Communication is essential in career development because it enables an individual to interact and interrelate with others effectively. Without communication, it would be difficult for professionals to collect important information and relay them to relevant authorities or other concerned persons. For effective communication to take place, an individual has to acquire sufficient training. Several forms of communication skills exist, including focused interactions, non-verbal communication, listening, writing, intra-personal, and interpersonal communication skills.
In the workplace, all conditions of communication skills exist, and some people are known in either one or two of them, but it is rare for an individual to understand all forms of communication skills. In fact, this is the primary reason why human resources will always make an evaluation of these necessary skills before recruiting. Additionally, employees are taken to various institutions of high learning to sharpen their communication skills because their importance cannot be disputed in the organization.
For my case, the most critical communication skill is interpersonal communication because it enhances understanding and practical problem solving (Adler, & Proctor, 2011). Once two or three people are able to enter into a discussion and agree to solve the outstanding issues, chances are high a long-term solution to any problem would be reached.
Regarding strengths and weaknesses, I have several unresolved issues that have to be addressed urgently to improve my performance at the workplace. On the other hand, I understand the necessary interpersonal skills that can maintain balance in any conversation. For instance, I am aware of the importance of maintaining eye contact in conversation, as it serves a crucial role in developing confidence. However, this differs from one culture to the other because eye contact is interpreted to mean rudeness and lack of respect in the African and Japanese culture, but it is a valued principle in the British and American culture.
When engaging in a conversation, it is imperative to develop the culture of turn-turning, meaning that each person in the conversation has to be given time to express his or her views. Based on this, interrupting an individual before he or she finishes what they were trying to say is unethical and amounts to intrusion. This has always been my most significant problem since I rarely give another person a chance to finish what he or she was saying.
Once an individual is interrupted, he or she might end up getting confused ad what was being expressed might be lost. Therefore, I have to develop a strong culture of giving other people an opportunity to say what they have freely, as it would enhance understanding and mutual cooperation (Adler, & Proctor, 2011).
If I am to develop strong interpersonal skills, at least five necessary skills have to be employed. One of them is honesty, whereby I am expected to tell the truth always because many people are against lying. If an individual is interrupted abruptly, he or she might end up thinking that the person doing is fake or unrealistic. Studies show that being honest creates a rapport with other people, which enhances lifelong relationships. Honesty in a discussion is cherished as an essential trait that all individuals should try to acquire in their places of work. Whenever I feel that someone is expressing a varying view, I interrupt right away, something that my friends and relatives term as unfair criticism.
They always condemn my actions claiming that I am not any special or better than most of them. Studies show that listening to the needs and views of others in a discussion enables an individual to win many friends, both at home and in the place of work. This implies that I have to learn to listen to the views of other people without being judgmental. If an individual realizes that what he or she is saying is not being heard, the chances are high that the discussion might terminate prematurely, and the underlying issues might end up not being solved fully. Instead of interrupting or criticizing others, scholars of communication suggest that it would be better to ask questions to know more about what is being said.
Finally, it is essential to admit a mistake or take responsibility in a discussion, as it would facilitate understanding. In interpersonal communication, the two parties have to come to the reality that no one is always right because everyone makes a mistake. If no one would be willing to take responsibility, then it would be difficult for a decision to be reached. This has always been my biggest problem because I tend to believe that other people have to borrow my views and do as I suggest, which is wrong.
It is concluded that communication skills are necessary for the life of an individual, as they play a critical role in enhancing understanding. Interpersonal skills, including turn-taking and maintaining eye contact, should be embrace in any communication, but they have to be employed cautiously because situations might force an individual to intervene even though it is not his or her time to contribute to a discussion.
Reference
Adler, R. B., & Proctor, R. F. (2011). Looking out/looking in. Toronto: Cengage Learning.