Communication Skills to Enact Change
Communication
is essential in communicating ideas, facts, and information regarding
policy. Communication is not simply
relaying information. It includes
listening as well. Effective
communication involves the usage of a particular set of skills that cements
your intended ideas with the audience’s understanding. The cohesiveness of the ideas and
understanding is what makes effective communication.
The two
most important skills of communication are making your ideas clear and being coherent
(Mind Tools, n.d.). When your ideas or
intent are clear, it eliminates confusion and enables a greater understanding
for the audience. It also provides a platform from which other ideas, concerns,
or questions can be gleaned. Having
coherence in communicating allows the listener/reader to follow in a logical
manner. This enables the listener to grasp
the ideas of the presenter in a carefully sequenced order that is easy to
follow. If a communication is concise,
concrete, or complete and is not clear or coherent; the presentation has not
been communicated effectively.
In taking
the “Communication Anxiety” self-assessment, I made a 33 (Laureate Education,
2011). The description for this score
indicates that I feel comfortable in communicating with people and that I am
somewhat confident as I encounter those situations. I rarely have anxiety with communicating in
small groups or with encountering people that I have not met. I also feel that
I am very effective in one on one situations. According to Mind Tools (n.d.) I have
encountered some anxiety in communicating in very large groups of more than 200
people and worry if I have made a good impression. I have researched various cites on how to
reduce stress and found research on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
to have some promising results (Marchand, 2013). This process reduced anxiety and reduces
stress with regular usage. I will
practice this technique to assist with my communication anxiety in large groups.
References
Laureate
Education (Producer). (2011). Communication anxiety [Interactive media]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Marchand, W. R. (2012).
Mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy,
and Zen meditation for depression, anxiety, pain, and psychological distress. Journal
of Psychiatric Practice®, 18(4),
233-252.
Mind Tools.
(n.d.). The 7 Cs of communication: A checklist for clear communication.
Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_85.htm
Hi Jacquelyne,
ReplyDeleteI too, agree that effective communication not only includes getting your point across but also listening to what another individual is saying. One of the best ways to communicate effectively is to assure the other party that you are actively listening and understanding what is being said.
In taking the Communication Anxiety Inventory, (Laureate Education, 2011) I scored a 48. This score indicates that I am somewhat concerned about a number of communication contexts but probably not all. I feel this score reflects a true picture of my anxiety when communicating with others. I am not anxious when approaching people I do not know but am sometimes nervous when having to speak in public, especially when speaking to a large crowd. There are areas of public speaking I will have to get used to as part of my job now is to redeliver any training from my district to the teachers in my school. I believe I will be better at speaking publicly the more I do it.
Great post, Jacquelyne.
Erica
Reference
Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Communication anxiety [Interactive media]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Jacquelyn,
ReplyDeleteI think we all chose listening as an important communication skill because sometimes we hear someone without actually listening to what they are saying. I want people to listen to what I have to say about my passion. I know that through articulation and reasoning that I would be given a better opportunity to express my passion because of my communication skills. I communicate better in a small group rather than in front of a large crowd. What's shocking about this is that I love to talk. The type of audience also makes a difference.
Great post!
Teletta
Jacquelyn,
ReplyDeleteI think we all chose listening as an important communication skill because sometimes we hear someone without actually listening to what they are saying. I want people to listen to what I have to say about my passion. I know that through articulation and reasoning that I would be given a better opportunity to express my passion because of my communication skills. I communicate better in a small group rather than in front of a large crowd. What's shocking about this is that I love to talk. The type of audience also makes a difference.
Great post!
Teletta
Jacquelyne,
ReplyDeleteI admire your interest in working towards building strategies to challenge yourself more in these situations. That takes courage and self-awareness. I too agree that listening is a huge and often overlooked part of listening. Some of the most effective communicators I have met, were better listeners than talkers.
Thanks,
Rachel
Hello Jacquelyne,
ReplyDeleteIn addition to what you stated, good communication skills are crucial when dealing with the media to ensure the message is accurate, informative, and presented in the way the entity that the public administrator represents intends. Listening is a vital interpersonal communication skill. When we communicate we spend half of our time listening. Most people take listening for granted but it is not the same as hearing and should be thought of as a skill. Being able to communicate well with others is often essential to solving problems that inevitably occur both in our private and professional lives.
Tabiyes W.