BY DAY 5
Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:
- Compare your personal areas of most/least apprehension with those of your colleague, including at least one communication tip or technique you have personally implemented that may be helpful to them.
- Find and share two specific suggestions, from appropriate professional/academic resources, that may be helpful to your colleague in reducing an area of high apprehension.
- Share a specific personal communication experience, including insights gained and lessons learned, that may be helpful to your colleague.
- Provide an insight on how a richer understanding of the communication process and its elements, as outlined in this week’s Learning Resources, can help your colleague build their confidence as a communicator.
Important Note About Discussion Rubrics: In the peer-to-peer engagement section of the Discussion, the focus of your posts and responses should be to promote quality interaction with your colleagues and Instructor, to further the dialogue on the particular topic, to deepen your mutual understanding of concepts, and to draw out new ideas. Although you are encouraged to provide support for ideas you bring in from other sources, which is appropriate for discourse within a master’s-level classroom, emphasis is placed on the quality of the engagement as noted in the Discussion rubrics, with 40% of your score based on your level of engagement in the ongoing conversation with your colleagues.
Marcelle Charlot
YesterdayMar 6 at 10:44pm
Hello Professor and hello fellow classmates,
Welcome to the first day and good luck!
In the past, I struggled immensely with public speaking. I was extremely shy and felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. This fear extended to meetings and interpersonal interactions, where I often found it challenging to speak up or express my ideas confidently. “Conveying a message to other people clearly might sound simple, but it's a process that is often fraught with error. “(Emerald Works Limited. (n.d.).)However, I recognized that improving my communication skills was essential for my personal and professional growth. I decided to take a public speaking course to address my apprehensions. Through this course, I learned valuable techniques to manage my anxiety and deliver presentations effectively. I practiced speaking in front of the class, received constructive feedback, and gradually gained confidence in my abilities.
Today, public speaking is no longer my biggest fear. “Encoding is expressed as the stage involves putting your message into a format that you can send, and that the receiver will be able to
easily understand or "decode." (Emerald Works Limited. (n.d.).) While I still get nervous, I have learned to control my anxiety and deliver presentations with confidence. This newfound confidence has had a positive impact on my work and relationships. For example, I recently took a lead in a team meeting where I knew ideas and different challenges amongst products. I was able to articulate my thoughts clearly, engage my team, and garner support for my proposal. Despite my progress, I still struggle with interpersonal communication at times. I find it challenging to assert myself in discussions and often avoid conflict, which can hinder my ability to address issues directly and build strong working relationships.
Reducing my overall communication apprehension would make me a better leader and manager by enabling me to communicate more effectively with my team. I would be able to express my expectations clearly, provide constructive feedback, and resolve conflicts in a more proactive manner.
YesterdayMar 6 at 9:43pm
Leadership and management thrive on effective communication. Understanding my communication apprehension levels allows me to harness my strengths and address my weaknesses in this domain.
My area of least apprehension is group discussions, where I scored a 9. This strength is invaluable in my work because group discussions often serve as a crucible for team decision-making and problem-solving. For example, during team projects, I am at ease facilitating conversations, encouraging participation, and mediating differences. This not only aids in arriving at well-rounded decisions but also in building rapport among team members, fostering a collaborative work environment (Emerald Works Limited, n.d.).
In contrast, I am most apprehensive about public speaking and interpersonal interactions, both scoring a 13. This apprehension can hinder effective leadership and management. For instance, my discomfort with public speaking may lead me to avoid opportunities to present my team's work to a broader audience, potentially limiting our visibility and recognition (Munter, 2001). Similarly, my interpersonal communication apprehension might hinder me from engaging in one-to-one conversations with my team members, which can be crucial for understanding their individual concerns and providing personalized support (Finn, K., 2020).
Reducing my overall communication apprehension, particularly in interpersonal and public speaking contexts, would significantly enhance my leadership capabilities. By becoming more comfortable in one-to-one situations, I would be better positioned to mentor and guide my team members effectively (Finn, K., 2020). As for public speaking, gaining confidence would allow me to represent and advocate for my team's interests more powerfully, thereby contributing to our collective success (LaMarco, N., 2018).
While my ease with group discussions is a clear asset, I recognize the importance of developing my interpersonal and public speaking skills. I am committed to leveraging my strengths while also engaging in targeted practice to overcome my apprehensions, with the aim of becoming a more well-rounded leader and manager.