BUSN20017 Effective Business Communications For Purposeful Communicator

The purpose of this assessment is to provide students with the opportunity to engage in reflective practice, using a range of diagnostic tools and feedback, so as to identify two key areas of personal capability that can be addressed (improved) so an to increase their communication effectiveness.

This assignment has three specific components. 

1. Diagnosis and Reflection. 

 

a) Using a minimum of 5 diagnostic tools related to communication, such as the Johari Window, Communications Style Questionnaire, Assertiveness Questionnaires etc., you are to analyse your own communication style across various areas such as verbal communication, active listening, non- verbal, assertiveness perception etc. see Weeks 1 and 2 in The Schedule and also you can base this on your reflection from the first assessment of your oral and written presentation.

b) You are to present the findings of the tools and identify 2 of your key communication issues that you have identified as requiring development.

c) Reflect on two recent professional interactions that you have had within the past 12 months. Analyse these interactions from the perspective of the two key communication issues that are identified as requiring development.To what extent are these evident and support the need for personal communication development? 

2. Literature review

You are to identify and explain the two issues from your diagnosis and reflection. You are to define the concepts, outline key models and or behaviours that need to be developed so as to demonstrate effective practice. This literature review needs to outline both the conceptually (theoretical) and behavioural (interpersonal skills) that you need to acquire to demonstrate competence in your chose area of communication. 

Diagnosis and Reflection

The Johari Window

Above model is used to develop understanding and relationship between individuals. It is an easy yet useful method improving weakness, self-awareness, mutual understanding and relationship among individuals of a group. I have chosen open area quadrant as because I find myself fitted in this quadrant; I had considered this quadrant because this is completely related to my personality, skills, and attitude I am confident about myself and I am able to showcase my skills to others as well. However, I am not good at public speaking because I felt nervous by seeing large audience focusing on my thoughts. The main purpose of mine was to develop the open area for every individual in my group. The most important reason for why I selected open area was that it represents good communication skills, teamwork and helps in solving problems and misunderstandings.

Communication style questionnaire

 It is specially designed to help out an individual to discover his own favourite communication style. I was unable to express myself in front of public. This helped me to represent my ideas, and I was able to identify my communication skills, and I utilised them properly.

A - Active communicator

C- Connector

T- Theorist

P- Purposeful communicator

Assertiveness Questionnaires

Assertiveness Questionnaire helps to deal with various kinds of behaviours in different conditions. It is completely related to self-awareness. It also helps in achieving the outcome.Appropriate adapting to style is necessary to achieve an outcome,

1 − very uncomfortable

2 − slightly uncomfortable

3 − reasonably comfortable

4 − very comfortable

Swot

The model can be undertaken by an individual for identifying its internal strength and weakness comprising its external opportunities and threat. It is an easy and effective manner of assessing strength and weakness of an individual as well improving the qualities of same relating to communication. The focus is made on strength variants to continue with the same efficiency and to an emphasis on improving the threat and weakness variants. By analysing the same, I concluded that the following facts about me:

Strength:         Able to communication efficiently in the group.

Weakness:       Active Listening.

Opportunity:   Efficient participative nature.

Threat:             Public speaking.

DISCO model of diagnosis

Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorder is a convenient approach for assessing and developing the qualitative differences and impairment in social interaction, the social communication including restrictive access and repetitive behaviour (Bays, 2014). It assists in assessing the extent to which support is required by the individual. Further, the model assesses the situation in which the individual overt behaviour and is concerned with all aspect of individual skill and behaviour.

Key Communication Issues

 I am very good at communication because of my friendliness, confidence and good listening. I get positive feedback from my group due to my teamwork and motivational skills . I am a very good listener I pay close attention to what the other person is trying to say. Despite these, I am not good at public speaking. I can’t express my ideas in front of the audience; I feel much hesitated. The two key communication key issues which have been faced by me are Active Listening and Public Speaking. As I am not able to present my own opinion in front of the large public with confidence and due to same I have lost many opportunities and benefits. I am able to answer the person who questions me, but I cannot interpret the things in a manner which the speaker requires. Therefore, due to same communication issue, I am not able to respond in an appropriate manner to the speaker. Even if I attempt to do so then the answer which I give is incorrect, or the speaker is not satisfied with the same.

