Com325wek3 discussion 1

First, the climate in a communication context "depends on the event or site." A climate or
environment may make a person feel physically and psychologically comfortable or unpleasant.
(http://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780558711184/pages/15689621). In a context of war, the
environment is often unsettling. I work in a building that also houses the offices of individuals who
do not work for the firm for which I am employed. My coworkers and I take turns manning the front
desk for military clients that visit our office. Because there is just one front desk, we see all clients
who enter the facility, regardless of their needs. We are not receptionists, contrary to popular belief.
We have a clipboard for our clients to sign in, as well as a second clipboard for the rest of the
building's employees. We see clients throughout the day, with no walk-in hours. However, the other
individuals have distinct days and hours for walk-ins, and they have lately altered the dates and
hours.
There is a hostile climate when other people who are looking for other persons enter the
facility and we tell them that it is not walk-in day and that they need an appointment or to phone
the persons they are looking for instead of coming in to visit them in person. People ask us if we can
make appointments, and we tell them that we are not their receptionists and that they need to
contact them directly since we do not have phones at the front desk. We then go on to explain that
we do not have the ability to do so. People get frustrated with us as a result of their inability to
perceive these folks. They will call the person's number, at which point the individual will hear their
phone ring. Our office has been visited by a great number of people in a wide range of professions,
and they have interacted with us in a variety of different methods. I have been upset, and as a result,
I have changed the way that I speak to the clients. I have told them in a harsh manner that we have
nothing to do with the other people in the building, and that they may come back on walk-in day or
phone to arrange an appointment if they so choose. In addition, I have seen people attempting to
intimidate us while we are sitting at a desk and others are standing over us in a higher position. I
cannot count the number of times that I have spoken out while they were being rude to me.

Reference:

Cahn, D. D., & Abigail, R. A. (2011). Managing Conflict Through Communication (4th ed.). Boston,
MA: Pearson Education, Inc