Research Assessment #4

Date: October 8, 2019

Subject: Cardiology - Communication skills

MLA Citation:

Doyle, Alison. “These Are the Communication Skills Employers Look for in

Employees.” The Balance Careers, The Balance Careers, 5 Oct. 2019,

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/communication-skills-list-2063779.

Analysis:

Communication skills, especially in today’s world, are critical to achieving success.

Especially in such an advanced world that has made communication easier every day, it is

important to be precise and clear when communicating with others, especially in the

professional world. Many professionals in today’s world view my generation as one that lacks

proper communication skills. With the development of texting, the rise in the use of slang and

acronyms has caused a decrease in the overall effectiveness of communication. The frequency

of face-to-face communication has constantly decreased over time, as social media is becoming

the dominant way of communication. This would eventually lead to the loss of proper

communication skills that are essential in the professional world. However, it is important to

evince to this generation how important communication skills will be not only in the future, but

currently. Something that is shared in common across all industries, is the ability to effectively

communicate. This quality is something that sets one apart from others. Superiors tend to

observe small things such as communication, as it is vital to the success of the industry you will

be playing a role within. Although the idea of communication seems minuscule, the results could

be impacted in a substantial way.

In this article written by Alison Doyle, there are 10 tips that will allow you to develop

effective communication skills. The first is to listen. Listening, no matter what the setting or

circumstance may be, listening helps you in many ways. First, it shows the person you are
conversing with, that what they are saying is important to you. Secondly, listening will obviously

benefit you in the long run, as you will be able to retain the information one gives to you.

Secondly, it is also important to have effective nonverbal communication. Elements of

nonverbal communication include body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and your tone of

voice. Being relaxed and having a friendly tone will portray you as an approachable person. It is

also important to have confidence in yourself, and to make eye contact with the person you are

talking to. Eye contact shows that you are paying attention, as you don’t want the person you

are talking to seem unimportant. Moreover, being clear and concise, Is something that is

important. Talking too much, or talking too little will hurt your chances at a good first impression.

Conveying your message in the most direct and shortest way possible proves effective in the

workplace. Also, something as slight as being friendly, proves to have a large upside. This

permits coworkers or bosses to build an open and honest relationship with you. It is important to

be nice and polite at all times in order to construct a basis for a positive relationship.

Confidence is key to success as well. Being confident shows belief in your work, as well as

creates a trustworthy environment with coworkers. Being empathic towards coworkers and

bosses proves to increase their reliability on you, and works to create a friendly, productive

relationship with each other. In addition, having an open-minded personality allows for avoiding

disagreements, as will give you the ability to understand the other point of view. Being flexible in

this sense is crucial to success in the workplace. The eighth tip on the list is to have respect for

your coworkers and other people you may work with. This will allow coworkers to be more open

with you, and allows for constant communication. No one wants to work with someone who is

disrespectful. Giving feedback is also a key attribute in being a successful communicator.

Feedback can be positive or negative. Positive feedback motivates people to continue to work

hard, rather than going unnoticed. On the other hand, negative feedback doesn’t have to be in

the sense that you are doing your work wrong, rather an opportunity to grow as a person and

become more productive in your work. Finally, it is important to pick the right medium. It is
important to know what type of communication to use in certain scenarios, whether its a face-to-

face meeting, a phone call, or email. This adaptivity helps you communicate with your

coworkers in the long run.

These ten tips are tips I can use to grow as a person and would help me smooth my

transition into the professional world. Listening is something I have acquired over my constant

interaction with others. I believe it is crucial to listen, as I can show that I am paying attention

and benefit from the information I am given. In places such as work, my nonverbal

communication is critical. When I am speaking to customers, having the correct posture, facial

expressions and hand gestures are important. This will make the customers feel as if I am ready

to help them and will make the process that much more effective. Although it is something I

struggle with, I have worked to take steps to improve my concision and clarity. While I may tend

to add extra information, I found it beneficial to get straight to the point using the least words as

possible. Moreover, I am able to communicate with others in a friendly tone. Small

characteristics such as smiling will allow others to be open and honest with me. I also make

sure that I portray confidence when I am talking with others. Speaking with confidence will give

other people the sense that I know what I am talking about. Adding emotion into your

communication, such as empathy, has allowed me to become relatable when I am talking to

others. Understanding their point of view allows them to share more information with me. Being

open minded also ties into the previous point of understanding the other’s point of view. This will

lead to less disagreements with in the workplace. I always like to consider what the other

person’s reasons are for their position in a debate. Having respect for others is also crucial.

