Importance of Communication, Ability to Communicate - Coursework Example

Improving Verbal Communication Language is the unique possession of man. It is a powerful medium of communication. The nature of verbal communicationcan affect interpersonal communications. Being the most powerful and complex of human codes, formation and maintenance of social relations which are essentials to our personal and professional success are made ensured by this. The functions of words and communication are many. It can comfort, excite and inspire everyone. There are a lot of ways to improve our verbal communication. To compose an easily acceptable verbal communication style the facts as words create reality, words reflect our attitudes, the positive and negative connotations of verbal communication has its effect on the listener, level of abstraction counts much etc. should be kept in mind. When thinking of effective communication in detail, I remember Kevin, my friend for whom communication is a one side flow of uncountable words. He is never bothered about the listener in front of him. Words are flowing out of him with the flavor of happiness, excitement or anxiety without expecting or allowing anyone to come to the scene and start a verbal communication. It is very clear from this portion of effective verbal communication that by sharing his anxieties and excitements with judicial use of communication in the form of a receptive as well as productive skill can help the communication between me and Kevin. Level of abstraction is very significant here. More clearly, when Kevin progresses with his nonstop verbal communication process I should go for healthy interference to make sure that the level of abstraction is of right measure. This will help our communication effective. In short, an effort of making the verbal communication effective by making Kevin feel contented on his style will definitely work ( Sole,2011). Nonverbal Miscommunication I recall a very interesting instance from my life in which a miscommunication caused a lot of confusion to me. It was a summer season during which I visited Maldives. Sightseeing has been my passion from my childhood. I remember, it was from one of the small islands it happened. I was walking along the beach getting pleasure from the gorgeous sight of the union of deep blue sea with the infinite color filled sky. What altered my watch was a laugh so near. When I turned back, there was a small kid playing in the sand. I adore these little angels always. I went to him and tried to draw his attention towards me with a ‘Hello’, which unfortunately came out as an uproar. Fortunately he didn’t listen that. Once again I sought his attention from near, this time too carefully with a mild touch not to disturb him. But, he was shocked, stood up fast and started to gaze at me. I was bewildered as I understood I interfered with his fun. “Hm?’’ My followed expression was not clear to me myself. He moved two steps back, gazed more severely and didn’t tell anything. I was in utter confusion and I gestured my question once again. This time the boy set both his hands on his head expressing a tone of extreme irritation on his face, turned and ran away. I was simply alarmed. After a minute only I could come back to my senses as I recognized what I did to him, the interference was not fair. I started slowly walking with a relief that he left. But contrary to my confidence he came running towards me, this time with a strongly built dark complexioned man with grown hair. I didn’t get why the kid fetched one to question me. I felt a sort of tremble in my nerves and gestured a sorry to the man with folded hands and stepping back. He laughed in a pleasant friendly mood and said, “He can’t talk to foreigners, he not know language.” I couldn’t suppress my laugh and that followed my explanation to the man and friendship with the kid. That instance taught me the lesson that nonverbal communication should be after ensuring the listener’s attention. That can help decoding the conveyed idea clearly and easily ( Sole,2011). Culture and Communication To discuss the relation between culture and communication it is necessary to look into the meaning of culture. The set of traditions, values and believes can be come under culture. The usual description of culture is the way we do things. Reflecting on and sharing the features of my culture is absolutely interesting for me just as I am so curious to know about your cultures. The ethnic group I belong to is known as Cherokee Indian and Russian. I remember like that of a very recent day about my childhood. It is intensely nostalgic to think of those days; the moments I spent working in the farm added a lot to my personality. I learned to work hard and was assistance to the supporters of my family. Other engagements I was busy with were feeding the animal, taking bales of cotton to sell and raising a sheep and a pig to show at the country fair. Satisfaction I was getting from these activities was beyond measure. Now too I can taste the taste of what I had those days. Bacon and eggs, spaghetti night and DR.Pepper nurtured my days. As a child, like all I also was very much interested in riding bikes and swimming. I was always careful to keep a valuable relationship with my neighbors. My religious tradition was Baptist. I remember Fort Worth with all its colors. All these elements of my culture helped me considerably in my communication. I could be friendly to those who were just as me in their culture. It was not a difficulty to be an active participant in their conversations as what we all had to share was familiar to each other. Conversing with each other was the step boosted the development of my personality, I recall with gratitude. Willingness to Listen Based on the score out of the Willingness to Listen Measure I have a high willingness to listen others. Communication is not something that happens, but it is a sequence or series of steps in which an idea is formed, a message encoded, and this message is aiming at the receiver. The one who listens it respond to it with some type of verbal or nonverbal feedback. In most of the contexts in my life my willingness to listen assisted me a lot. Sometimes the communication with others is limited to one or two words. This is in fact adding color to the formal element of speech. Other contexts are there in everyone’s life that demands much willingness from the listener. The impression created in the minds of both speaker and listener is so significant here. If something is conveyed by the speaker a good listener has the responsibility to pay attention to what is conveyed. Willingness to listen has such a considerable impact in interpersonal communication. I think I can listen to the people well and that is the base of my everlasting healthy relations. I can undoubtedly