Communication Today

Organizational communication begins with the individual (Krebs, 2011). When I do a self-assessment of my organizational communication skills, one area I feel most developed is in the area of active listening. I always try to focus my attention on the subject at hand when communicating with anyone. Although active listening is considered one of the most important interpersonal communication competencies, I consider it to be a form of respect as well. I try my best to make it a habit to take a non-bias approach and keep my emotions under control because I may not always agree with what is being said at the time. By placing myself in the speaker's shoes, allows for an easier approach to understanding the verbal and non-verbal points that the speaker may be trying to make.

The area in which I feel I need the most improvement is conflict management skills. Conflict is an unavoidable part of interpersonal relations and organizational life because each relational partner has different goals, ideas, and strategies for addressing organizational issues (Krebs, 2011). This statement describes me exactly. I say this because of the different outlook I have had on certain issues within my past organization as well as my personal life. If an issue arises that I feel strongly about, I will go all the way with what I feel about the issue and truly stand my ground. I know this may not always be a good practice, but people do agree to disagree and everyone is entitled to their opinion. This will be something that I will work on to improve so that it will be utilized in an effective way.

In order to improve the development of my organizational communication skills, I will work on utilizing conflict in an effective way. I will also focus on the fact that it is okay to have agreements as well as disagreements, without anger being a factor. Finally, I will try to avoid the hostility trap because I am very aware that there will be occasions when someone may try and push me towards these actions, but it will be up to me to handle the situation appropriately.

References:

Krebs, G.L. (2011). Communication in organizations. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint

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