Working in a professional environment for the last ten years, I’ve been given the opportunity to witness how my co-workers communicate in the workplace. I’ve learned which communication patterns are used that are effective and which need to be worked on. Communication is defined as “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings etc. to someone.” Everything is taken into account when communicating this is not limited to verbal communication but non- verbal behavior as well.
In my most recent meeting, which took place on February 11, 2016 with a number of 11 attendees present I was able to identify some of the communication patterns that were exhibited.
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This was my first observation. My second observation was besides the facilitator of the meeting I was one of the only people who spoke the most. One of my co-workers from my department constantly kept interrupting the facilitator of the meeting. Of the 11 attendees I would say about 3 people didn’t speak at all. A pattern that I observed was when people engaged in conversation, they were trying to talk louder and over one another to get their point across. I didn’t feel they would wait their turn to talk. I felt the people who got taken seriously were those who waited their turn and maintained eye contact with the facilitator and communicated in a moderate tone. Those who showed respect to others were able to get their point across. Instead of two parties shouting at one another, each party should listen to, understand and not to reply; As Caproni expresses “Seek first to understand, then to be understood. ”. The communication patterns I witnessed could relate to some power dynamics for example there was a manager present from the Construction Management department who spoke as if anytime he said something it must be acknowledged and that everyone should be in agreement with …show more content…
Caproni defines an active listener as “ one who refers to listening to understand another person’s point of view without evaluating or judging the person or his or her views. It requires empathy, which is both a perception and a behavioral skill.” In our meeting everyone had different points of views and based on how they spoke to one another each person felt their point mattered most. As an active listener, one must try to understand the other person’s point of view. We are all unique and present different perspectives on matters. The importance in communicating is being able to convey these views to one another. As a listener one should direct all of their attention to the speaker. This means making eye contact with the speaker, and not interrupting. There were instances during the meeting where my colleagues didn’t let the other person speak. I recommend practicing some active listening techniques that Caproni discusses in Chapter 4 “ Communicating effectively” one concept is Listening with intensity. During the meeting many of my colleagues were not paying attention they were texting or trying to have a side conversation. Listening with intensity means giving the speaker your full attention. This means not interrupting or finishing people’s sentences for them. Another concept is listening with empathy: trying to understand the message from the speaker’s point of
Hybels, Saundra, and Richard L. Weaver. Communicating effectively. 4. ed. New York [u.a.: McGraw-Hill, 1995. Print.
Drew, P. (1984). Speakers' reportings in invitation sequences. In J.M. Atkinson & J.C. Heritage (eds). Structures of Social Action: Studies in Conversation Analysis (pp. 129-151). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Throughout the semester, we have studied numerous communication theories. Their purpose is to help understand exactly what happens when we interact with others. We might not necessarily agree with all of the theories, but the idea is to develop tools to evaluate situations we may encounter. Often, when the theories are explained in the readings or lecture, it is beneficial to apply the concepts to a "real life" situation. Using this approach, I will use a situation that many of us have faced, or will face, and analyze it according to a particular communication theory.
Emphatic listening is when we listen in order to support the person speaking. The focus is to show concern and giving someone an opportunity to express their feelings. For example, we use emphatic listening when listen to a friend who is grieving the loss of a loved one or some other heartbreaking. Emphatic listening also often used by a counselor during their listening session because it is more passionate and it is heartfelt style of listening where by your attention and body language are creating and emotional bond. Meanwhile, objective listening are necessary when we want exact figures or information about something. Listener will concentrates on the content and includes understanding, interpreting, and analyzing the message. It is very useful in exchange of information and ideas. For example, the staff meeting and also when we listen to a politician speak.
Communication is the process of conveying information to each another using words, actions, or by writing the information down to be read by another person. Communication is something that most people do at some point each day, and is an important part of life especially in a working environment. “The concept of communication is an essential part of every profession, and it is required to foster and maintain healthy relationships”( Jasmine, 2009, para. 1).
This type of listening lends itself to frequent miscommunication, mixed messages, and overall misunderstandings. Effective listening, on the other hand, provides concise communication, decreases interpersonal conflict and mistakes and also significantly aides in the quick resolution of conflict when issues arise.... ... middle of paper ... ... In today’s workforce, perfecting the skill of effective listening is an ability and technique that can lead to growth and success if properly applied.
