Communication

Communication University of Phoenix HCS320 Darlene McKinnon February 22, 2010 Communication Communication is the single most important tool for a successful manager. According to an article in Supervision, “All good managers are good communicators. The average manager spends 80 percent of his/her time communicating in some fashion. The breakdown of that surprisingly large percentage looks like this: 10 percent writing, 15 percent reading, 25 percent listening and 30 percent speaking.” Communication is the ability to express a point, idea, or feeling to another person. The purpose of communication is to allow ideas to flow freely. Communication is an essential part of any relationship, whether business, or personal. The following will discuss my personal experiences with verbal and nonverbal communication, communicating within a team or group, and formal written communication. Verbal versus Nonverbal Communication While discussing communication most people automatically think of conversations; however there are many ways to communicate with individuals. According to De Raffele, “Knowing how to recognize the contradiction of verbal and non-verbal communication goes a long way in effective management. Once you understand the communication cues people give off, you will become a much more effective communicator and listener.” Nonverbal communication is key when interacting with someone face to face. For me personally, I know that I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve, and although I may not even notice, I may be sending mixed signals to the receiving party. While my mind is preoccupied with whatever may have upset me ten minutes prior to our conversation my face may be telling my current recipient that I am angry or upset with whatever I am speaking to them about. This is not typically the case, and my body language and facial expressions, and sometimes even my intonation, say otherwise. This can certainly create a communication gap, and it’s something I have been working very hard at to correct. Concerning written communication it is extremely difficult to understand the intonation of what the sender is saying. This too can lead to a miscommunication. That is why in informal written communication it is acceptable to use acronyms like lol, or emoticons ;). These help to convey the tone and manner in which the sender would like for the recipient to read the text. Team and Group Communication Team and group communication can be one of the most complicated forms of communication. This is because there are several people, who think differently, trying to work together to accomplish the same task. I have found that by using patience, and keeping an open mind to other ways of accomplishing things, then communication and group projects can run more smoothly. It is also important for communication’s sake at times to take both the lead role and that of the follower. By being able to fill both roles, and recognizing when both are needed, then one can help to eliminate communication issues brought about by power struggles. Formal Written Communication I honestly do not have much “real world” formal writing experience. I suppose that the charting process would be considered formal writing, although it is not utilized by all industries. It is a specialized form of formal writing. In that regard I have been working in patient charts for over three years. In my industry this is the quintessential form of documentation, and it is critical that every element be documented properly and clearly without exception. Because we are dealing with transplantable tissues, the FDA requires certain documentation that is not required of other organizations’ charts. The QA process helps to identify errors in documentation. If errors are found within my charts I am asked to make any necessary corrections, which could be as easy as an error correction, or contacting a physician, or calling back and speaking to a donor family again via a recorded line. Conclusion Good communication does not always mean that the person receiving the information will necessarily understand it. Good communication means that if the message is not being received clearly the individuals can refocus and restate the idea in a way that is clearer for the receiving parties. Being aware of verbal and nonverbal cues that are being communicated can greatly reduce confusion and miscommunication. In addition, it is important to be sensitive to other’s ideas and be open to viewing things from their perspective. References (2004). successful communication. Supervision, 65(11), 7. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database. De Raffele Jr., F. (2000). Effective management = successful communication. Westchester County Business Journal, 39(1), 12. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.