say that the score got on my willingness is appropriate as I am a good listener. It is said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This counts a lot in my case. I am so careful in selecting my friends and maintaining the relations too. It becomes possible with the help of my willingness to listen them. What I am always careful about is to help my listener feel that he is important ( Sole,2011). Empathy In my perspective empathy is an absolute understanding of other followed by a willingness to share his emotional struggle. It helps to maintain the relations in a healthy manner. I recall an instance in which I found it difficult to empathize with one of my friends. It was our final day in college. All the students were sad about the departure a very few moments ahead. Kevin, unlike everyone was involved in listening music. He didn’t even know I approached him. “What in fact is the reason for your indifference dear?” He gazed at me without answering my question. “Kevin, please move away from the computer and be one among us.” This time also his reply was the same gaze. But, I could recognize that some sort of pain is reflected in his eyes. “What happened Kevin?” Instead of responding, he stood up and went to another corner. There he started talking with his other friends. Later I came to know that it was Kevin’s birthday, the same day of his mother’s death. It was shocking news for me. His other close friends too did not know about it till then. Kevin did not want to reveal why he was so sad because he could not control his tears while talking to a very intimate friend like me. He admitted it in some other context. Now I feel that I could have sympathized with Kevin if I was ready to care him a bit more. He was in front of the computer for a long time, but I cared him so late. That instance taught me that interpersonal communication should be in time if it has to be worth. Value of Friendship I always value friendships more than anything in my life. What is sought after in my search for a friendship is the positive qualities of that person. First among these is his willingness to hear me. Why I am vigilant on this matter is because only a person with willingness to listen me can help me in any of the respects in my life. Willingness for the mutual commitment, priority given to maintain the relationship, readiness in rendering social support, intimacy and empathy are the other qualities I search in a friendship. In a relationship commitment to each other is very important. This is a matter of trust too. Only the people who are committed to others can go forward with a positive relationship. The maintenance of relationship is not an easy task. In a relationship, different sorts of problems are to be met with. The moments with a friend is not as a moment spending alone. Because of this itself, the demands for adjustments and compromises may give rise to various problems. In such contexts, readiness to accept and correct the weaknesses of a friend is necessary. When discussing it I remember Mrs. Rose I met from church for the first time. I didn’t feel her as a friendly one, just contrary to what my sister said. She was arrogant I felt in my first sight. But the following Sundays gifted me with a lot of lovely moments with Mrs. Rose. She was as particular about relations as she wanted to lead life straight. Her role of a social worker gave her the appearance of one who has no time to waste simply. It is Rose who taught me to be an expert in selecting friends. Unprofessional work Environment Unprofessional work environment was a problem for me when I joined the school as a part time teacher. When I entered the compound of the school the very first day what I felt was a tendency to run back. Why it happened so was because of the arrogant nature of some of the senior teachers there. They were not ready to cooperate in any way. They believed in keeping the juniors inferior to them. They thought that if freedom was allowed to the people who are in the junior positions, they may lose the position they are in. Never could they understand what the conflict I was going through. Many a time I tried to make them recognize how much I wanted to be with them and I failed! They were going far from me to keep their dignity untouched. What was wonderful for me about their strange nature of this sort was the lack of professionalism reflected in their mannerisms. It was my decision to alter their attitudes for the promising working atmosphere in the school. That is how I started to be so friendly to each of the colleagues though they were not willing to talk to or listen me; I tried to be a part of them always. Gradually I learned how friendly they turned to be. I could make them understand that what is important is the care that is given to others in a relation. Removal of the unprofessional working environment can be possible only through the proper way of interpersonal communication. Influence of mediated communication Mediated communication has changed the face of life itself. People around the world are connected to each other with the means of mediated communication such as blog, face book, twitter etc. The most noteworthy plus point of this type of communication is the opening for likeminded friends. Another point is that unlike the face to face relations the interpersonal relations through such media can make the level of confidence doubled. More clearly, for dealing with any sort of topics, light or serious, such a mediated communication provides all a chance with. Though the friendships one gets through mediated communication is virtual in nature if they are taken in the positive sense these can be so inspiring. The cultural groups formed by the people who are a part of mediated communication help them in the development of personality. If taken and used in the right sense mediated communication can help one to get rid of the entire negative channel of thought. The opposite also can be happen in mediated communication. As a face to face communication is not possible mediated communication may be turned to be a negative platform that tempts people to different sorts of abuses and threats. The emotional problems people have to go through by this cannot be counted as simple. Chances for the development of negative relations bloom in the chat rooms are dangerous to the extent of the deterioration of the personality itself. So, when dealing with the mediated communication options one should be very vigilant. A step of diversion to the negative direction of it may lead to the spoiling of life itself. At the same time the helping hand provided by it can be held tightly to move towards prosperity ( Sole,2011). Reference: Sole, Kathy (2011). Making Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communication, Bridge point Education, 1-238. Read More