To most people, communication is something that we do not
think twice about before carrying it out. After all, we have been doing it
since we were born. But what most of us are not aware of is how important effective communication is, and how difficult it is to
achieve. In class, we have mostly explored the personal arena, therefore I
would like to focus on the importance of effective communication in the
workplace.
In the past, it used to be enough for employees to just be
equipped with the technical know-how, but now as jobs are becoming more complex
and employees start working in teams to take on projects together, more
employers seek applicants with communication as well as technical skills. An
engineer in the past need only know enough to build a house that will not collapse,
but now he has to ask his client about his taste and preferences, work with the
architect to make the design structurally sound, and motivate his workers to
finish work on schedule. All of the above job requirements involve not only
technical knowledge, but also effective communication skills.
The truth is, in the modern world, communication skills are
an unwritten requirement in the workplace. Even in our first job, information
would have to be read, we would have to listen to instructions, questions would
be asked, and we would solve problems with other workers in teams. In any
company, secretaries would have to take down phone messages, employees would
have to make boardroom presentations and listen to meetings and bosses have to
give instructions. It is of little wonder, then, that communication ability
often ranks first among the qualities that employers look for in graduate
applicants.
What do others think of us? This, I’m sure, is something we
want to be positive (as we agreed during class, everyone wants to be liked). Our
identities (both personal and professionally) are largely determined by what we
say (ie. verbal) and do (nonverbal communication) and in turn, our identities determine
how much power we have to influence others and outcomes. In order to develop
positive identities, it is vital to understand the roles that verbal and nonverbal
communication play in how others perceive us. Only when we are more conscious
of our overall verbal and nonverbal impact, we can then monitor our behavior, choose
strategies for improving our image, and thus develop our identities.