Analysis of recent professional interactions from the perspective of two key issues: Public speaking and Active listening

I have participated in various college activities and program; I was a tough competitor this was due to my effective and efficient decision-making skills. I have the ability to analyse the issue. As a result to obtain a good outcome. As a leader, I make decisions involving not only myself but the self-esteem and for the benefit of others too.  In a recent interaction in seminar relating to communication skills, which I attended during my learning period I assessed the key communication issue relating to public speaking. As I was not able to keep my perspectives in front of a big crowd which was available in the seminar.

 Another interaction was a learning program in which I accessed my issue relating to active listening. I observed this issue as I was not able to respond to the questions in an appropriate manner even I listened to the question correctly. Both these skills are necessarily required for personal communication development as after being efficient in both these qualities one is able to represent oneself I front of others in an appropriate manner. For answering the speaker in an appropriate manner and proving correct answer, it is necessary to listen what the person is saying actively.  It is also true that even after actively listening to one cannot answer if he / she is not having the quality of public speaking. In the second case due to hesitation, he will not be able to keep his point of view in front of others. Thus, it can be concluded that both these qualities are essential for personal communication development.

The trend of communication is changing with the change in new technology. In recent years, the significance of web-based technologies provides an opportunity to apply audios and videos for communication. Even for business purpose, people are relying on a tool like video chat; Ichat; WebEx etc. Professional speaking is common issues which are faced by students, employee, etc. The specified subject has been assessed extensively from a rhetorical point as well as from legal and political perspective (Berger, 2014). Listening is hard work and needs concentration as it more than the physical process of hearing.  When people are listening, they can be bifurcated into four categories i.e. non-listener; a marginal listener; evaluative listener and active listener. Active listening is a special communication skill, and efficiency in same can be attained only by gaining interest and not getting interrupted while listening to the words of the speaker.

Key Models for developing communication skills

The SMCR Model of communication separated the model into appropriate parts, and the same have been expanded by scholars (Braithwaite & Schrodt, 2014). The element which is evolved in the procedure of communication like attitude; hearing; knowledge etc. have been appropriately specified so that the same can be applied in an appropriate manner. Communication is specified as a continuous creative and dynamic procedure by the theorist.

Barnlund has provided another model of communication which is known as transaction model of communication. It mainly emphasis on the simultaneous engagement of individual in sending and receiving of messages. The second attitude of communication referred as constitutive model focuses on the manner in which the messages while communication is being interpreted. Public speaking is a general issue faced by many people in which they are not able to speak up with confidence in front of a large crowd (Derlaga & Berg, 2013). Theories of Internal Personal Communication can also be applied for assessing the critical variant in personal communication and relationships which are developed through communication. The four theories have been specified for explaining the same are: the system perspective focusing on interactional view of relationship maintenance by emphasizing on repeated and non-repeated dealings; Politeness theory emphasis on clarifying the manner in which they should maintain face or sense of desired public image; Social Exchange theory assesses relationship on the basis of cost and reward and dialectical theory emphasis on the manner in which contradictions are faced by individuals during communication.

Conceptual Perspectives relating to communication

The strategic importance of oral communication skills in present scenario has been amply documented in the literature on organisational leadership. Theorist on public speaking has highlighted technical skills which are needed for successful public speaking in future. The studies of theorist depict that speaker’s professional role affect the pathos relating to the performance of public speaking (Henderson & Mathew Byrne, 2016). For being efficient in communication skill like public speaking, it is necessary that one should have enough confidence to stand in front of a big crowd and present his perspectives. The person should not worry regarding the reaction of the audience as the same depends on the level of confidence as well as the manner in which the speaker binds the audience. Traditional aspects for training people in public speaking focus on following factors:

• Managing visual contact
• Developing personal charisma
• Non-verbal behaviour coherently
• Application of gestures
• Structuring the message with efficiency.

