Communication skills are essential in the personal and the professional growth. The communication is a critical to build trust, empower and energize people and team. However, several times, the professionals still hold back their opinion, avoid tough conversations and remain unconfident during the conversation. Communication skills are essential in expressing oneself effectively and building credibility in the professional world. In this regard, I have diagnosed my communication skills with the help of different communication tools. In the self-perception, my communication skills are moderate and need polishing. I need to invest in my public speaking and charisma (Park, 2010). I believe that I lack convincing power and the ability to motivate others. It can be critiqued that charisma, motivational ability and the ability to influence others is important in professional growth and developing leadership skills. I realize that I have certain positive qualities also. I am able to detect the emotions of the receiver easily and understand their feelings. People easily trust me as I understand to the feelings of others and have empathy. Several of my peers do not hesitate to share their issues and personal lives with me. This skill assists me in creating a rapport with my peers. As I am trustworthy, my seniors also trust me with confidential and difficult tasks (Shi, 2017). I am also knowledgeable and intelligent person and have high analytical skills. The seniors realize my potential once they I accomplish the task effectively. In order to analyze my communication skills and understand them better, I have applied several communication test and participated in personality test.
I participated in five different communication tests in which it was identified that I had adequate communication skills. The tests were targeted in identifying the weaknesses and flaws in my present communication style. I undertook various tests which included Johari Window, assertiveness test, and communication style test and communication ability test.
However, the major issue identified in the communication test was that I was unable to present my ideas effectively. I try too much to absorb the response of the receiver and in the process forget to communicate properly. I also fail to analyze the body language and response of the receiver and am unable to mold the communication effectively.
The Johari Window is also used to examine the weaknesses in my communication skills. The Johari Window assists a person in understanding oneself and the surrounding people better. It is effective in building better relationships with other people and increasing self-assertiveness. There are four quadrants in Johari Window, namely, Open Arena, Hidden, Blind and Unknown. The primary aim of taking Johari Window Exercise is to increase the open or arena. It refers to the traits of the person which are known to both the participant and his peers. In this exercise, I came to know that people perceive me as intelligent and knowledgeable. However, some people also consider me nervous and introverted and accepting. I realized that I need to enhance my assertiveness and communication skills. Some people considered me as sentimental and emotional. I personally believe that my emotional quotient is high and I can understand the feelings and sentiments of others (West & Turner, 2008).
However, personally I believe that I have analytical thinking. My decisions are based on the facts and figures. The same is identified in the communication style test. I do not easily trust people and assumed totally rely my decisions on data and information. My coworkers assume that I am information and facts expert and have knowledge of every fact.
Although I am adept at identifying the sentiments and the emotions of the receiver, I am not myself an adequate communicator. I lose my confidence easily and find it difficult to converse on tough topics. In the communication skill test, it is identified that I tend to rely on the facts and figures a lot.
The overall analysis of the test reveals that although my communication style is adequate, I need to work on certain areas. It is clearly identified that my assertiveness skills are not proper and I lack the courage to assert or disagree with other people. I also realize that it is very difficult for me to say no to my colleagues and my seniors. It can slowdown my professional growth. Due to the lack of assertiveness, I also feel unconfident in the business meetings and presentations. I understand that due to this reason I will need to work on my assertiveness.
Recently, I participated in a public meeting and realized that I was one of the most silent people in the meeting. I realized that although I had the knowledge and insight of various issues discussed in the meeting, I lacked the confidence to present myself. I also realized that I was not able to make impression on my seniors and colleagues due to lack of assertiveness. I also realized that nobody paid attention to the little contributions I made due to my lack if assertiveness and conviction power.
Secondly, I realized that I focus too much on the response of the receiver and lose my confidence in case of confrontation. In group meetings, I have realized that I follow the lead of others and easily get convinced without considering all the pros and cons of the situation.
