REFLECTIVE ESSAY ON INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION INTRODUCTION Interpersonal communication is the procedure through which individual exchange or delivers their ideas, feelings, information and meaning with verbal or non verbal texts i.e. it is face to face communication. It is also the section of study that is expanded and enhanced timely with the objective of increasing the knowledge and practices. In the given essay, the first section will deal with the self reflective writing that will include diagnostic tools, communication issues and review of professional interaction. In the second section, the essay will include literature writing on the concepts and models of communication and interpersonal skills. At the end, it will give action plan that will gain understanding on knowledge, skills and behaviour. DISCUSSION 1 Diagnosis and reflection Diagnostic Tools Different diagnostic model has been developed in the competitive world to explore our communication skills and practices. The first and foremost diagnostic model is Johari Window. This model is dependent on the two basic opinions- trust of the individual can be achieved by giving the information about ourselves to other person and then learning ourselves from the feedback given by them. Through this model I have evaluated my communication styles with working in the four window panes. I have been recently appointed in the retail organisation and my colleagues did not know much about me and with this respect I have identified that my hidden areas will be large and the open area will be small for my colleagues. While my colleagues did not aware much about me, the blind spot in the pane will be also small. Whenever I got free time I spent my time on reading books and novel which is my hobby. With this evaluation I get the idea and I tried to be more communicative and talkative with my colleagues. This has assisted me to enhance my open area and thus reduce the hidden and unknown areas (Saxena, 2015). With the feedback I received that I can perform well and my real potential can be achieved with effective verbal communications with my colleagues. Communication style questionnaire has helped me in knowing my own beliefs and attitude that whether they are good or bad, my reaction to the new consequences without considering to the situation in the current job, whether I can solve the complicated problem systematically, whether I can speak directly or formally in the organisation I am working, what affects me the most at the workplace, whether my decision approach is instance or based on other alternatives as well, whether I mix up with the colleagues and many more (Cheruvelil et.al. 2014). These are some of the questions which shows that questionnaire is very useful in knowing about ourselves and from that I have conquer my weaknesses in the organisation by performing better. Assertiveness questionnaire is based on the balance or on winning. Balance answers are based on considering my own needs along with considering the needs of my colleague as well. Winning answers are based on the own best interest without considering the right or desires of others. In the job I always tried to manage my work by saying yes to every job when I really want to say no and further in the job I was not afraid to present my opinion even if I was new to my job but yes I face difficulty in listening to others which has sometimes created the contradictory situation for me (Griffin, 2013). From this diagnostic tool, I have evaluated that my scoring point is higher in passive attitude than aggressive attitude in the organisation. Manipulation and harmonious assertiveness is also are the indicator which were present at low scale in me. Findings and key communication issues From the above analysis with the help of diagnostic tool it is being identified that this tool are very much helpful to know about ourselves in the real life that how we are and how we act in different situations. There are different types of communication issues which the individual faces in their personal and moreover in professional life which can be determined through the tools above listed. Some of the issues are listening failure, cultural differences, attitude and ego, remote offices, hierarchy issues, bad written or non verbal communication, verbal communication issue and gender bias (Koprowska, 2014). In my job working at retail organisation I basically face two communications issues that were verbal speaking and lack in active listening by reaching the conclusion directly. These issues were major as it reflect and impact my work performance at workplace and contradict the decision made by me in comparison with my colleague or seniors. Professional interaction in last 12 months In the last 12 months I have made two professional interactions to overcome the issues of improper listening and improper verbal communication. The first interaction is with the team member interaction. Team members of the organisation I am working are very important as it is the retail organisation where human resource plays the active role. Team member interactions are important for me as it help in enhancing my verbal knowledge and communication with achieving the task given to me (Burnard, 2013). This interaction has helped me in planning, designing, framing, implementing and tracking my work linked with my role. Team member interaction had given the opportunity to get the work completed on time. The second interaction was with the manager or director of the organisation I am working. The professional interaction between me and manager had helped in enhancing my listening skills by which I first listens to my role and then perform my task and then reach to the conclusion. This interaction is also important as it help in determining my salary, work plan and rating. With the above two professional interaction it would further evaluated that I need more communication skills and development to explore and overcome my issues. With the above I have learn intense understanding and knowledge of creating the professional relationship along with managing the personal issues as well (Arnold & Boggs, 2015). Further the need of development in communication field is very important. 2. Literature review Communication is the procedure of sharing the information through the means of consistent flow of symbolic texts. Crucial concept in communication involves the objective for the communication, helping to understand the other parties within the context of communication and finishing the procedure with the regular follow through. All the characteristics are crucial for developing the trust within the individuals and also assuring that all the individuals involved in the process have the most suitable chance of interaction in the process that gives satisfaction. It is known fact good communication is the formation of sound management (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). Concept of communication includes characteristics, objectives and goals of communication, communication process and needs. Communication is the two way communication between the sender and receiver; it can be oral, written or gestural. It is dynamic and aims to get the desired result. Every action to the communication has one or the other objective whether that objective is to clean the dish or to persuade the interested customer to buy the product of the organisation they are working. It is essential to know that the goals must be known before initiating the communication as it helps to carry out the operation effectively as it enable to give the calculation and assessment of the objectives. Further these objectives and will identify the approaches and potential of communication. It is been noticed that entering into the communication cycle without having clear goal of the other individual perception, lower the success of communication and can result into failure. Listening is the main issue for many people even I also face this issues as the internal noise of own ideas and opinion distract with the external noise of the environment. For enhancing these interpersonal skills it is essential that to concentrates