Madison Cheah Communication Reflection April 3, 2023

Why is effective communication considered a fundamental skill to have in the workplace and in life?

- Politeness: phone away, please and thank you, handshake when necessary
- Clear communication and language: no mumbling or using big words you don’t fully understand
to sound smart
- Eye contact: focused, not distracted
- Posture: open
- Full attention given: shows respect and politeness
- Prepared: shows interest, helps with nerves and mumbling

Why: show respect and interest making you a likable person

Effective communication is important to show respect and interest in the other party, making
connections between others and becoming an overall tolerable and even likable, human being. Imagine
speaking with someone who was always looking at their phone, talking to the floor and under their
breath or just responding with the mindless “uh huh”, “cool”. Speaking with those people is not
particularly enjoyable compared to speaking with someone who gives you their full attention, speaks
their ideas clearly and is interested in what you are saying. When navigation the constantly changing
courses of life, effective communication will help tremendously. Not only will it make you more likable
and an effective talker, but it will also help clearly convey your thoughts so the person you are talking to
finds it easy to follow along with what you are saying, therefore making it easy to talk to you. Given all
the advantages of being a clear and effective communicator, why not give it a try? To become a clear
and effective communicator one only needs these six fundamental skills: politeness, clear language, eye
contact, mindfulness of posture, being prepared and to give their full attention. Politeness is shown by
getting up to shake someone’s hand, saying please and thank you as well as removing distractions such
as a cell phone to make sure your full attention remains on the person speaking. Using clear language
can help a lot. Point your chin up, do not look at the floor, after all the floor is not part of the
conversation, and lastly use words you know the meaning of. There is no point trying to sound smart if
you cannot use the word properly. Holding eye contact shows interest and respect to the person talking.
Posture is a big one. To have acceptable posture one must lean in a bit, keep your body open – meaning
no crossed arms – and try not to slouch too much. Being prepared shows interest in the other person,
and the best skill for interviews. Lastly, give your full attention. Giving your full attention is a mix of
everything listed above but also adding in some interactions here and there, just to show that you are
paying attention and understanding what is being conveyed by the other person. With these skills,
anyone can become an effective communicator. Not only can these skills be used in settings such as
everyday work and interviews, but also in life. These skills make you a respectful and interesting person
to hold a conversation with, much better than mumble people and people looking at their phone and
the floor in my opinion.
What did you learn about yourself from the mock interviews, and the activities listed above?

From the mock interviews I learned that being prepared makes a big difference in confidence levels.
For my first interview I was not entirely prepared, and it showed, especially when the interviewers
asked, “what do you know about our company?” Having confidence when speaking is important
because the less confidence you have the more mumbling and rambling you will do, I know from
experience.

On a more positive note, I learned that I am a quick thinker and an objective and opinionated thinker as
well. When interviewing people, upon hearing their answers I knew exactly what I did or did not like
about the answers and how they could correct themselves for future reference.

How can you improve your communication skills?

To improve my communication skills I have taken the feed back from my peers and determined that
the area I most lack in is preparation and punctuation. For my first interview I failed to be prepared as
much as my competitors, which would probably have cost me the job. For my second interview I felt
rushed which made me speed through answers and fumble my words a bit, causing me to become
flustered and unable to think clearly. Taking these points from my interviews I can move into the future
knowing where I need to improve.