Active listening could improve the interpersonal relationships between managers and employee of the organisation. For being efficient in the skill like active listening the percentile of concentration towards the speaker should be increased so that the phrase could be understood in the manner speaker wants to explain (Kurtz, Silverman & Draper, 2016). The other concepts which should also be concerned while assessing the efficiency of communication quality active listening are: not getting interrupted; paying all attention towards the speaker and to maintain eye contact with him.

Behavioural Perspectives relating to communication

The quality of public speaking could be enhanced only after boosting up the self-confidence to speak in front of a big crowd. Practice can be done in front of a mirror or few friends for assessing the extent to which improvement is required (Mohla & Schwartzberg, 2016).  The other alternative for enhancing the same to continue to participate in competitions like debates and other business programs in which individual gets a chance to perform in front of others. By assessing oneself in the mirror and making a video of the own speech and listening to it afterwards; one can assess the areas which are to be improvised and the areas which are strong and should be kept in the same manner. Continuing the reassessment of the performance of an individual on a constant basis assists him in improvising in more appropriate manner comparatively.

Active listening requires listening for content, intent and feeling of the speaker. Active listener presents his interest to the speaker through verbal questions or non-verbal cues. Thus, it can be said for enhancing the skill of active listening it is necessary to concentrate on the words of the speaker so that it could be understood appropriately and responded in the a correct manner (Owens, 2016). As in the case of managers, when they listen to their staff’s ideas and are having the ability to guide them further in an appropriate manner. Though, the same can be appropriately only if the manager has listened correctly in the same manner what the employees want to convey him. The behavioural variants which should be emphasised for enhancing the skill are:

• Appropriate body movement.
• Facial expression.
• Avoiding interruption
• Maintaining eye contact
• Showing interest
• Organizing information

Action plan

I will continue to assess  information regarding the more communication skills in which I lack along with those which I have assessed previously i.e. active listening and public speaking. I will join professional communication course for improvising the skill relating to the field of communication and for enhancing interpersonal development skills. Further, I will keep continuing to read journals relating to reflection on communication interactions so that I can access more knowledge regarding the same. Though, at present I am good at some of the communication skills like decision making and analysing the things in an appropriate manner; but as there is always a possibility of enhancing the skills and I too wish to improve the skills. Further, I will reassess the extent to which I have improved through analysing my performance in seminars and programs which I attend during my learning period.  I will also emphasis on relevant factors which are required to be assessed for improving the skills like public speaking and active listening which are method of transferring message to the public; legitimizing one’s position and sharing emotions with public; body posture required to be maintained at various places; voice tone to be used in different situations. As enhancement in these factors is also necessary, for the getting excelled in specified skills. 

References

Books and Journal

Arnold, E. C., & Boggs, K. U. (2015). Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Bays, A. M., Engelberg, R. A., Back, A. L., Ford, D. W., Downey, L., Shannon, S. E., ... & O'Connor, K. (2014). Interprofessional communication skills training for serious illness: evaluation of a small-group, simulated patient intervention. Journal of palliative medicine, 17(2), Pp 159-166.

Berger, C. R. (Ed.). (2014). Interpersonal communication (Vol. 6). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.

Braithwaite, D. O., & Schrodt, P. (Eds.). (2014). Engaging theories in interpersonal communication: Multiple perspectives. Sage Publications.

Cahn, D. D. (2013). Intimates in conflict: A communication perspective. Routledge.

Derlaga, V. J., & Berg, J. H. (Eds.). (2013). Self-disclosure: Theory, research, and therapy. Springer Science & Business Media.

Gallois, C., & Giles, H. (2015). Communication accommodation theory. The international encyclopedia of language and social interaction.

Henderson, K., & Mathew Byrne, J. (2016). Developing communication and interviewing skills. Skills for social work practice, Pp 1-22.

Kurtz, S., Silverman, J., & Draper, J. (2016). Teaching and learning communication skills in medicine. CRC press.

Mohla, R., & Schwartzberg, P. (2016). Improving Resident Communication Skills With Patients of Diverse Backgrounds. Academic Pediatrics, 16(6). e46.

Owens Jr, R.E., (2016). Language Development: An Introduction| Edition: 9. Instructor.

Sullivan, H. S. (2013). The interpersonal theory of psychiatry. Routledge.