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"Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy, and mutual valuing."
Rollo May Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important life skills to learn. Communication is defined as transferring information to produce greater understanding. It can be done vocally (through verbal exchanges), through written media (books, websites, and magazines), visually (using graphs, charts, and maps), or non-verbally (body language, gestures, pitch of voice, and tone). All of these means of communication are essential Soft Skills that are vital for a successful Career. Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person, or group to another. Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a message, and a recipient. This may sound simple, but communication is a very complex subject. The transmission of the message from sender to recipient can be affected by a huge range of things. These include our emotions, the cultural situation, the medium used to communicate, and even our location. The complexity is why good communication skills are considered so desirable by employers around the world: accurate, effective and unambiguous communication is extremely hard. The Importance of Communication Skills "If you just communicate, you can get by. But if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracle." Jim Rohn Having strong communication skills aids in all aspects of life – from professional to personal and everything that falls in between. From a business standpoint, all transactions result from communication. Good communication skills are essential to allow others and yourself to understand information more accurately and quickly. In contrast, poor communication skills lead to frequent misunderstandings and frustration. In a 2016 LinkedIn survey conducted in the United States, communication topped the list of the most sought-after soft skills among employers. Effective Communication is significant for management in the organizations also to perform the basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling. Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities, it serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the managers who in turn must communicate the plans to implement them. Organizing also requires effective communication with others about their job task. Similarly, leaders must communicate effectively with their subordinates to achieve the team goals. Tasks control is not possible without written and oral communication. The importance of communication in an organization can be as follows:
Listening- the most crucial part of communication Communication can be divided into two parts: listening and dialogue, which complement each other. They both play an important role in communication and must coexist to form a good one. Some believe that if someone only listens and does not speak, that person did not engage, causing the speaker to feel unappreciated. On the other hand, if someone only talks but does not listen, he will not receive others' messages and will not understand what they are thinking, making it impossible for him to respond appropriately and sophisticatedly. Therefore, if the two aspects do not coexist, the meaning of communication will not be achieved. Listening or dialogue will become meaningless. Listening is a process that needs receiving, comprehending, evaluating, and responding to voice messages and emotions, and it requires the use of all senses. Many people neglect the importance of listening and will only rush to speak without paying attention to what others share. It is essential in effective communication because communication is a two-sided exchange. One can bring their insights and reflect on what they can improve and progress by listening to others. In addition, listening can encourage others to express their thoughts, allowing us to gain a better understanding of others' inner thoughts. It will also entice others to communicate with you further. How to improve communication skills There are specific things to do that can improve your communication skills: Practice active listening: We sometimes forget that communication is more than just saying our piece when it is actually about effectively listening to the other person. Engage with what people say by giving affirmative replies and asking follow-up questions. The person speaking to you should be the most important at that moment. It is essential to know who you are speaking with: Effective communicators tailor their message to the person to whom they are speaking. You cannot assume that the other person understands everything you say. So, keep the other person in mind when trying to convey your message. Concentrate on nonverbal communication: Understanding nonverbal cues and signals can help you avoid miscommunication and signal interest to those around you. Pay attention to your facial expressions and body language. Your nonverbal cues influence the first impression you make on someone. When meeting someone for the first time, maintaining eye contact, limiting hand gestures, and having good posture go a long way. But also pay attention to the other person: folded arms in front of a person may indicate defensive or closed off. Lack of eye contact may indicate that they are uninterested in what you're saying, are embarrassed about something, or find it difficult to discuss something. Be succinct while remaining specific: Practice being brief yet straightforward enough in your written and verbal communication so that the other person understands what you're trying to say. Also, when responding to an email, make sure you read the entire message before writing your response. You will learn not to ramble or provide excessive information with enough practice. Practice your public speaking skills: Although public speaking can be intimidating, there is no better way to develop good communication skills than to seek out public speaking opportunities. Great communicators can express their emotions clearly, whether speaking in front of a large group or one-on-one with another person. Speaking in front of a group regularly will highlight your strengths and weaknesses and force you to develop excellent communication skills. Make a list of everything: Take notes while talking to someone else or during a meeting, and don't rely on your memory. Send a follow-up email to ensure you comprehended what was said during the conversation. Take a moment to reflect before speaking: Always pause before speaking, and never say the first thing that comes to mind. Take a moment to think about what you're saying and how you're saying it. This one habit will save you from embarrassment. Everyone should be treated equally: Treat everyone with respect and don't talk down to them. Treat others as equals. You don't have to like or agree with someone's ideas, values, or opinions to communicate effectively with them. To fully understand them, you must set aside your judgment and refrain from blaming or criticizing them. When the most challenging communication is successfully executed, it can frequently lead to an unexpected connection with someone. Keep a positive attitude and a smile on your face: Even if you're on the phone, smile because your positive attitude will come across, and the other person will notice. People will respond positively to you if you smile frequently and exude a positive attitude. Create a filter: Effective communicators typically have well-developed social skills and can modulate how they express their thoughts and feelings to those around them. Understand what is appropriate to communicate in various interpersonal contexts. Creating a filter will help you supplement other communication techniques, maintain a certain level of decorum, and avoid conflict in the workplace. Request feedback: Asking your coworkers or subordinates for feedback on how to improve your communication skills can help you better understand how you come across in the workplace. If there appears to be a misunderstanding, consider paraphrasing what has been said. "What I'm hearing" or "Sounds like you're saying" are excellent ways to reflect. Express how the speaker's words have affected you. Ask clarifying questions, such as "What do you mean when you say..." or "Is this what you mean?" Be open and honest: Being open means discussing essential issues that are important to you, both positive and negative. It entails being open and vulnerable, exposing yourself to potential hurt and disappointment. Avoid interrupting the conversation or attempting to redirect it to your concerns: "If you think that's bad, let me tell you what happened to me," for instance. Waiting for your turn to speak is not the same as listening, and you can't focus on what someone else is saying if you're thinking about what you're going to say next. Often, the speaker can read your facial expressions and know that your mind’s elsewhere. Digital communications: the panacea we've all been looking for? Living in our era it seems only fare to mention digital communication as well, since it has become our main channel of communication on a daily basis. But is it the same as talking face-to-face? What are the down sides of this change? What Exactly Is Digital Communication? Digital communication is the most effective form of communication nowadays via voice or video, with screen sharing. It is a process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with others at a particular time and place with the aid of digital devices like cell phones, computers, and similar electronic devices. Before the advent of modern technology, people had to write a letter and send it by post, what involved fees. Besides, the letter took some time to get delivered by the postman and the news written weren’t news anymore. Nowadays, digital communications had broadened our horizons like never before and changed how we relate. It allows us to connect instantly with more people. Applications such as Whatsapp, Skype, Facebook, Instagram, and so on, allow people who live far apart to keep in touch with their family members, friends, and loved ones regardless of distance. Why should we still need to learn face-to-face communication today when social media is developing so rapidly? Face-to-face communication between people in today's society has gradually decreased due to the increasingly developed Internet and the emergence of social software. Personal development is hampered by a lack of practical communication, regardless of age or gender. As a result, many people nowadays are afraid of social interaction, particularly face-to-face communication, making them more lonely. Then it turns into a vicious circle. Some of them complain that they have thousands of friends on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, but none of them can freely and comfortably communicate with them. Most of them are overly reliant on social networking and lack communication skills, causing society to become cold in this modernization. As a result, we must improve our communication skills to foster a welcoming community.
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What is SCoCA?The Standing Committee on Career Attributes (SCoCA) aims to complement veterinary education with opportunities to improve career attributes, aiming a successful future career in veterinary medicine for all veterinary students around the world. Archives
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