Effective Communication - Essay Example

ffесtivе Соmmuniсаtiоn Роrtfоliо Name Course Institution Date Part A As an individual, communication is part of daily life. Situations demand communication in order to relay important information to the required channels. Post-communication evaluation may denote if the communication was successful or not. With that kind of evaluation, it has helped me to improve on my overall communication skills. This is something that seemingly takes some time to be fully perfected. It is rare to get someone who actually is confident that he or she has perfected the art of communication. It has to be improved on a regular basis in order for one to move towards the state of perfection. One of the most memorable situations that I can vividly recall seriously thinking about communication strategy is when I was expected to give a public lecture to a school of orphanage children. During that time, many ideas went through my head. There was the obvious determination to perfect my delivery and at the end of it ensure that I communicate the message across the audience. In the process, I had to think about how best I can achieve that objective. The first step while preparing was trying to understand why I was delivering that speech (Ludden 2001, p. 97). Understanding the purpose of the speech was meant to enable me to have a focus in preparing the key points. In this case, I was supposed to give a speech that will motivate the orphaned children to work hard. These children required an encouragement that indeed their future is still bright and their dreams still valid. They had to realize that they have full potential to attain any level of success. Therefore, my message was designed to focus on the means of motivating the children to work even harder. Having understood the focus of my speech, the next consideration was who my target audience was (Booher 2007, p. 115). Understanding the target audience is important in trying to prepare on how to meet their needs. In this case, the obvious interested party or audience is actually the orphaned children. Inasmuch as other people may be in attendance, the main focus is on the orphaned children because they form the main audience. I had to think about their needs and their struggles in trying to ensure my speech does not miss the intended purpose. In the process, I realized that much is involved in trying to understand my target audience. I want to understand their concerns, the information they already have and how they are likely to react to what they will hear. After establishing answers for the ‘who’ question, I had to ponder about what to say (Roebuck, C 1999, p. 42). Definitely I was thinking on the exact issues to address in the speech. Some of the issues included the need for these children to work hard in their academic work. This is very crucial if they have to compete fairly with other people for the various opportunities present. In addition, I had also to focus on the need for them to be disciplined. This is because discipline goes hand-in-hand with hard work. Disciplined students are found to be the most hardworking students in most cases. Therefore, these are some of the issues I will have to address to ensure that my presentation achieves its objective. After considering what to communicate, I also thought about how to say it. The mode of communication or information delivery is very important. I thought about what to include in the presentation to make it livelier to deliver. I had to focus on using examples and illustrations in order to drive the point effectively. Examples were to include orphaned children who have defied all odds to become successful in life. This was meant to ensure that the audience is connecting the information in the presentation with real life examples. In the same way, using facial expression and related gestures is important to ensure the message is effectively delivered. The various points discussed above are some of the considerations I had to make in order to ensure that I communicate effectively with my target audience. From that, it is good to point out the fact that the preparation did not disappoint. I had a great delivery and I felt lively during the entire session I was talking to students. I could easily assess the attentiveness of the audience in the auditorium. It could be seen not just from their eye-contact, but also from their facial expression. Some could be seen nodding their heads while others seemed to be scribbling something in their notebooks. This is considered one of my successful presentations in my lifetime. All this was as a result of adequate preparation on the various communication strategies required. Part B Over time, I have come to appreciate different dimensions of life. A lot of reflection has enabled me to understand where I am and where I am supposed to be. At a more personal level, it is clear that inasmuch as I am not where I am supposed to be, I am not where I used to be. This shows that I have made some progress over time. This is both personal as well as in terms of career. I have to appreciate that I have made some progress even though much is expected in order to get to where I want to. This section presents a reflection of this progress. It is important because it will help me to know the specific areas to improve in order to achieve my career objectives. To begin with, one of the areas that I believe I am doing well is in relation to communication. I have to appreciate that when it comes to communication, I do not have many challenges. I have proven this over time. The last time I was working as a volunteer in a non-governmental organization, I was able to fit so easily into the organization simply because of my communication prowess. Every time I had an issue, I could easily inquire from the supervisor to ensure that I do not mess up my work. Even during departmental meetings, it was easy for me to make my contribution because I had mastered the art of communication. I easily weigh what I am supposed to say and how to say it. This helps me to avoid unnecessary collision with other people in the organization. I do the same even in this college. When talking to people, I maintain an eye-contact in order to read the kind of non-verbal information the audience is communicating. Often, this has helped me to ensure that I am connecting with the audience all the time. Besides, I have realized I am also good working in a team. In most of the group discussion we have been having in this college, I find it interesting helping members to brainstorm ideas required in the discussion. I have come to appreciate the kind of synergy that is generated when people solve problems in a group. I have some good interpersonal skills which I strongly believe are critical in teamwork. Rarely have I quarreled with members of my group regardless of the level of disagreement. I have managed to deal with such disagreements amicably while putting the interests of the group ahead. This can be attested by even my former group members in this college. Besides having good interpersonal skills and being able to work in a team, I am also good when it comes to learning new ideas and concepts. This ranges from the general classwork to technology-related inventions. I take reliably short period of time to master this kind of concepts and facts. This has made to standout from many students in the college. This is going to be important in overall career in several ways; one of them being the fact that learning is a continuous process even in the organizational setting. After discussing the various areas where I feel I am quite strong, it is good also to highlight some areas where in need improvement in relation to my career. One of these areas is working under pressure. I have come to realize that I do not deliver my ultimate best when it comes to working under pressure. As a matter of fact, I tend to underachieve when working under pressure. Whenever I am given a task, I tend to handle it very fast instead of letting work to pile up. I prefer to be systematic in the sense that every work that comes around is undertaken immediately. This seems to be working for me very well. In addition to that, I also tend to struggle with time management and planning. I have realized that I do not stick to the plans I set hundred percent. The variations are quite worrying especially when considering the effect this is likely to have in a working environment. This can be very challenging and therefore, something must be done so that I many improve in this area. These are some of the areas which I strongly believe if improved, I can easily achieve all the goals I have set in my career. This is very critical indeed. References Booher, D 2007, TheVoice of Authority: 10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know, McGraw-Hill, New York, 112-117. Jones, P 2008, Communication Strategy, Ashgate, Hampshire, p. 78-88. Ludden, M.J 2001, Effective Communication Skills: Essential Skills for Success in Work and Life 2nd Edition, Jist Works, New York, pp. 91-102. Roebuck, C 1999, Effective Communication, AMACOM, New York, 35-47 Read More