Reflective Practice Assessment For Communication Effectiveness Essay. (70 Characters)

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 assessment is aimed to assess your ability to demonstrate advanced knowledge in written communication and your skill to autonomously reflect about good practices in workplace communication. Through the process of self-reflection, you will be able to improve your communication competencies through your knowledge of and ability to perform contextually appropriate communicative behaviours.

a) Using 5 diagnostic tools related to communication, you are to analyse your own communication style across various areas such as verbal communication, active listening, non- verbal, and assertiveness perception. You will be given the individual diagnostics during the tutorials. Your tutor/lecturer will check and sign-off that you have completed each individual diagnostic during the tutorials. This means that if you fail to attend some or any of tutorial you will not be able to receive and complete the diagnostics. The signed diagnostics must be attached to the end of the essay after the references as Appendices.

b) You are to present the findings of the tools. In doing so you will show your understanding of the results as they apply to your personal situation.

c) Based upon your analysis of the findings you are to identify two key communication issues that you have identified as requiring development.

d) 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?

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 conceptual (theoretical) and behavioural (interpersonal) skills that you need to acquire to demonstrate competence in your chosen area of communication.

Diagnostic Tool 1 - Verbal Communication

The first psychometric assessment is to evaluate the competency of the verbal communication. This evaluation shows that how well a person can behave with others to engage them during the conversation (Arnold & Boggs, 2015). The score that I have attained in this assessment is 107 that show that I am competent to establish an interpersonal relationship with others. However, the result shows that I can improve my ability my refining my skills. I pay attention to what others are saying and always welcome ideas that others suggest. Moreover, I attempt to understand the other's frame of reference and the perception. This is the reason it takes me a lot of time to realize my perception and prevent me from acknowledging the mistakes that I have committed. Moreover, I have also found that I do not react actively to resolve a conflict situation when arrives and this can be improved.   

The second assessment illustrates the result of self-perceived communication competence that reveals the ability to communicate different category of people that are friends, acquaintance and strangers. The result of communicating in public is 76.667 which is a normal case. However, through the in-depth assessment, I have found that I am more comfortable in communicating with my friends than with strangers. I have received the score of 63.33 in group communication and the score almost tends to low ability to communicate with them. I hesitate to depict my thoughts in large groups especially with a stranger. The score 73.33 also shows that I can improve my skills in communicating in the meeting. The total score for SPCC assessment is 81.67 that show that there is a room for me to express more in front of larger groups of acquaintance and strangers.  

The third psychometric assessment highlights the evaluation of people skills. This assessment helps in evaluating whether or not a person has skills for being a leader or an effective team member. The score that I have received is 53 and it shows that I am good at working with other members and hence can be a good team member. I have learned from the assessment's result that I sometimes display the same standard if the behavior that I got from others. I also wait for other's response and frame of reference while taking any decisions. Moreover, I have also found that I usually go along with other team members opinion. I face problem in composing my answer prior someone finishes their taking in a meeting and it takes me some time to present my opinion on the matter of discussion. I also have a problem to compose my perception with accurate details and this is the main reason I could not speak when the time is right. I also ask for examples when someone gives me feedback based on a discussion. Thus, I can enhance my potential in understanding a discussion with more proficiency and learn to express my perception on the same. I may also learn to develop my leadership skills so that I can guide some people when they need any help and direction to proceed.

Diagnostic Tool 2 - Self-Perceived Communication Competence

The fourth assessment is nonverbal immediacy scale-self report that highlighted the body language, tonal quality of the speed, movement of hands and the eye contact during the conversation. These aspects help another person to learn whether or not the person in front of them have the interest to attend the communication period (Erozkan, 2013). I have received the score of 85 that shows that my non-verbal communication skills are neither high nor low. I have found that I use my hands a lot in order make other people understand regarding what I am talking. I also make frequent eye-contact while talking to other people so that they can understand that I am addressing them in the communication. Sometimes I use a variety of vocal expression and become stiff while talking with them. This can be improved so that the people communicate with me does not feel uncomfortable. Sometimes I maintain a long distance during the conversation and I do not prefer to lean away with the people with whom I am talking.

