Communication- My Humble Beginning

I grew up watching Judge Judy and was fascinated by her finesse and demeanor. Watching her motivated me to further study communication. I wanted to get inside of the minds of my peers and effectively communicate whatever it was that I wanted them to receive. I wanted to understand others.

The benefits of communication in my personal life is to gain an understanding of my family. My husband and I share many differences in how we communicate. According to Laurence B. Valant, “the source of problems in interpersonal relationships is often the lack of clear, unambiguous communication” (Valant, 2008, para. 2). By studying effective ways to communicate it will save us from pointless arguments due to misinterpretations or lack of understanding. Professionally speaking, communication is key to success and morale. Everyone needs to be on the same page and that can only be accomplished through clear communication. According to the blog How Good Workplace Communication Improves Employee Morale. “Good listening is essential to effective communication” (Employee Morale, 2013). This statement holds much truth in both personal and professional settings. To effectively communicate we need to be able to listen.

Definition number 9 from table 2.1 of Thinking Through Communication, implies that nonverbal communication, the unspoken words that accompany our verbal words, assists us in the true meaning of what is being communicated (Trenholm p. 19). This communication style comes closest to my own definition because it encompasses body language. Actions speak louder than words. When people are angry, often times they find it difficult to hide in body language thus, affecting their communication. There is no cut and dry definition to communication because interpretations differ. That is what captivates me most about communication are the differences we have and yet we continue to overcome them and learn something new each day.

References

Valant, L. B. (2008). Why Do Both Marriages and Business Mergers Have a 50% Failure Rate? CPA Journal, 78(8), 15-15. Retrieved from Business Source Elite Database

How Good Workplace Communication Improves Employee Morale. (2013, August 25). Retrieved from http://www.crmlearning.com/blog/index.php/2013/08/communication-improves-employee-morale/#more-1476

Trenholm, S. (2011).  Thinking Through Communication:  An Introduction to the Study of Human Communication.  Pearson Education.