Because no one likes to work with people who are disrespectful, being respectful will create an

honest and open relationship with myself and whoever I may be talking to. Something I like to

do is get feedback from people who I may be working with. Feedback will allow me to fix what I

am doing wrong, and continue to do what I am doing right. Through this, I can grow as a person

and make sure that I will not commit the same errors again. Finally, I have gained enough
experience to know the types of communication I should use based on the situation. If I need to

speak to a doctor, knowing that they might be busy may give me the option to send them an

email, or leave a voicemail. These tips are something I incorporate in my daily life, as well as

are points I will focus on developing in the future.

The fact that all these tips I read about are so subtle, but heavily impactful, stood out to

me. Being able to incorporate these traits into my communication with people, whether they may

be parents, relatives, or friends, proves to have different results. Because speaking with people

you know is a different scenario than speaking with professionals, I also incorporated these tips

into business symposium, and phone conversations with professionals. The responses I

received were different than the responses I would hear from others, all because of the slight

changes I would make in my communication style. This was something I found to be surprising,

as I realized how effective things like having the right facial expression and being confident, play

in being an effective communicator. This has led me to ask questions such as “How does diction

play a role in effective communication?” and “In what ways does being an effective

communicator set you apart from others?” In the future, I hope to be able to answer these

questions through my own research and experience.

In the end, being able to communicate effectively is crucial towards the success you will

have in the future. The traits of communication may be subtle, however the results are always

impactful. The information presented in the article has allowed me to build relationships with

professionals through my effective communication skills. Without communication skills there

may be large consequences. Unfinished projects, errors, and misunderstandings may occur that

only waste time. This will limit the amount of success you have. As a characteristic that most

people lack, having communication skills is something that bosses and coworkers look for and

recognize. This skill will lead you to success, and will be a defining characteristic within you. In

the future, I hope that my communication skills will guide me on my path to success. Through

ISM, I hope to develop this skill, as it will prove effective in the workplace.
Article Transcript:
**Annotations will be marked in blue font**

Communication Skills for Workplace

Success
Employers Look For These Communication Skills
BY ALISON DOYLE Updated October 05, 2019

The ability to communicate effectively with superiors, colleagues, and staff is essential,
no matter what industry you work in. This shows the relatability among the different
industries and how communication plays a role in all of them. This shows that
this article is for everyone to read and learn from. Workers in the digital age must
know how to effectively convey and receive messages in person as well as via phone,
email, and social media. Good communication skills will help you get hired, land
promotions, and be a success throughout your career.

Top 10 Communication Skills

Want to stand out from the competition? This question attracts the reader. Everyone
wants to stand out from the crowd and be unique. This article is offering a
solution for just that. These are the top 10 communication skills that recruiters and
hiring managers want to see in your resume and cover letter. Highlight these skills and
demonstrate them during job interviews, and you’ll make a solid first impression.
Continue to develop these skills once you’re hired, and you’ll impress your boss,
teammates, and clients.

1. Listening
Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a good communicator. No one likes
communicating with someone who cares only about putting in her two cents and does
not take the time to listen to the other person. Listening to others and paying
attention proves effective, as they will appreciate you and will be more open. If
you're not a good listener, it's going to be hard to comprehend what you're being asked
to do.

Take the time to practice active listening. Active listening involves paying close attention
to what the other person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and rephrasing what the
person says to ensure understanding ("So, what you're saying is…"). Through active
listening, you can better understand what the other person is trying to say, and can
respond appropriately.

