Kate+D+R03

This article opened my eyes to the importance of effective communication through charts and graphs. A catastrophic event could have been avoided had the engineers better communicated their concerns of launching The Challenger. We can also take in to count that the scientists were ignored by NASA administration but had their data been presented in a stronger way their chances of being ignored would have gone down. That also then led me to think about my own communication and how effective and ineffective it can be. For example, when going on an interview how can I better present myself to the possible employer? I might have strong skills in a certain area but if I do not properly communicate them it could ruin my chances of being offered the job. Working in a creative field means showing a portfolio to a prospective employer and while I may not be displaying a chart or graph of my work how can I utilize the idea of effective graphing in how I choose to present my work. People, especially those having a high level of authority, are always going to be skeptical of the information you are presenting them unless you can present to them a seemingly airtight argument. Although the engineers of The Challenger had good reason to believe a launch would not be right due to the temperatures, their lack of effective communication made NASA doubt them, ultimately leading to their decision to launch the rocket anyway.
Another thing that stood out to me was the use of appropriate comparisons when presenting data and how I can apply that to my own life. Using the example of interviewing for a job and presenting a portfolio, how can I compare my work in a way that shows growth and understanding on a higher level? Just comparing work from my first year of college to my last year wouldn’t showcase the level of growth through the years it would merely show that yes, I learned something in college. It’s interesting to me how an article about The Challenger can be applied to events in my own life like this. I’ve never spent much time thinking about communication other than the basics, but as I prepare to reach out into my field of interest effective communication is going to play a huge role.