Communication is essential, it’s what allows our society to function, and why there’s just a big emphasis on a baby’s first words. A baby’s first words seem to be one of the first proofs that show they truly understand what’s going on and are formulating their own thoughts and opinions. Communication is so nuanced and complex however because how can an extremely emotional and viscerally physical response be captured in words? That’s a limiting factor of words as there’s a finite amount of letters and combinations that are supposed to somehow encapsulate all of the human range of emotion and diversity within the human experience. Being able to clearly communicate is essential in both everyday life and the workplace, yet its difficulty is often not called out though it should be something that’s acknowledged for sure, Communication and clearly stating what you think in a concise and direct manner also takes time, which is contrary to the culture that stems from capitalism and always moving 110% long established in the United States of America. With respect to this observation, I think there needs to be an active force or shift or reframing of what it means to have a productive conversation. Too often it seems to me that two individuals come into a meeting in which they are meant to have a discussion about a certain topic, but both parties come in which a list of talking points they hope to get through and prove, To me, this eliminates a lot of the innovation that comes out of organic conversations as it feels like even from the start the two participates are in a sense competing even if they are working together. I know that I am someone who benefits from thinking through my ideas before formulating and trying to present them. Additionally, when people try to rush through points, a lot can be missed or assumed which can be detrimental or harmful to the productivity of a conversation. While I’ve talked a lot about communication in relation to productivity, there’s also a need for communication of one’s feelings as we are holistic being in every sense and in every space, we show up in. Being able to properly convey the way we’re feeling in a given moment is crucial background information for others (those you might be engaging with) to know. Also, it’s essential that you do your best to express what you believe or what you are feeling, but it’s equally valid to acknowledge that you might not know exactly what to say or acknowledge that your struggling to find the wording to describe what you want to say succinctly. When it comes to communication, being as honest, straightforward, and open is the key to being successful. Being receptive as well as be being confident and self-aware are all crucial parts of being an efficient communicator.
How have you developed or demonstrated this competency this semester? Questions to consider (you don’t need to answer them all!): Written Do you have a piece of writing, presented in any context, for which you are particularly proud? How would you compare your writing skills relative to your classmates? What kind of feedback have you …