2. Nonverbal Communication

Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone of voice all color the
message you are trying to convey. Having all these traits may seem subtle, but play
a big role in the long run, as the results will be very different. A relaxed, open
stance (arms open, legs relaxed), and a friendly tone will make you appear
approachable and will encourage others to speak openly with you.

Eye contact is also important; you want to look the person in the eye to demonstrate
that you are focused on them and the conversation (however, be sure not to stare at the
person, which can make him or her uncomfortable).

Also, pay attention to other people's nonverbal signals while you are talking. Often,
nonverbal signals convey how a person is really feeling. For example, if the person is
not looking you in the eye, he or she might be uncomfortable or hiding the truth.

3. Clarity and Concision

Good verbal communication means saying just enough – don’t talk too much or too
little. Try to convey your message in as few words as possible. Being concise will
keep the person you are talking to interested in what you have to say. This will
make it easier to sell your point. Say what you want clearly and directly, whether
you're speaking to someone in person, on the phone, or via email. If you ramble on,
your listener will either tune you out or will be unsure of exactly what you want.

4. Friendliness

Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a smile, you will encourage your
coworkers to engage in open and honest communication with you. Having an open
and honest relationship with others is always beneficial. It never hurts to gain
more information, and will give you contacts to keep in touch with if you’re ever
in trouble. It's important to be nice and polite in all your workplace communications.
This is important in both face-to-face and written communication. When you can,
personalize your emails to coworkers and/or employees – a quick "I hope you all had a
good weekend" at the start of an email can personalize a message and make the
recipient feel more appreciated.

5. Confidence

It is important to be confident in your interactions with others. Confidence shows your

coworkers that you believe in what you’re saying and will follow through. Having
confidence changes your overall tone. It gives the other person the idea that you
know what you are talking about, therefore they will be more interested. Exuding
confidence can be as simple as making eye contact or using a firm but friendly tone.
Avoid making statements sound like questions. Of course, be careful not to sound
arrogant or aggressive. Be sure you are always listening to and empathizing with the
other person.
6. Empathy

Using phrases as simple as "I understand where you are coming from" demonstrate that
you have been listening to the other person and respect their opinions. Adding
emotion to your conversations also develops relatability among your workers.
This is always beneficial and will lead to more open and honest communication
with others.

7. Open-Mindedness

A good communicator should enter into any conversation with a flexible, open mind. Be
open to listening to and understanding the other person's point of view, rather than
simply getting your message across. By being willing to enter into a dialogue, even with
people with whom you disagree, you will be able to have more honest, productive
conversations. Understanding someone else’s point of view will lead to less
disagreements. Entering into an altercation is unproductive and slows your day
down.

8. Respect

People will be more open to communicating with you if you convey respect for them and
their ideas. It is crucial to be respectful. Being respectful will give you more
opportunities to talk with others, compared to people who are disrespectful and
lose contacts. Simple actions like using a person's name, making eye contact, and
actively listening when a person speaks will make the person feel appreciated. On the
phone, avoid distractions and stay focused on the conversation.

Convey respect through email by taking the time to edit your message. If you send a
sloppily written, confusing email, the recipient will think that you do not respect her
enough to think through your communication with her.
9. Feedback

Being able to appropriately give and receive feedback is an important communication

skill. Managers and supervisors should continuously look for ways to provide employees
with constructive feedback, be it through email, phone calls, or weekly status updates.

Similarly, you should be able to accept and even encourage, feedback from others.
Listen to the feedback you are given, ask clarifying questions if you are unsure of the
issue, and make efforts to implement the feedback. Positive feedback is a motivating
factor, and will allow you to continue your hard work. Being able to give feedback
will help people grow.

10. Picking the Right Medium

An important communication skill is to simply know what form of communication to use.

For example, some serious conversations (layoffs, resignation, changes in salary, etc.)
are almost always best done in person.

You should also think about the person with whom you wish to speak, if they are a very
busy person (such as your boss, perhaps), you might want to convey your message
through email. Choosing the right form of communication will help you get a
response quicker, and allows people to develop a sense of appreciation for you.
People will appreciate your thoughtful means of communication and will be more likely
to respond positively to you.