 The last psychometric assessment is related to the presentation skills through which I can encourage my audience to listen to the discussion. I have received the score 55 that illustrates that I am perfect in giving a presentation and I can well engage my audience through the content I am talking during the presentation. The assessment shows that I prefer to use visuals in my presentation and this match with the content so that my audience can relate everything together. I focus on the main message and practice the session as many times possible. However, I do not become familiar with the room prior giving the presentation and this sometimes troubles me as new things often make me nervous. However, I prefer to engage my audience with the content and continuously encourage them to ask a question if they have any queries in their mind. I also incorporate some examples for providing understanding. Lastly, I consider it as a positive aspect that sometimes my presentation takes longer times as people intend to attend the presentation for a longer time and curiously ask questions based on the discussion. I also provide them evidence through examples and make them learn about the future of my suggested ways are not applied. In this way, the audience can relate the content and its importance in real-life.  

The two issues that can be found from the five psychometric assessments are lack of showcasing leadership style in front of others and communicating with ease in the presence of larger group. I always allow others to present their opinion on a topic and welcome their suggestion. I believe that taking action that is most agreed on the solution can motivate the subordinate to work as they feel valued. However, in critical situations, when there is not enough time to conduct meetings, they need direction from a responsible person, who can be their leader.

Diagnostic Tool 3 - People Skills

 The second problem that I possess is to hesitate in front of a large group of people. The main problem due to which I have face such problem is that I thought more about other's concern and their reacting if they do not like my point of view. I often have to face the situation when I am communicating with my acquaintance.

  I was selected for the position of assistant manager and according to the recent need of the organization; I have to take the decision of team shuffle between different departments. In order to accomplish the criteria, I have to study the competency of each of the employees and then have to formulate new teams that can obtain newly made organizational objectives. However, I have selected the way to take feedback from employees regarding the team shuffling and the outcome is not so effective. I believe that in such case, the autocratic leadership style can do the best result and if the decisions for team shuffling according to the job performance, the new objectives can be easily attained.

  The next incident also related to the above incidence. I have conducted a mass meeting and I am not aware of every individual working as an employee in that organization. I have prepared a speech regarding the importance of team shuffling. However, in the discussion, I could not speak all the details that can convince the employee to join in a new team and perform new job roles and responsibilities.

Vladu?escu (2013) stated that when two or more people share their thoughts and perception, it is known as the approach of communication. The person, who sends the message, is known as the sender and the person, who receives the message, is known as the receiver. Gallois and Giles (2015) depicted that through communication a person easily shares their concern with others get to know different people. Ruesch (2017) also portrays that there are different categories of communication- verbal communication, non-verbal communication, written communication and visualizations. In verbal communication, a person uses the medium of telephones, televisions, radio and face-to-face conversation; whereas the non-verbal communication is obtained through gestures, body-language, distance, hands movement, eye-contact and dressing sense. Richards and Schmidt (2014) highlight that in written communication; a person utilizes the mode of e-mails, magazines, books and internet for communicating with each other. Lastly, in visualizations, use of charts, graphs and pictorial representation are used to make other learn about the discussion topic.

Diagnostic Tool 4 - Nonverbal Immediacy Scale-self report

Ability to share thoughts

Communication allows people to learn about different culture, tradition and beliefs. In an organization, people from the different cultural background are working together and through effective communication system or medium, they can easily share their knowledge base with everyone (Jandt, 2017). Knapp et al. (2014) stated that this thought could also be the organizational goals and objectives that should be known to all the working personnel.  

Redundant data can be omitted

In an organization, where there are several departments working on a single project, effective communication help the managers to avoid allocation of resources for a similar job. This will allow the organization to save cost and financial resources. Thorson and Moore (2013) stated this type of communication in an organization could be done through e-mails, office notice boards and b=new bulletins.  

Concern of all employees can be known effectively

Samovar et al. (2014) stated that not all employees feel comfortable in verbal communication regarding their problem. However, Jandt (2017) argued that in an organization communication, sharing concern through e-mails is the formal way to let everyone know about a matter. Thus, effective communication allows every member of the company to share their problems and the difficulty. These people can also share their suggestions based on the adversity that an organization is facing.