Business communication plays a vital role in the growth of the business organization. At present, the business organizations have made business communication an integral part of the recruitment process as it reflects the image of the organization and important in developing the image of the organization. In the views of Derlaga and Berg (2013), it is important to establish effective business communication procedure in the organization to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. The literature has defined the business communication as the communication process which occurs between two or more parties to exchange information related to business. The success of a business organization depends on the efficiency of business communication. The business communication refers to all those process which results in exchange of information, preparing plans and policies, execution of plans, taking decisions and solving organizational issues. It also contributes in increasing the employee’s efficiency, improving industrial relations and advertisement and marketing process.
Gimenez (2000) has stated that the technological developments have impacted on the written interpersonal communication in business setting. These changes are also reflected in the language and style of commercial e-mails. The paper has illustrated that spoken nature of the emails which is use of informal or personalized information has started to show itself in commercial business emails or newsletters. If the current commercial newsletters are compared with traditional newsletters or business communication, it can be identified that the current communication has become more informal and personalized in several respects.
The literature has further posited that the efficiency of business communication is also positively related to the informality and flexibility of style. However, the level of informality and flexibility of style should be limited and less than the personal emails in order for them to be effective. The informality level should also be dependent upon the relationship already established between the sender and the recipient of email (Simpson, 2015).
Guffey and Loewy (2015) have stated that in the present business organizations have fast-moving, competitive and information-driven digital environment. Business communication provides individuals with unmatched mobility and connects the individuals residing in different corners of the world. Electronic devices have become an essential component in business setting and require the individuals to have knowledge regarding cultural dimensions of communication, listening skills and nonverbal communication. The authors have stated that solid communication skills are essential in career development. Communication skills make an employee marketable in tough economic situation and superior communication skills gives a person an edge over other job applicants. The digital revolution has transformed the business world and the employees need to remain connected and effectively communicate with people from diversified background. In such a hyper-connected business world, the writing skills of an individual are always on display and an essential distinguishing factor (Shehada, 2016). The business communication skills are also essential in technical fields such as accounting or engineering.
In the same essence, Guffey and Loewy (2014) have stated that the digitalization has transformed the business world. The staff members and colleagues communicate with each other with social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs and emails. It is also a part of the business organizations to engage their fans and expand the business.
The literature discusses that although the nature of communication medium has changed, the communication content remains the same. The business communication is independent of the communication medium and begins with an idea and ends with its transmissions. There are three essential components of business writing, purposefulness, economy and orientation towards the audience. The purposefulness denotes that the individual should have a specific strategy with each business communication plan. The person should be able to solve some problems and convey message with the help of the communication message. It should be economical in its length. The length is not a determining factor in the quality and effectiveness of the massage. The individual should be able to effectively deliver his message with the help of communication medium. The design of the communication message should be as such that is it able to deliver the message effectively. Moreover, the communication message should be developed in accordance to the target audience.
Lindenfeld (2014) has discussed that an individual can enhance his communication skills by taking adequate training. An individual can identify the weaknesses in his communication by adoptnig several diagnosis tools and adopt strategies to get rid of these weaknesses. The lack of communication skills also result in lack of productivity which is a result of lack of proper flow of communication. The business organization should also provide adequate training to the employees so that the communication system in the organization becomes more efficient. Development of communication skills also enhance the morale of the employees and positively contribute to the achievement of the organization’s goals. This type of training program can boost the productivity of the organization and enhance the satisfaction of the clients and customers.
Koprowska (2014)have stated that communication skills also impact on several aspects of organization development. It is an integral component of team building process. It can be critiqued that in order for an organization to achieve its aims, it needs effective and collaborative teams. A single person cannot take all the decisions and handle all the responsibilities. Collaboration between different members of organization can also increase efficiency and the efficacy of the organization. The employees can also understand the differences in the thinking of the employees from diversified cultural backgrounds.
According to Vangelisti (2016) the belief and value of the employees are also critical in shaping the organization culture. The organization which has not set up proper communication plan also struggles in the efficacy of the value chain activities of the organization. Without proper communication system, the employees face several problems in the value chain activities. It is integral in communicating with the customers as well as suppliers. If the business communication system of an organization is not effective, it results in dissatisfied customers and clients. Several issues related to client handling and management can be resolved using business communication mechanism. The employees will also be more alert with a business communication system. Moreover, the business communication system will also enhance the communication between the employees.
