Effective communication: importance

Background

Effective communication introduces the communication skills focuses on the differences between academic and business culture. It helps to learn how to prepare informative written documents, including the business e-mail, business faxes, the business memo, and the business letter. In addition to this, the course helps students how to deliver an informative oral presentation in front of large and small group of people, how to work on collaborative team and basics of documentation using APA (American Psychological Association) method. Writing a report is also the part of communication skill. During the 11 weeks of this term in Effective communication class I got an opportunity to learn everything mention above.

Problem                                                                             

Being an International student and freshman student in Johnson and Wales University, I have faced some cultural difficulty, and pronunciations problem. Beside this, I have faced problems because of my group members. Some of them have not come in group meetings and were not participated actively. However, rest of the other things was perfect. Specially, Professor is very nice and she treats all the students equally.

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to inform Professor Dr. Karen Silva about the progress I have done during the fall term 2008 in her Effective Communication class.

Scope

This progress report enables Professor to know my progress during this term. It will help her to know what I have learned and what I still need to learn. This gives a kind of feedback to her for the next Effective Communication class and it will provide me a clear and concise vision what I should learn in the future to develop my communication skills as well as my personality.

Discussion

From September 11 2008 until November 19 2008, I studied effective communication course. During this term, I have learned different communication skills and now we are at the end of this term and I am writing my progress report. Actually, there are three types of communication: Verbal, Nonverbal and Written communication.

1. Verbal Communication: Verbal communication means oral communication or speech.  In another word, the process of sharing information with words.  It could be through interview, face to face talking, telephone conversation and soon.  Number of reminder things should be considered while expressing idea verbally.

·         Greet audiences whom you are going to talk like thank you, please to meet you.

·         Use respective title

·         Speak clearly and concisely.

·         Give your opinion when appropriate.

·         Use positive statements whenever possible.

·         Think first and then talk.

·         Listen actively what your audience says.

In oral communication speaker should also have listening skills. Listening skill is required to obtain message or information from others. These help to clearly understand what a person feels and thinks about speech or understand the other person closely.  Another important aspect of verbal communication is how to give effective speech or presentation in front of audiences. Number of things should be kept in mind while giving speech choosing appropriate media and the things which I have mention above.

2.      Non verbal communication: Nonverbal communication involves those nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that are generated by speaker and that have potential message value for the  receiver Basically it is sending and receiving messages in a variety of ways without the use of verbal codes (words).  It is both intentional and unintentional. Some examples of non verbal communication are:

·         Facial expression- Body movement.

·         Posture- Head Nods.

·         Distance- Arm and head openness

·         Eye contact

·         Posture

·         Gesture.

3.      Written Communication: Written communication is a form communication where information is share by means of written symbols, either printed or hand written. It consists of memos, letters, email and faxes. Before submitting any kind of written documents it is necessary to research, make some plan (brainstorm, main topic, and outline), write a draft, revise it and then edit mistakes and at the last make the final copy to submit. Numerous factors should be considered while in written communication: document should be simple and audience focus, information should be organized properly (introduction, body, and conclusion), style and tone should be proper and documents should be informative not just impressive.  

Memos:

Planning to further development of communication skills

I am planning to improve my interpersonal skill and written communication skill. I have learned different types of communication skills and their implementation in the real field. Still I have problem in nonverbal communication like eye contact, facial expression, posture and in written communication syntax and grammatical errors. Therefore, I am planning to join “Toastmaster club” of Johnson and Wales University. They always organize programs like how to write good resume, how to do effective presentation, how to face business interview and so on. In addition to this, I am planning to visit PCC (Professional Communication Center) and Learning Center for Writing and Academic Support every week. Both PCC and Learning Center offer academic assistance running writing laboratories for students including tutoring for all types of written projects, helps in researching and designing papers and improving business communication skills. Also, I am taking strategic communication class next term. In this term I have learned how to write formal business letter, memos, email, fax, how to do effective presentation, how to write a report and how to do documentation, and how to use effective channel of communication. In strategic communication also I will study the same things in detail and I will be perfect on that and by the end of next term I will be able to overcome my weakness which I could not in this term.

Conclusion

During the 11 weeks, I have learned about communication skills and how to implement those skills in the real life. Good communication skills are skills that facilitate people to communicate effectively with one another. Effective communication teach people how to chose the best communication channel, technically how to use the media, presentation of information to the large audiences and small audiences, effective method to do presentation, skills to understand responses receive from others, how to work in the team, how to create synergy effect (2+2=5) through team work, and what are barriers for effective communication. In addition to this, Self development, interpersonal skills, listening skills, mutual understanding, and mutual cooperation are also important skills that the effective communication helps to develop and that I have learned and develop myself.

References

·         Kolin, Philip k.. (2004). Successful writing at work (7^th ed.).  Houghton Mifflin         jjjjjcompany.

·         Johnson and Wales University, Catalog 2008- 2009.

·         Ewert, M. D. (2004, August 4). Developing Communication skills at work. Journal of   fffffExtension. Retrieved from http://www.joe.org