Reflections On The Progressive Development Of Communication Skills

Reflections on the Progressive Development of Communication Skills
The effectiveness of one’s communication can significantly impact one’s ability to initiate, develop, and maintain personal, therapeutic, and interprofessional relationships. According to Casey and Wallis, “Without it, people cannot relate to those around them, make their needs and concerns known or make sense of what is happening to them,” (2011, p.35).
In turn, having competent communicative abilities contributes to progression and maturation in many aspects of life, with education and employment being majorly affected facets. Upon entering this course this semester, I was unaware of my lack of important communication skills interpersonally, intrapersonally, and interprofessionally. Throughout my semester in this course, I have explored many different styles and skills used in communication. I have been able to recognize my strengths and weaknesses, and I have also been able to make noticeable and satisfying incremental improvements to enhance my communication. In this paper I will reflect on the knowledge I have gained throughout this semester that has allowed me to better my communication skills; I will do this by providing examples from my life. Furthermore, I will explore how I can continue to develop my commination skills in the future.
Before exposure to the content of this course, I was confident in my ability to communicate interpersonally. Upon my first encounter with feedback from my peers, I was surprised to find out that others did not also think this. Coming into this course, I relied heavily on only verbal communication. I was introduced to several important new skills that help me communicate with others more precisely, including paraphrasing, c...

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.... I have a plan in order to maintain growth and development in all three types of communication. Primarily and most obviously, I must consciously practice all of the skills and knowledge I have learned. Secondly, not being afraid to ask for, and accept, constructive feedback from others will be a huge contributor to recognizing and following up with needs for improvement in any communication areas. Finally, sharing what skills and knowledge I have gained in this class with others will help to improve and maintain my own communication skills by surrounding myself with an environment filled with people who are also competent communicators. The more people who understand effective communication, the better the understanding between each person in society overall. I hope to follow through with all of these propositions to become an even better communicator in the future.