Communications Skill Assessment - Essay Sample

Introduction

My communication skills include nonverbal skills and average listening skills. I also use concise and complete messages when communicating with other people. In places where there are distractions, I usually rely on nonverbal communication skills, using gestures and signs to convey a message. In meetings, listening and speaking through concrete and correct points enable me to effectively and clearly express myself to others (Bramhall, 2014). I always maintain a high courtesy level when communicating with my elders while I am also less formal when communicating with my peers. It is clear that my communication skills vary based on my audiences since each audience will require a particular communication skill for effectiveness and better understanding.

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Evaluation of Communication Skills

When analyzing my communication skills, I employ the following criteria. I usually use mindtool.com to evaluate my listening skills. When communicating with my peers, I always analyze my communication skills based on my listener's responsiveness and understating of the message being used. For instance, when I share and information and the receiver is not understanding, it implies that I used to wrong skills (Wagner et al., 2011). An example is when I am communicating with a busy person in a noisy environment, and I use verbal communication instead of non-verbal cues making the person not understand my message well. I had a low score on listening skills from the mindtool communication quiz due to taking much time to figure out a response when asked a question. Likewise, using the KISS principle, I can measure my messages' conciseness and correctness when communicating formal issues in meetings.

Communication Gaps

I have experienced communication gaps, which leads to poor and wrong interpretations of the intended messages. The communication gaps include poor listening skills, which makes me not quickly digest a message and give feedback on time. Language barriers are another challenge that I face when different countries have their languages (Mohd Faiz et al., 2017). Likewise, cultural differences lead to the different meanings of words used. Therefore, in some cases, I find myself in trouble by using a word, which means totally the opposite of my expectations in different cultures. I sometimes use inappropriate body language when communicating, and this promotes the misinterpretation of the messages. I also have issues with my emotional control; therefore, I find myself communicating negatively. I have a problem using the right tone when emotional, for which I may sound rude to someone unintendedly.

Additional Training

I need training on emotional control and how to adjust my moods on different occasions. Training on listening skills is also vital for me to improve my rate of concentration and fast replies. Training on the effective use of body language for appropriate communication scenarios is essential in improving my nonverbal communication techniques.

How to Improve Current Communication Skills

I can improve my communication skill by engaging in continuous dialogues with different people from different cultures and with varying emotions to learn how to control my feelings (Training, 2012). I plan to engage in spelling contest whereby I can improve my listening skills by concentrating on the uttered words and giving a correct spelling. I can also engage in brainstorming and advancing my listening skills career to higher levels to learn better skills. Seeking advice from communication professionals and experts like lecturers and journalists can also improve my communication skills.

References

Bramhall, E. (2014). Effective communication skills in nursing practice. Nursing Standard (2014+), 29(14), 53. http://search.proquest.com/openview/25fa168cc7fdb8d84b68e177ce23f439/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2042228

Mohd Faiz, N. S., Awang, H., & Maziana, M. (2017). Narrowing Communication Gaps in Teaching International Students. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=01287702&AN=128930391&h=b5oXZCW7k0a3RJ7J62ahm2jBuloP2e1FjPs1ha3Y4g0a8ILFPjb9QWeDk9iWMmeuwJR5ohmO7XIDaLDWZ0V57Q%3D%3D&crl=c

Training, M. T. D. (2012). Effective communication skills. Bookboon. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=uVOWRbn_zbgC&oi=fnd&pg=PA25&dq=effective+communication+skills&ots=B9gJ_GrxXb&sig=8hNgfrAawGjP6ejaXceFtHuSLyE

Wagner, J., Liston, B., & Miller, J. (2011). Developing interprofessional communication skills. Teaching and learning in nursing, 6(3), 97-101. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1557308710001149