Blog 2: Final Reflections
Completion of my ePortfolio throughout COMM 351 has improved my professional presence in a number of ways. As you know, I am a communications major and one of the most important skills in the industry is writing. I am much more comfortable with my writing now than I was when I first created this ePortfolio one year ago. Through the various course projects and blog posts I feel as though I have developed a good base of creative writing skills but I would still like to continue to practice. What I like most about my portfolio are the course projects and writing samples. Last year, I would have said that my favorite part was the layout or design because I was not confident in my writing ability. I am very proud of my ePortfolio and am excited to continue adding to and curating my page as I finish up my degree next semester and progress into my professional career.
My favorite course project this semester was the Whitepage where I addressed the issue of organizational conflict management. This was a fun project for me because I could relate what I was researching to my personal work experiences. Studying the various forms of conflict management is one thing, but getting the chance to apply it to an example of a real world situation made it so much more interesting and easier to understand. One of the most prominent things that stood out to me was something that Mike Myatt of Forbes said, “The root of most conflict is either born out of poor communication or the inability to control one’s emotions.” Effective and clear communication is key to conflict management. Researching and writing about the different conflict management styles gave me a new appreciation for management in the workplace. As I am a new management myself, I hope to be able to apply what I have learned to be more understanding of conflicts and address them in an efficient manner. Conflict is always present however, it should not be looked upon as a negative but should be viewed as an opportunity for growth.
For me, the most challenging part of the ePortfolio was getting started. It can be overwhelming to look at a blank canvas and have so many ideas of how you want your page to look and not know where to start. My advice to future students is to really take the time to plan out your vision. Do not wait until the day the project is due to start designing your page. Trail and error is necessary to find what you really want. The first time I used an ePortfolio for a class I waited until the day before the first assignment was due and rushed to create my page. The layout was boring, the colors were bland, and my creativity was lacking. Don't be like me! I started working on my page design weeks before the class started because I knew from past experience that it would take some time. Now I have a portfolio that I am proud of.
Outstanding communication skills are imperitive to our personal and professional lives. Effective communication is important for the development of both personal relationships and organizational relationships.
Organizational communication is the sending and receiving of messages among interrelated individuals within a particular environment or setting to achieve individual and common goals. Organizational communication is highly contextual and culturally dependent.
Communication is a major function of management. It also helps to control the process of management. Communication allows managers to know about the grievances of the employees and helps the employees to know about the policies of the organization. Through communication, verbal or non-verbal, that people submit different feedback and requirements to the management. Messages sent and received within the places people work develops professional interpersonal relationships based on ones own communication skills. Interpersonal communication directly effects organizational communication. Executives spend 65% to 90% of the working day listening to someone ( Interpersonal Communications, Module 4). It is important for someone to develop the right skills in order to communicate effectively with others.
Ethical communication can cultivate an inclusive work environment by demonstrating credibility and builds trust within the group. Organizations practicing a code of ethics create an ethical organizational culture. The management team of a business can create an ethical culture by practicing the type of behavior they wish to see in employees. Ethical behavior can be reinforced by rewarding employees who exhibit the values and integrity of the company code of ethics or disciplining those employees who make the wrong choice.
My knowledge of communication is much more encompassing than it was when I began this course. I have learned the process of communication, what can hinder communication, and the different forms in which we all communicate.