This model is developed in the year 1948 by Claude Elwood Shannon and Warren Weaver (McQuail & Windahl, 2015). The main aspects of the Shannon Weaver’s model of communication are the sender, encoder, channel, decoder, receiver and noise.

The sender is liable for formulating the message and then chooses the channel through which the message can be passed (Al-Fedaghi, 2012). Newell (2012) stated that the encoder is the machine that converts the message into binary codes so that machine can understand the data. The channel is the medium through which the data is passed. The decoder is another machine that converts the binary coded data into usual message that sender sends (McQuail & Windahl, 2015). The receiver is the person, who receives the data and can provide feedback through the same medium. Noise is an external factor that can be raised through people and environment and may cause disruption in the communication.

 This model is used in day-to-day operations like in an organization, where marketers communicate the clients through the telephone. The discussion can be based on brand promotion or the business expansion. Dima et al. (2014) also stated that the client might not listen to the message properly due to the presence of noise. In this case, the sender is the businessman, the telephone network company acts as an encoder. The mobile network is the channel through which the communication is made and the mobile phone in the sender's side act as a decoder and the client act as a receiver.  

Diagnostic Tool 5 - Presentation Skills

This model is an extension of Shannon Weaver's model of communication. However, this model described the factors affecting each aspect so that the communication can be made more efficient (Lee et al., 2012). Watson and Hill (2015) also stated that this model emphasizes on encoding and decoding of the message that occurred prior sending of a message from sender's side. The main components of this model are- sender, message, channel and receiver. This is the reason this model is known as SMCR model.

 The sender is the source of communication and the factors that affect the composition if message is- communication skills, attitude, knowledge, social system and culture. These aspects illustrate that if the sender has good communication skills and right attitude and culture, the message can be passed effectively (Newell, 2012).  

Message

The message that is passed among the people can be described based on the content, elements for discussion, treating the message that the sender conveyed by the sender (Dwyer, 2012). The structure and code (language, text or video) are also responsible for composing a message.

Channel

The medium used to deliver the intended message is known as a channel. Koptseva et al. (2015) stated that these channels could be technical machines or five senses of a human being.  Watson and Hill (2015) stated that hearing, seeing, touching, smelling and tasting.

Receiver

Muschiol (2013) stated that the receiver obtains the same traits that a sender possesses and if there is a mutual understanding between the sender and the receiver, the communication can be effective.   

Leaders follow the body gesture to make all the followers learn that they are interested in listening to their queries. Velentzas and Broni (2014) also depicted that the eye-contact and leaning of the body towards their followers make them more approachable and shows their friendly nature towards their followers.  

 All the followers do not perceive same opinion based on a situation. Simcic Brønn (2014) stated that a good leader must have to learn all the queries and perspectives so that the most accurate and agreed on solution can be obtained. However, Hartley (2012) argued that a leader should possess autocratic leadership style when all the followers need guidance in order to overcome a critical solution. An effective leader though follows the contingency leadership styles, where they listen to everyone and take the decision that they think is the most suitable decision even if the follower is not supportive. These leaders are more task-oriented as they have to drive the profitability.

Identification of two key communication issues

The main reason for distraction is thinking about other related topic and consequences while discussing on a particular topic (Van Aelst et al., 2012). Thus, a person should have written all the main points and prepare a presentation. These presentations help a person to stay on their agenda and speak all the points that directly relate to the topic.

Daim et al. (2012) stated that some organization promotes informal language while some follow formal gesture to conduct the meeting. However, depending on the situation and the person attending the meeting, these gestures can be changed. Kluger and Zaidel (2013) depicted that words should be chosen carefully as the approach to talk is responsible for engaging the people present at the meeting.

The two issues that are identified in this assessment are a problem in depicting one's perception and convincing them regarding the effectiveness of the suggested decisions. The second problem is to share accurate data with the audience when huge people are present in a meeting. The action plan for the next 6 months to overcome these adversities is:

Table 1: Timeframe for improving the leadership skills and speaking in larger groups

(Source: Created by Author)

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