The average worker spends two-thousand and eighty hours a year at their place of employment. Communication within the workplace is often overlooked or not given as much importance as most people should allow, given the amount of time that is spent there. Beyond the more basic verbal speech, one must be aware of the nonverbal symbols and noise that can have an effect on communication. There are also cultural, environmental and internal factors that can effect communication and how successful it can be. The various perceptions that an individual has developed over their life can also effect communication. One’s ability to communicate effectively will determine the success and enjoyment that is to come from their job.
As a professional in today’s society, it is greatly important to be able to communicate effectively with other professionals, with clients, and with those that are encountered in daily living. In order to communicate in a proper manner, not only is talking and non-verbal communication, but a large aspect is the ability to listen. Listening is a vital task in order to build a relationship and find meaning in someone else’s words. In order to find this meaning one must follow the characteristics of active listening, face the challenges to listening, and reflect upon one’s own listening skills.
One’s career, school life, and even socializing are affected by communication. If you do not know how to communicate, you probably do not have many friends. Communication has been used since the days of the cavemen. When the cavemen learned to communicate they greatly increased their hunting potential. When they learned to communicate on the hunt and before the hunt, they caught much more game then when they were just randomly running after the animals with spears. In school, if teachers and students could not communicate well, how would anything ever get done? In a business, communication is the most important ingredient. Working at a corporation at a higher level, you deal with hundreds of important emails, meetings, phone calls, and other forms of communicating with your co-workers.
Let’s explore why listening is so critical. “Adam listened to Eve. In that first spoken word message and all since, no communication occurred until there was a listener. It follows, then, that there has become a much-heightened need to listen. We must understand the fundamental relationship involved, we cannot escape it” (Mills 1). The characteristics of good listening skills can be best understood by using the acronym MASTER. The “m” refers to mental. Mental is the ability to slow down and strategically control our ability to listen. “A” refers to active. Being active utilizes constructive listening responses and constant practice can keep this sharp. The “s” refers to sustaining attention. Experienced concentration is crucial for sustaining attention. “T” refers to target. There are four types of potential listening targets; responsive listening, implicative listening, critical listening and nondirective listening. Responsive listening is the agreement between listener and speaker. Implicative listening involves carefully understanding what is implied by hearing what is said. Critical listening is the process of coming to the point of a subject by clearing away all the non-important information. Nondirective listening is fully hearing the speaker out. The “e” refers to eliminating t...
A successful attempt at job redesign that I have experienced or observed. Between the period of 2004 and 2010, I served in the United States Marine Corps (USMC). During this time my secondary job function was in the foodservice industry. As with anything else in life, I had to learn the policies and procedures of the military and the way that business was conducted.
In all aspects in life effective listening plays an important role in our lives, both professionally and personally. As many of know from experience listening is never easy in fact it can be difficult to understand what is being said by the speaker. Because of laps in attention we tend to misunderstand some of the messages that are being relayed to us or disregard them altogether. Effective listening is important for receiving the correct feedback from those you’re speaking with and requires a focus that should be central to what is being said or what topic is being discussed.
The first phase in the listening process is attending. Attending is willfully striving to perceive selected sounds. The most important factor of attending is preparing to be physically and mentally ready to pay attention. We should focus mainly on attending to the message rather than encountering inner thoughts and feelings. In my day-to-day life, I try to get ready to attend even though it could be difficult at times. For instance, the other day when I was home, I had an argument with my mother and I started back talking her. But I realized that I should look directly at her and situate myself correctly. After she finished speaking, I understood what she had meant and that was when I saw an improvement in myself because it made it look like I was interested in what she was saying. To advance your attending skills, another important factor is making the shift from speaker to listener...
What a morning, I've been cleaning things that have been in storage since 2013. Bob and I started unpacking from the shed again this past weekend, fortunately the rain has ceased, and the temperatures are continuing to increase, it is a whopping 81 degrees outside! ChaCha and I went to Home Depot this morning, my goal is to get her out in the community daily, practice obedience commands (I would like to get her CGC tested prior to departing, therapy dog tested too if time permits) and general socialization with the public.
One of the main aspects in communicating is listening. An effective listener is one who, not only comprehends how the speaker feels but, also understands what they are stating. Building a strong connection between the speaker and the listener is one of the first steps to become a good listener. By building this connection speakers should first be in an environment with open minded listeners, it makes them feel more comfortable to state their opinions, feelings and ideas. Listeners should avoid being judgmental. The individual does not have to agree with the ideas, values or opinions of the speaker; however, to fully understand them, one must put aside their criticism. Speakers will believe that they can trust the listeners with their information when they know that they will not be judged. Miscommunication happens frequently, listene...