I found a lot of connections to the concepts presented in this week’s
readings and my experiences. First, working for a hospital system
came with a whole range of communication issues. Working for a
hospital means you work with people of all different backgrounds,
educations, and experiences. This leaves opportunity for
miscommunication to be extremely likely, as I learned. However, this
also helped me learn that I must embrace communication and
engaging in conversations to ensure I fully understand the
information being presented to me in order to do my job to the best
of my ability. As the text discussed, being able to engage in and not
back away from difficult conversations will improve one’s
performance and the performance of one’s company, and it is
important to see conflicts as an opportunity (Cardon, 2021).
I previously worked in the emergency department of a busy hospital.
I have a degree in social work and I worked for a grant screening
patient for social determinants of health: Housing/homelessness,
food, domestic violence, transportation, etc. I would engage with
doctors, nurses, pharmacy technicians, and various other staff on a
regular basis. There were constantly issues with jargon, such as
acronyms and specialized language pertaining to different fields
(Wien claw, 2021). Doctors would use language that someone
without medically training would likely not understand or struggle to
understand. This was often a frustrating experience when trying to
discuss a patient and they would use language that made it difficult
for me to understand and I would have to ask for clarification, which
often frustrated medical staff and gave off the impression they were
too busy to take time to explain what they were saying in layman's
terms. This would then lead to me and other employees getting
frustrated with communication with certain medical staff.
Differences in educational training and jargon were major barriers to
communication while working in the hospital.
One of the most important skills to improving communication is
active listening (Wien claw, 2021). I feel fortunate that in my social
work program active listening was constantly a topic and skills
discussed. This is now I believe one of my greatest skills, which has
helped me a lot in my career working with patients but also
coworkers. I currently work with clients who are going through many
difficult circumstances, such as homelessness and hunger. Sometimes
my conversation with a client may last an hour as they tell me
everything that is going on. Active listening is important because it
also helps show the other person that I am truly listening, engaged,
and not just hearing the words they are saying but digesting and
understanding what they are saying. Not being engaged and actively
listening may give the other person the impression that you do not
care what they have to say. I have seen first-hand how active
listening helps prevent barriers in communication.
Interpersonal communication refers to exchanging information,
ideas, and feelings between two or more individuals through verbal
and nonverbal means. It is a fundamental aspect of human
interaction and an essential component of daily life. Interpersonal
communication can occur in various settings, including personal
relationships, professional settings, and social situations. Poor
interpersonal communication can lead to misunderstandings,
conflicts, and reduced productivity.
After reading the article, Communications in the Workplace, many
terms, and concepts resonated with me and my own experiences in
the workplace. I recall working for a mental health facility where the
Medical Director/CEO needed more active listening skills. For a
while, I was surprised by this considering owning a business; it would
be beneficial to receive feedback. He would host meetings to discuss
complex cases with providers and speak the entire time, not allowing
them to express their concerns or ask questions. It got to the point
where the providers were fed up and would send me their questions
to ask him directly. The questions and concerns were all important
and could be a liability for the company if mishandled. He would also
host Monday manager meetings and do the same with the
management team, making it harder to discuss important things,
especially regarding his employees. He also was using his title and
power to his advantage. Unfortunately, we lost employees, and I
believe it had much to do with his inactive listening skills.
Active listening is essential to your communication skill set because it
encourages openness, honesty, and success. When you pay attention
to your conversation partner, you show that person they are being
heard, thus building trust, and making that person feel like their
words matter to you (Masterclass, 2021). Developing an
organizational culture where active listening is part of cultural norms
will dramatically impact the active engagement of your people and
the bottom-line results they produce (Gore, 2018). Gore, 2018 states
that leadership, at its essence, embodies two objectives: providing
clarity of mission or expectations and influencing the head, hands,
and hearts of others to follow. Influencing the heart is the most
important because this is the seat of passion, emotions, and
commitment. You want the best solutions, results, and commitment
as a leader; all these things are most easily accomplished by whole
and complete listening (Gore, 2018).
References
Gore, B. W. G. (2018, January 9). How Listening Impacts Trust and
Engagement. Team trek. https://www.teamtrek.com/post/how-
listening-impacts-trust-and-engagement
Masterclass. (2021, November 2). How to Use Active Listening to
Improve Your Communication Skills - 2023 - MasterClass.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-use-active-listening-
to-improve-your-communication-skills#
Cardon, P. (2021). Business Communication: Developing Leaders for
a Networked World.
Wien claw, R. A. (2021). Communications in the Workplace. Salem
Press Encyclopedia.
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