Mastering a Skill Free Essays

Skill, as commonly understood, is the ability that enables a person to do something well. It is acquired and not something that people are naturally endowed with at birth. There are varieties of skills as there are different tasks requiring a wide range of expertise; but if there is only one skill that people should learn and cultivate in life, it is the skill of communication. We will write a custom essay sample on Mastering a Skill or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is very important that marriage is said to be a failure when there is no open communication between the couple. It has been said also that lack of communication skills render a team leader ineffective in his leadership, and thus weaken the whole team. In the workplace where disputes are common, a good communication – if secured at different sections – can resolve and even prevent misunderstandings. The art of speaking and listening are both crucial in all relationships. Business dealings involve verbal and non-verbal communication. From manner of dressing which makes an initial impression, to the manipulation of words when introduction and persuasion begin, these are all that communication is involved. Because it is a skill, every person must have the opportunity to acquire, develop and make a thorough improvement on his/her ability to communicate. Everyone starts at a minimum pace, where language and the other parts of this process of interaction are learned slowly and most times, are taken for granted. It is inevitable though that problems or conflicts arise due to the diversity or dissimilarity that people communicate. People learn that there is a need to understand each other – the many ways that make every person different contributing to the difficulty of understanding each other better. This is the raison d’à ªtre, the basis that communication skills must not only be acquired and developed; it essentially must be mastered. People just don’t communicate, they must communicate accurately if possible, and effectively. By this, individuals are adept  in delivering a clear message. Explicit message can still be misunderstood, in as much as there are still many ways of interpreting anything that which is significant to the recipient. To decode a message requires that two people have similar cultures or that they have the same reference from which to decode a message. There are only a few who will not agree that skillful communication is one of the most decisive features in either of a person’s business or personal life. Nevertheless, it more than just an ability to convey a message or letting one be understood. It is an art form; one that is rich and beautiful for any person to aim to master (Roselli, 1996). Specifically, from the moment a child is conceived and growing in the womb, to the time he/she is born and until the remaining breaths that he/she takes, tremendous forms of communication situations beset a human being. This includes: crying when hungry or wet or uncomfortable for a baby, a child admiring another’s toy, being angry when provoked, asking the teacher to repeat the statements she just made, proposing to a girl, instructing and reminding one’s children or bargaining with the kids over curfew or some privileges, making a long distance call, or making negotiations with a superior. These are all identifiable situations that incur more than just the ability to use symbolic language. It must require mastery for every person to circumnavigate every situation in his/her life (Roselli, 1996). Mastery entails understanding and comprehending the basic nuances of an aspect or thing in life. It is a necessity that every person must have the understanding and comprehension of the basics of communication. It implies that the three elements essential to communication or the three skill areas must be possessed by everyone. These are behavior, content and interaction. When a human being imparts his ideas or desires, he/she imparts these through a certain behavior. â€Å"Behavior reflects the physicality of communicating† (Roselli, 1996). It is how one communicates. Content refers to about what one is actually communicating or the words that one says while interaction skills takes â€Å"fully into account who you are communicating with, the flow between you and others, and how skillfully you manage that flow† (Roselli, 1996). When the nuances of communication are scrutinized, people notice that communication is not that simple: it is complex and it exacts something from people. Consequently, it also demands to be mastered. However, though it is an art form, it does not entail that a person must set aside time in a day or week, or physical space in order for a person to fit it into place to develop it into his/her life. There are no paraphernalia or special gadgets required for one to be able to start in its mastery (Roselli, 1996).   Ã¢â‚¬Å"All that is required besides your everyday communication situations are a sincere effort to practice a few skills in each of the three skill areas, some reliable feedback, and most importantly, your sustained attention and awareness,† according to Roselli in his article Mastering the Art of Communication. To become a good and effective communicator, a person needs practice with meaningful feedback. An instructor can help modify the person’s responses appropriate to the situations that are required in various settings. The workplace undergoes overwhelming changes while the family systems are even undergoing the same. This is the reason that knowledge, proficiency, skill in communicating must not only be acquired, this must be developed to a mastery level. This ensures that whatever transformations that are constantly occurring within the life of a person, he/she is equipped to meet these challenges because he/she understands better and can convey and interpret the barrage of messages around him/her better. Reference: Roselli, Peter. 