face to face communication

face to face communication

Communication is an integral aspect of our everyday lives, most notably now in an era where the world has become a global village. In today’s world, people are communicating more through online channels, for example, social media platforms, messaging, and video calls. However, this kind of communication has been at the expense of face to face dialogue whereby people prefer virtual interactions over real-life conversations. This paper will focus on face to face communication, what the process entails, focusing on intricacies like active listening, verbal and non-verbal communication cues, self and perception, noting how it boosts the achievement of either personal or professional relationships.

In module one, the chapter focuses on the communication process. Communication is defined as a process in which messages are conveyed from one person to another. The process involves a sender, a message, and a recipient. Discussions can take place through the use of different modalities, using various channels, and can happen in different locations or contexts. During this module, I have learned on reasons for communicating, such as maintaining relationships, which is essential when creating goals or objectives when coming up with a message to convey.

Similarly, I have learned to craft my messages depending on the type of communication I am dealing with, for example, small group or public communication. When handling a small group communication, the message content can vary from several topics; unlike when handling public communication, the message should have a specific purpose for the audience targeted. Additionally, appropriateness, effectiveness, and ethics are essential when communicating a particular word, which I have learned is achieved through self-monitoring. Communication is a connection tool as such, which I have learned to use it as a primary vehicle not only to connect emotionally but also to build both personal and professional relationships.

The nature of self is an important aspect when communication as it shapes how we convey a message with other people. Self comprises three components; self-awareness, which allows one to view your uniqueness as an individual, social-comparison, which involves the examination of other’s behavior and critical self-reflection, which is a crucial tool for evaluating areas of self-improvement when communicating. i have learned to incorporate these essential tools in everyday life when talking. For example, self-awareness will allow for reevaluation and assessment of what unique message I can convey to people. Similarly, I will apply the critical self-reflection tool to analyze areas I should improve when formulating the message and how to express it to ensure it is well delivered effectively. The chapter elaborates that when communicating, it is vital to present yourself well to avoid losing face. I have learned that the self you present yo the public is essential when talking. When communicating, it is crucial to give a positive self rather than being phony, which can not only cause humiliation but also can result in failed communication. When communicating, it is vital to align the message in a three-step process of selection, organization, and interpretation for effective communication. This process aligns words quickly in a manner that an audience can easily understand. The halo and horn effect is essential when communicating as it helps in judging how people are reacting to your message. These tools are crucial when speaking to a public group as it helps in deciding whether the message conveyed is receiving either positive or negative feedback.

Verbal communication is vital when interacting with other people to convey a particular message. It involves the use of language and can either be spoken or written. Understanding the four defining features of the language is essential as it will help when formulating messages as they provide clear guidelines on the nature of language. First, by understanding that language is rule-governed will guide me when writing and speaking to ensure that I define the meaning of words correctly and learn to control how I use my language. Secondly, by understanding that language is symbolic will help when communicating by using words to represent ideas, objects to convey my message effectively. Understanding the various meanings in languages and the variations in dialect will help in shaping my key messages to avoid miscommunication.

Grice’s cooperative principle is a crucial tool in verbal communication skills. The principle, founded on honesty and informative, is a necessary guiding tool, as it will help me come up with information that is both appropriate and straightforward, a characteristic of competent communication. Additionally, I will incorporate its guidelines of relevance and use of precise language in my work to avoid misunderstanding during a conversation. I have learned on some of the challenges faced while using verbal communication, for instance, sexist, homophobic, or racist language, which I will avoid using, especially in today’s world, where we are living in a global village. Conclusively, I have noted it is vital to abstain also from communicating messages that intentionally ruin reputations as it can cause irreparable harm and, in some cases, result in legal charges.

On the other hand, nonverbal communication involves the use of unspoken behavioral cues when communicating. Even though it blends well with verbal communication, it tends to convey more meaning than verbal in a given message. By learning of congruent and incongruent messages, I will always ensure that both verbal and non-verbal communication is in harmony to ensure my messages do not send mixed signals. I will incorporate more nonverbal cues, for instance, eye contact and facial expressions when having direct conversations as this will not only give more spotlight to the verbal messages but will also enhance its meaning. Also, when communicating, I will incorporate tonal variation, pausing in my sentences, and check on my speech rate to ensure that I keep my audience engaged and to convey my feelings accurately.

The process of listening is fundamental when having a conversation. Nevertheless, few people have mastered the art of active listening. It is a process that entails hearing, understanding the meaning of words communicated, and interpreting the message conveyed correctly. I have learned that to be an efficient active listener, one has to go through three processes; evaluation, remembrance, and responding. When engaging in dialogues, I will incorporate the three to achieve optimum active listening, allowing efficient communication to take place. I will use more positive feedback when engaging in conversations, such as maintaining eye contact with the speaker rather than turning my body away from the speaker, which is negative feedback and potentially kills the speaker’s morale.

Similarly, by learning the different reasons for listening, it will significantly shape how I listen to different messages being conveyed by a speaker. For instance, to fully comprehend a message, I have learned to avoid multitasking as it shifts attention between many things resulting in miscommunication. Listening styles are categorized into four groups, people-oriented, content-oriented, time-oriented, and action-oriented. By identifying my listening style, content-oriented listener, it helps me narrow down to the conversations I can engage in, such as ones that challenge me intellectually. From the chapter, I have learned that being an excellent communicator is essential, but also being an active listener is of considerable significance as well.

In conclusion, communication is an integral part of today’s world. Face to face communication is vital, especially in times where faceless conversations have become common. However, for successful communication to take place, one must learn to be not only a good communicator but also an active listener. Similarly, the use of nonverbal cues during verbal communication has a significant impact as it adds to the meaning of a message; thus, I will integrate the two while communicating. Additionally, self-awareness and critical self-reflection are vital tools in communication, as they provide gaps for where there is a need for improvement. Communication is an imperative aspect of our lives; I have learned that it is crucial to be well conversant with all its aspects to avoid misinterpretation of messages, to become an efficient orator, and a great listener.