mikati on 21 August 2011, 10:29 PM

Soaking Up the Sun, and Not Just for Fun! - 12 August 2011

Soaking Up the Sun, and Not Just for Fun!


How could sunbathing help with your career? Isn’t the idea a little far-fetched – possibly outrageous even? Not really. You’re only going to sunbathe in your vacation time, so – unless you overdo it – there’s no negative impact whatsoever on your work performance. On the contrary, you may be relaxing, recharging yourself for work, and possibly even reflecting on your work as I am doing now while writing this at the beach – if you’re not actually getting some work done there that is!

Reading work-related material and writing while at the beach is easy if you’re not distracted. I’ve done it repeatedly and successfully in the past though I’ll have to admit that this vacation was so seriously busy that half the summer slipped by before I finally got to the beach.

Scientifically speaking, the sun can give you a useful mood lift too, especially if you don’t normally get much sun due to the nature and environment of your work – e.g. if you’re in a closed office most of the time. Depression is a top enemy of productivity and creativity. Haven’t we all heard of people who became depressed and much less productive partly due to insufficient outdoor exposure? Haven’t we also heard of people in Scandinavian countries who have committed suicide partly due to sun deprivation? Clearly, if you’re living in Lebanon you’re not likely to be that deprived of the sun, but you may still need more of it, depending on your lifestyle. In any case, everyone needs to get away from the office every now and then, even if only for a change of scene. Monotonous work routines are notorious for killing creativity.

The sea and wind can give you the perception of an added energy boost at the beach. It’s windy today although the temperature is over 35 degrees C. Water is spraying from the waves, reaching me, a dozen or more meters away. The sound of the waves crashing and the wind humming stimulates the mind in an unusual way. The cooling effect of the wind, along with the water spray, will keep me in the sun a little longer than initially anticipated. A second application of sunblock will allow me to finish this piece in one sitting. I’m running out of paper and my laptop isn’t with me; I’m not in the habit of carrying it to the beach though I do envision a paperless beach, in parallel with a paperless office, in the not too distant future.

On a still lighter note, come to think of it, a tanned co-worker or teacher may be perceived as a less boring, and possibly less threatening character – someone to listen to and cooperate with. Who wants to be around a serious, pale-looking teacher or colleague sitting at their computer day in, day out, year after year? Very few I would think. Wouldn’t you agree that a bronzed employee tends to be perceived as more fun to have around than a nerdy looking one, who is more likely to give the impression of being strict and mean, possibly even nit-picking, if not ruthlessly competitive (and hence to be fought and, whenever possible, humiliated)?

Appearances can play a role in one’s career, and they can be surprisingly deceptive, so one must unfortunately pay attention to them though of course not at the expense of one’s time or dignity. Not that everyone around is superficial in judging others; rather, it is more of a subconscious matter. Everyone knows that even intellectuals are affected by appearances though I suspect few would want to admit it. Sad, isn’t it? Well, cheer up, there’s much more to life than this superficiality. Get out and get some sun, and (forgive the pun) - who knows? -perhaps you’ll remember this post the next time you roast!


Posted by May Mikati on 12 August 2011, 10:33 PM

Connecting With Students - 10 August 2011

Connecting With Students


If you are a university teacher these days, you are likely to find yourself connecting with students not just during a course but before and after it. This has become much more common in the past ten years, first with e-mail and now, additionally, with social and professional networking. How does one manage this upsurge of communication and all these “contacts”?

Before a course, you are likely to receive enquiries about the content of the course, the assessment methods used, as well as your grading range. Some students like to fathom the likelihood of their scoring high with you well in advance; some will explain that they are, for example, pre-med students in need of high grades – as if you’re supposed to promise these before you know them. While explaining the syllabus in advance is fine, giving promises is completely inappropriate. Others will simply ask you to raise capacity in your full section, so that they can register, even though they don’t know you and they still have years to graduate. Their persistence is usually unjustified and is not always flattering. Rather than feeling flattered one may rightly wonder whether these students have been told one is an “easy” teacher.

Technology facilitates interaction during a course as well though it can be abused at times. Some of the enquiries one receives are completely redundant, such as questions about assignment deadlines and presentation dates. These are usually posted on the course website – and often in more than one location. Still, one finds oneself answering one such question after another on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis. Other enquires revolve around “why did I get this grade” when the posted scoring rubrics or checklists clearly indicate the required criteria – and these have already been explained in class. While it is commendable for a teacher to be responsive to student enquiries, some of them are frankly a waste of a teacher’s time, and I wouldn’t blame you if you were to ignore the redundant ones though I haven’t had the nerve to be so mean yet.

After a course there may also be questions of “why did I get this average” when simple calculations would explain it – or comments such as “I didn’t know we had to submit a reflection at the end” when it is clearly indicated on the schedule and elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are a member of a professional network, such as Linkedin, you may receive requests to connect with students there. I don’t find it inappropriate to accept such requests from former students, and actually consider it wiser to add them as contacts there (where one can follow their career progress) rather than as “friends” on Facebook, which can get a little too informal at times. This is of course a personal choice for a teacher though I’ll have to confess that one of the few students whose friend requests I did accept on Facebook graduated this year with the highest average in the history of AUB, and this wouldn’t have come into the light if it hadn’t been for Facebook. What a double-edged sword!


Posted by May Mikati on 10 August 2011, 11:49 PM