Module 1: Communicating Effectively with Others and Providing Feedback

After completing this module, I am starting to understand the complexity of communication and
how it will continue to be a significant factor in my professional success as I emerge into the working
world. There are multiple dimensions to consider, whether it is which mediums of communication are
appropriate, how to solicit feedback, or how to communicate with others while focusing on cultural and
seniority differences. This past summer I interned with a branch of Bank of American Merrill Lynch,
where I not only communicated with different levels of management, but I also communicated with
contracted clients. I had to be aware of not only how I communicated verbally, but also how I reacted,
especially in terms of body language, to their responses and feedback. As the article Fear of Feedback
suggests, sometimes identifying your own emotions and reactions to responses can be difficult. Although,
I seemed to receive positive feedback regarding my interaction with others, a tactic that I couldve used to
maximize my awareness is to get support from the lower level employees that I worked with day to day.
This way I could have more actively monitored my communication style and refined it based on with
whom I was talking.
During the C-Suite activity, I became aware that I am not very comfortable with being direct,
although I prefer being communicated to in a direct manner. I associate myself being direct with me being
confrontational; although these terms are not synonymous, as I have learned. As I think deeper as to why
this might be, I attribute it to my upbringing and how I was taught to communicate with seniority,
combined with growing up in a Southern culture. I grew up thinking that being agreeable rather than
being expressive was more important, and to generalize, many adults in the South associate directness
with abrasiveness. However, majority of people prefer direct communication because it provides clarity
and so this is a communication style that I should embrace more often.
As I will be soon entering into the professional world, communication will be a critical tool in
determining my success in my career. I will be an entry level employee and will be most likely
communicating upwards majority of the time. Skills that I should consider when communicating with
managers are reporting in headlines rather than paragraphs and also to prepare an agenda because clarity
and brevity will be appreciated since their time is limited. Because I am a more indirect communicator
this may be a little bit of a challenge for me, but it can be a point for me on which to build. Another skill
that will be key as a new employee is the ability to reframe feedback into a positive light. As reference in
our class discussion, people who are high achievers take feedback more personally. I consider myself a
high achiever and need to realize that when I do get feedback, all I am really getting are suggestions that
can improve my performance and enable me to become a more malleable employee.
In addition to being able to redirect feedback, I also need to ensure that I am actually getting the
feedback that I need to be a valued employee. In my group in Bank of American Merrill Lynch, we
communicate with and present to customers all the time. I am a direct representation of my group and
want to know that I am communicating in way that aligns with my managers expectations. The more
communication there is between me and my managers the more that I can align myself with not only their
values, but the overall organizations. There are many implications involved with communication in a
professional environment, such as choosing whether to email versus orally communicate or even whether
I should be more nostalgic or forward looking depending on with whom I am communicating. The more
that I can become aware of my communication style and how I react to others communications styles, the
more efficient and productive I can become.