Business Communication

Reflective Report

During the time working for this module, I realised that business communication is very crucial for an organisation. The module was quite an effective learning experience of how communication could effectively solve problems of an organisation in a healthy manner (Putman and et. al., 2015). However, my experiences were quite useful when it came to enhance my learning and knowledge about various aspects related with business communication. To reflect my experience effectively, I would use Gibbs Reflective Cycle Model to project my learnings in an appropriate manner.

Description

As a trainee manager for Senco, it was very important for me and my team members for determine importance of effective communication within the firm. My team members along with me worked towards evaluating the scenario of the company's communication channels, methods and ways in which information was being exchanged. There were various types of communication used in the company to establish internal and external exchange of information like verbal and written communication which covered wide communication varieties within them. As trainee managers,

we were required certain skills to communicate vertically and horizontally. The most important of them were precision and clarity in speaking and effective and active listening. These skills help to share appropriate information in an authenticate and systematic manner, without which, communication will not be established well within the organisation and it would lead to ambiguity in duties and alterations in important information.

Senco also required its employees to efficiently follow 7 C's of Communication which are Completeness, Correctness, Courtesy, Concreteness, Clarity, Consideration and Conciseness. All these principles are crucial for carrying out internal and external communication. During the module, I also got a chance to evaluate my learning style within the organisation which effectively could satisfy the demands of the learning situation. To effectively achieve this purpose, VARK Theory is utilised which stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing and Kinesthetic.

Feelings

My responses throughout the module was quite moderate. There were times when there was a serious need felt for effective communication within the firm. Senco was experiencing staff turnover which is a major cause of concern for any organisation looking to strengthen its operations in the marketplace (Jeon and et. al., 2015). We, as employees, throughout the module faced certain challenges as well as successes while communicating with each other and establish a well communication channel within the company. My aim was to fulfil the unmet requirement of the company and improve the information sharing process as per the needed standards. My aim was to enhance my communication skills and improve my learning process to contribute in the betterment of organisational situation.

You may also read: Samples on Business Ethics

During the module, me and my team members felt that Senco could use various methods of improving communication. One of the most important thought about the firm was that encoding and decoding process of messages must be done effectively and accurately. In addition, each and every personnel must be included in the communication process as according to us effective communication must be result-oriented and a two-way aspect. In addition, I felt social media could be used as an effective strategy for the company to share information with employees and customers. Moreover, table boards could be used in supermarkets and customer feedback might be acquired better with face-to-face communication.

Evaluation

It is very important to evaluate experiences to segregate effective good and bad aspects about the same and appropriately analyse which approaches worked and which did not (Wadsworth, 2016). The module was an effective learning experience which definitely enhanced my knowledge about the  communication process within a business organisation.

As trainee manager, there were many things that were quite favourable for me and my team members. Most important was teamwork. It is an aspect where a group of individuals channelise their efforts collectively to accomplish a certain activity (Salmon Stanton and Jenkins, 2017). The internal communication was majorly verbal as we had to communicate almost all day. My biggest strength while working in a team is that I encourage free-flow of ideas.

I indulged in an open communication both verbal and written, where I gave insight on how communication within the team as well as the company could improve. Another aspect which was favouring is that within the company, I was verbally quite effective. I happen to convey messages to fellow colleagues and to seniors in ways that it is easily grasped and understood by the listeners well. Moreover, my public speaking is also very influencing as I communicate in a very precise and confident manner and engage with each of my speaker. As per the principles, the information I present is considerate, clear and presented in a courteous manner. Different aspects and methods of communication helped me effectively evaluate each of the learning style for communication. Through in-depth analysis, I found that I excel at visual and reading learning methods and I grasp things better when it is presented to me in an appropriate visual and written manner.

However, there were aspects that did not work well as per my experience. For instance, I lack in establishing effective written communication with my colleagues and seniors. For my role as a trainee manager, throughout the 5 weeks I lacked in presenting written reports in an appropriate and structured manner which was one of the biggest communication challenges I faced. In other words, my written information lack the flow which is required to effectively engage readers. This has sometimes created ambiguity in the information presented to my subordinates. Also, another challenge was that I  lack appropriate active listening skills which is very crucial for a manager at Senco. We were required to listen each and every instruction in a proper way for effectively presenting the same to the employees working under us in the firm.

However, there were times when I couldn't be more attentive to the information which was presented to me. Apart from lacking these skills, sometimes my communication with others also lacked completeness, correctness and concreteness as I sometimes overlooked at aspects which were crucial to back arguments and thus, it caused flow of false information to the employees and thus, lack of effective communication. Due to lack of such skills, I lagged behind in auditory learning style where learners are required to learn through listening (Rahman, Ahmar and Rusli, 2016).

Analysis

In the past five weeks, I realised that effective communication is very important within a company. Managers are required to excel and almost each aspect to ensure accurate and systematic flow of information within an organisation to contribute in its growth. To effectively retain potential employees, it is very crucial that effective communication is established with them. Moreover, it is also necessary that various skills like active listening and speaking are the most crucial skills that is relevant for the situation and my experience.

This is because effective communication will not be established without managers possessing these skills. As for my experience, visual and reading are the biggest influencers for me to learn and effectively communicate further. Moreover, there were instances which made me realise that each principle of communication hold a specific and crucial position in the company to facilitate sharing of effective data. In addition to the above factors, teamwork is crucial and essential to ensure that unanimous and intact information is being exchanged within a company.

Action Plan

If this situation arises again, I would be well versed and prepared to establish effective communication channel within the company. I would attend training sessions which could help me enhance my written and listening skills so that conveyance of information could be as per the required standards and in a way which maximises performance of the firm and its employees. I would also consider guidance of team members in collecting information that could be backed up with concrete and authenticated data to ensure complete and correctness. Lastly, I would pay attention to the various learning styles to ensure effective enhancement of knowledge regardless of the way the information is presented to me. All this efforts would effectively help me to remove barriers to effective communication for my role and within the company.

Conclusion

Thus, it is concluded that business communication is a crucial strategy for a company striving towards success and ensuring effective employee engagement. The various skills require to present and acquire information in ways which is essential to facilitate structured and accurate flow of communication. Various efforts are required to be made to remove the barriers of communication and 7 C's of effective communication help to set standards for effective exchange of information. Lastly, it is very crucial to determine the learning styles which are crucial for appropriate and systematic learning. 

References

• Addams, L.H. and Allred, A.T., 2015. Business communication course redesigned: All written and oral communication assignments based on building career skills. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal.
• Jeon, Y.H., and et. al., 2015. Cluster randomized controlled trial of an aged care specific leadership and management program to improve work environment, staff turnover, and care quality. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.
• Putman, J.R., and et. al., 2015. Communication application server for converged communication services.
• Quintanilla, K.M. and Wahl, S.T., 2018. Business and professional communication: keys for workplace excellence. Sage Publications.