An action plan refers to the series of steps which are used to achieve certain objectives or aims. In the above section, it has been identified that the biggest issue in my personal and professional communication is the lack of assertiveness and lack of confidence. In this regard, an action plan can be developed to mitigate these issues. A literature review has been conducted to how the present business communication issues can be resolved.
Self-assertiveness is an important dimension of business communication skills. It is important to develop the assertiveness to balance the needs and the wants of a person with other people. Assertiveness is different from the aggressive behavior as it emphasizes balance between the wants and needs of self and the wants and needs of others. When a person is assertive, he asks for what he wants; however, it is not necessary that he gets it. There are several methods of increasing assertiveness. However, firstly, it is important to value oneself and one’s rights. It is important to realize that the thoughts, feelings and rights if a person are as important as others. In real life situations, an individual can practice giving assertive responses to increase self-assertiveness. A person can practice by role-playing the problem with the friends or colleagues. Assertiveness can be increased by practicing in real-life situations; however, the individual must begin with easy to handle situations and work towards more challenging in the future. It can be critiqued that being assertive can bring a variety of responses. Strong reactions are possible in these situations such as getting mad, calling names, counter-attacking, criticizing, threatening or becoming overly submissive and or apologetic. In this regard, following actions can be taken to increase the assertiveness (Park, J2010).
|
Activities |
Time Period |
|
Participating in group discussions |
Periodically, every week for two months |
|
Training |
Two months |
|
Personal Coaching |
Two months |
|
Taking part in cultural activities of the organization |
Once in a month |
|
Role playing with friends |
It is absolutely necessary to possess confidence and a positive self-image to success in the professional world. There are a number of people who struggle with positive self-perception yet there are several people who overestimate their capabilities and end up taking bad decisions. The first step in building self-confidence is to become aware of the actual personality, strengths and desires. It is important to take time to develop capabilities in strengths, aptitude and capabilities and determine how a person can achieve personal satisfaction and fulfillment (Vangelisti, 2016). Self-motivation is also important to build self-confidence (Larson & Larson, 2012). People easily procrastinate and find excuses for not putting extra efforts; however, it leads to disillusionment and inertia. It is important to include some must activities in the daily routine.
|
Activities |
Time period |
|
Regular exercise and meditation |
2 months |
|
Participating in public debate and stage competition |
At every possible occasion |
|
Reading articles and books to sharpen mind and develop ideas |
Daily for two months |
References
Derlaga, V.J. and Berg, J.H. eds., (2013). Self-disclosure: Theory, research, and therapy. Springer Science & Business Media.
Gimenez, J.C. (2000). Business e-mail communication: some emerging tendencies in register. English for Specific Purposes 19.
Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2014). Business Communication: Process and Product. Cengage Learning.
Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2015). Essentials of Business Communication. Cengage Learning.
Koprowska, J. (2014). Communication and interpersonal skills in social work. Learning Matters.
Larson, E., & Larson, R. (2012). The Influencing Formula. Watermark Learning.
Lindenfeld, L., Smith, H.M., Norton, T. and Grecu, N.C., (2014). Risk communication and sustainability science: lessons from the field. Sustainability science, 9(2), pp.119-127.
Park, J. (2010). Interpersonal Relations and Social Patterns in Communication Technologies: Discourse Norms, Language Structures and Cultural Variables: Discourse Norms, Language Structures and Cultural Variables. IGI Global.
Vangelisti, A.L., (2016). On the importance of communication research. Communication Education, 65(4), pp.501-504.
West, R., & Turner, L.H. (2008). Understanding Interpersonal Communication: Making Choices in Changing Times. Cengage Learning.
Shehada, B.A.R.,(2016) Phase-Based Speech Enhancement (Doctoral dissertation, Islamic University, Gaza, Palestine).
Simpson, C., (2015). Science of coercion: Communication research & psychological warfare, 1945–1960. Open Road Media.
Vangelisti, A.L., (2016). On the importance of communication research. Communication Education, 65(4), pp.501-504.
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