on what the other people are saying is the foremost step in increasing the respective skills (Greenaway et.al. 2015). Bringing very close to interaction via follow through is also crucial. In addition, the commitment and challenges that one will make in the process must be necessarily finished to create the trust between the parties involved. To improve the communication skills the communication process must be completed to overcome the issue of verbal communication and active listening. The process starts with receive and followed by understand, accept, use and feedback. In the organisation, communication is dependent on the organisational structure and direction. Organisational structure includes formal and informal communication while direction includes downward and upward communication. Formal communication refers to the communication which transform through the formally developed channels. It includes the single way of the communication channel that includes upward, downward, horizontal or at the same level. On the other informal communication are famous due to creation of informal relations between the same levels of management (McQuail & Windahl, 2015). This communication improves my verbal communication interpersonal skills. It is flexible, immediate, dynamic and reactive, decision making improvement and considers the basic needs of the people with their feedbacks. The communication models helps in identifying that what is important for the action of communication to take place. A model will display the main characteristics and remove the unnecessary explanation of communication. It includes the three main communication elements. The first is the individual who speaks, second the speech he gives and the third the individual who listens or hear. Basic elements of communication model includes source i.e. encoder, receiver i.e. decoder and in between that message, channel and feedback and more things are involved. The procedure remains same whether with respect to interpersonal communication or mass communication. Source or encoder is necessarily to have communication between the human. Source involves ideas, thoughts, intentions, data information and objective. This thing is carried out by the encoder who takes the responsibility for the thought of the source and then deploying them inside the code, giving the sources objective in the form of text messages. In this my communication skills is determined on the basis of two approaches i.e. the other people impact my potential to monitor my objective, my capability to say something when communication take place. The other approach is that other individual impact the potential to encode the texts which are expressed (Stacks & Salwen, 2014). The four factors considers in the source involves communication skills, attitude and behaviour, knowledge level and socio cultural system. For developing the interpersonal development skills it need to receive the information in the effective way so that verbal communication can be improved. The receiver is the most crucial connection in the communication model. It may be possible that the source information does not reach till the receiver end with the information. The receiver is the main targeting point of the communication so that positive action can be drawn. Further as per the researcher, source and receiver is to be monitored in respect of interpersonal communication skills, attitudes and behaviour, knowledge range, cultural and social system. It has been reviewed that conceptually communication includes the exchange of ideas and opinions with one another through the communication process while if behaviour it is consider it is very advantageous for the individual to change their behaviour in personal and professional skills by exploring their listening skills, getting into interactions with every level of management to enhance the assertiveness and verbal language (Erozkan, 2013). Further, communication helps in getting the higher pay scale at the job by performing in the team or individually the work assigned. Competency level is achieved at one stage with effective implementation of communication concepts and models in daily operations. 3. Action plan To acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviour to overcome the communication issues such as improper listening and verbal skills, it is necessary to develop the action plan. It includes the following activities:- Undertaking short courses: For improving the communication skill it is necessary that individual can undertake the short courses which include the duration of around 1or 2 days. Although this courses are expensive but it is very helpful in briefing and exploring the communication that helps in acquiring knowledge and understanding (Bays et.al. 2014). Example of the course is communication skills training courses, advanced communication etc. Post graduation communication courses: This course is of long duration but it is the most advantages as it helps in giving the big opportunities by getting the jobs in MNC’s. Post graduation courses are not as expensive as compare to short courses which are much expensive. This course offers the practical skills in real life by giving training and education in the big organisation as trainee. Hence, individual can plan for this course to improve his or her communication skill. Plan for conceptual knowledge: The individual can also undertake this activity as it helps in overcoming the practical issues faced in communication process. Conceptual knowledge also includes the discussion of communication process, characteristics, needs and objectives of the communication. The plan will include with identifying the purpose, designing the vision and mission objectives along with considering the different communication strategies by laying out the theoretical framework of the same (Lane, 2016). After gaining the theoretical knowledge these concepts and models are being laid down in the practical life in the real organisation. Maintaining journals: Identification of communication interactions for enhancing the business relation is also an important activity. Interactions related to the communication strategies will overcome the issues that the individual is being facing in their daily operations. Professional interaction will increase the knowledge, skills and behaviour of the individual that turn will help in solving the complex problems in their practical and personal life. This plan activity will surely achieve the useful interaction in verbal and non verbal communication both (Lin et.al.2013). This interaction can be managed in the journals diaries and books which could be further referred in future for carrying out the same study. It acts as the reference for studying to other individual also. Identification of mentor: Mentors are the people who are knowledgeable and give understanding on the relevant knowledge and skills on the communication subject. Mentor will act as senior and they have experience and knowledge on the past basis. This is the last activity which includes the determination of mentor to improve the verbal communication skills and knowledge. Table : Gantt chart Activity 1 month 2 month 3 month 4 month 5 month 6 month Undertaking short courses Post graduation communication courses Plan for conceptual knowledge Maintaining journals Identification of mentor CONCLUSION In the current scenario, the essay had given the reflection with applying the diagnostic tools along with findings the issues related to the communication skills. It had also given the reflection on the professional interaction. In the next section, the essay had given the literature review which had highlighted the communication skills, objectives, needs, characteristics, processes and practices along with highlighting the concepts and models of communications for improving the skills and issues. In the end of the section, the essay had given the action plan by considering the activities which the individual can adopt in the duration of six month for acquiring the knowledge, skills and abilities of the individuals working in collective or individual. 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