The Significance of Communication for Professional Practice - Essay Example

paper Communication Skills Communication skills have become an integral part of the workplace. It plays an important part in the selling of products and gaining new clients. Communication skills are with us in every aspect of life. Talking, body language and listening are all types of communication skills. Each individual has a unique way of expressing his skills. Conveying a clear communication is essential for the success of any career or business. An estate agent must also have unique and diversified communication skills in order to excel in his career. Communication allows organisms to exchange information using several methods like common language, sounds, body language, touch and eye contact. Communication is established when all organisms understand a common language. This process can be used to send a message which can consist of ideas, gestures and actions. Communication is present is almost every form of organism. For humans it is highly developed and advanced. Information transmission is part of communication. It is social interaction where at least two agents use a common set of signs and semiotic rules. Transmission of signals and information exchange between organisms is considered to be a form of communication (Booher, 1994). The difference between communication and language is that the latter is an organized system of signals like voice sounds, gestures, written symbols which can transmit thoughts or feelings. Language is a way of communication with signals, voice, sound and gestures. Human languages can be spoken and written. They can consist of symbols and rules. There are thousands of human languages which share many properties. Being able to communicate well is helpful for estate agents. Effective interpersonal, writing, and oral communication skills are vital in the professional environment. The ability to interact effectively with other people is a communication skill necessary for the success of an estate agent. Interpersonal communication skills are necessary when working with people. This may require an estate agent to address very diverse business issues. The lack of effective interpersonal skills may cause a problem larger than the one already on hand. Other interpersonal requirements may be the ability to work in teams to complete projects and assignments on time. Writing skills are not only a necessity, but demanded for an estate agent. When writing to colleagues or customers, an estate agent needs to use language those readers understand. In some cases, the estate agent may even need to be persuasive or defensive when writing. Writing, even on a small scale, such as letters, faxes, and email are just as important as writing large scale plans and proposals. The impact of written work depends strongly on proficiency in the rules of grammar and composition, and spelling. Estate agents must have oral presentations and oral communication is an important necessity. It is important when speaking to convey complex information in a clear and understanding way. It requires building rapport with clients, providing customer support, and solving problems clients may have. Another example of oral communication is when selling goods or services to clients. When communicating orally, the estate agent may want to convey his messages with maximum impact (Bounds, 2007). Electronic Communication is a speedy and accurate transfer of information and cost efficient transfer services. Electronic communication has changed different approaches of estate agents towards the methods of communication they use. Electronic databases and storage systems have significantly changed the process of gathering information for organizational purposes. Through various electronic databases we can access more information in less time. It also helps in the speedy search or accurate information. Electronic communication has also affected and changed our approaches to writing business letters, memos and notices. A major tool in this aspect is word processors. Word processors have had a drastic impact on business writing techniques. Today word processors are so efficient that they help the writers to correct their spelling, grammatical and punctuation mistakes while they write. They also provide different styles for formatting reports, resumes etc. Another way that electronic communication has impacted writing in business or organizations is email or electronic mail. The advent of electronic communications has revolutionized the way people across the world communicate with each other. It is now possible to send emails, images, software and data using the internet. Globalization has also been beneficial by the fact that it allows people to access huge databases of various organizations. Modern technology like messaging systems, emails and data communication modems are essential for an estate agent in order to facilitate the process of electronics communication.. Another newly introduced method in electronic communication is video conferencing. Electronic methods of communication play an important role for estate agents (Booher, 1994). There are many communication barriers that come up during the communication process for estate agents. First, there are physical distractions that interfere with the effectiveness of a communication attempt. Second, we live in a "verbal" environment. Words constitute the most frequently used tool for communicating. Words usually facilitate communication; however, their careless, improper use in a given situation can create a communication barrier. The words used by estate agents should be selected carefully. Unfortunately, almost every commonly used word has more than one meaning. Also words have regional meanings or derive new meanings as a result of the development of new industries or fields. The ability to empathize with someone else may not be easy for estate agents. If they see things from anothers viewpoint, they may have to put aside their own prejudices and preconceptions. The client may be of a different race, creed, educational background, from a different section of the country, or have a different specialty. Under these circumstances, the task of empathizing with the other member of the communication link is difficult. To better communicate, the estate agent must try to see themselves through the eyes of others in the communication link. The personal qualities of the estate agent should be a consideration in the selection. The estate agent must recognize his strengths and limitations. He should evaluate his successes and failures in communication and plan to use the communication process which suits his style and qualities. From the above communication barriers, we can observe that in todays world, no matter what the communication barrier is, there is always to the solution over the barrier. It is just a matter of different approach within you means and ability to execute the solution without losing any clients (Bounds, 2007). Although electronic communication has numerable benefits these days, this cannot be ignored but at the same time the effectiveness of face- to- face communication cannot be denied also. Face-to-Face communication is a historical communication method used in organizations. Face-to-Face communication conveys the true reactions and responses of people who are communicating with each other. People get instant, on the spot response and feedback, which is essential for effective communication in organizations. The differences between face-to-face communication and phone, email and other verbal communication are very obvious. On average, only seven per cent of our understanding of communication is based on actual words. Without other cues that are seen and observed through face-to-face communication the real message is often understood in a wrong way. An important aspect of face-to-face communication is the non-verbal facet such as including facial expression, gestures, body language and our appearance (Deker, 2006). In this era of speed and technology, there are certain questions that arise about the efficiency of face-to-face communication and its use today is being doubted. The answer to this doubt would be that no matter how many wonders technology can create it still tends to be distancing, or even isolating in certain situations where human presence is important. Organizations today must strive to achieve the right balance between the two main forms of communication, electronic and face-to-face. The importance of neither of these should be underestimated. Managers in organizations must be intelligent enough to comprehend that when it is necessary to rely on face-to-face communication as a leadership tool and when to turn to technology. Works Cited: Booher, Dianna Daniels. Communicate with confidence! : how to say it right the first time and every time. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994. Bounds, Andy. The jelly effect: how to make your communication stick. Chichester, UK: Capstone, 2007. Deker, Bert. Communication skills for leaders: delivering a clear and consistent message. 3rd ed. Boson: Thomson, 2006. Read More