1996. Mastering the Art of Communication. Cor Communications Llc, Ca. Accessed through http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Rosselli1.html How to cite Mastering a Skill, Essay examples Mastering a Skill Free Essays In this paper we shall deal with the skill of listening to people. There is more to listening than merely hearing the expressions people speak out. A great deal goes into listening. We will write a custom essay sample on Mastering a Skill or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is a compelling and extraordinary entity, an ingenious energy. It is listening, not talking which are a talented and immense responsibility, and the creative job. (Ueland, 1992) Excellent listening ability implies that one who is listening never disrupts when somebody is speaking, carefully listens, and does not give any view. (Lindeberg, 2004) Analysts and other specialists dealing with the subject of interpersonal communications maintain that listening is the art that can build or shatter a bond. Listening is very crucial since, eventually we human beings are built around relationships and at times it is equally imperative to know the person as to what he is trying to convey. (Kline, 1996) True listening produces admiration, affinity and belief among the speaker and the listener. While we are listening, it builds us, propels us to unwind and enlarge. Thoughts really start to develop within us and enliven. People feel cheerful and gratis while they are listened to. Plus the genuine listener is greatly adored, attractive compared to the talker, and the person is greatly efficient, and gets trained more and contributes in a better manner. (Ueland, 1992) Those who are good listeners permit their subjects to talk without inhibition, cautiously recording what the actual matters appear to be. In place of giving their self views, they attempt to delve more into the areas of concern by putting pertinent incisive queries to cheer them to develop on their ideas. In doing so, the speakers often solve problems on their own by elementary inspiration or group thinking methods. (Lindeberg, 2004) Undoubtedly the listeners possess their self thoughts; however they are do not impose their concepts upon others. According to them, the most ideal means to give a solution to societal issues remains for people to attempt to appreciate one another. Moreover, the wish to offer an atmosphere in which everybody are able to discover the problems and think of novel concepts and explanations. In this manner, friction is lessened which obstructs constructive change. It has the ability to strengthen people to work in a collaborative manner to look for useful answers which will be the best in the interest of the society in its totality. (Rural southern voices for Peace) It is important for the spouse to listen to one another, your parents, your children, your pals; to people who love you and also the ones who hate you, those who irk you and also your adversaries. It will be like a small marvelous act, and might be a great one indeed. (Ueland, 1992) In business, in particular, employees wishes and react in a better manner to, their superiors who they consider are listening to what they are trying to convey. Moreover, this will raise the productivity and the difficulties will be sorted out in an efficient manner, in case people attempting to provide an answer to issues are cheered to clarify the concerns and begin solving prior to giving of advice starts. Concentrating on listening assists the talker as well as the listener to remain calm and assist them to settle down at the time of handling an emergency or talking about a subject which is high on emotion. (Wilson, 2005) In the opinion of Chief Executive Officers and Chief Operating Officers of companies both big and small, substandard listening is the foremost difficulty in their organizations. Besides, they state that listening is the communication proficiency which is mainly important for achievement. Their suggestion is worthwhile, as a lot of formal researches have yielded the same outcome: Listening is important in office. (Kline, 1996) Understanding to listen to the staff of one’s organization can assist to better the inter relationship within the subordinates and fellow employees, persuading them to stay encouraged and committed to the company and the future. (Lindeberg, 2004) A senior employee who has good listening powers will command better self-confidence and self-image as their working will be better with others. (Wilson, 2005) Majority of the staff at different stages across their profession will sense the necessity to speak to their supervisor regarding some matter running through their mind. There are some brimming with excellent business concepts, some are laid up with sentiments that they are not attended properly, while others have problems with their colleagues, and there are some who desire to alter their career track. Managers who schedule time to sit with their staff regularly and use better listening proficiencies normally command more control of their groups compared to those who do not have such. (Lindeberg, 2004). Better listening results in better remembrance of vital information, leading to lesser communication breaks and less errors. Listening with compassion assists to find out means to render the work atmosphere conducive and beautiful so as to appoint and prevent attrition of high-quality people. (Wilson, 2005) A lot of listeners commit the blunder of not hearing the person who is attempting to speak, such that they are able to give their self views or just hear them talk. The outcome can be cause harm to the self-confidence of the person who is attempting to offer his communications, resulting in the person to feel misinterpreted, overlooked, and insulted by the senior’s apparently absence of regard. (Lindeberg, 2004). In the corporate world, lack of listening to people who are the actual workers a leader not just undermines ingenuity, but also squeezes enthusiasm by lessening the sense of accountability, authority, and value. (Wilson, 2005) To conclude, listening with empathy is required to be specialized and understood. Getting trained to use the listening proficiencies definitely needs one to work hard. Moreover, assuming actually expertise consumes a lot of time and following – precisely one’s whole life. However, the endeavor is certainly valuable. It results in more security, increased output, speedier learning and improved relationships. References Kline, John A. (1996) Listening Effectively. Air University Press: Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Lindeberg, Teri. (May 2004) The Benefits of Listening. The Well. No: 2. Rural southern voices for Peace. How It Works. Listening Project: US and International Training and Resource Center.   Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://www.listeningproject.info/how.php Ueland, Brenda. (1992) Strength To Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings by Brenda Ueland. Holy Cowl Press. Wilson, Bruce. (2005) Practical Benefits of Better Listening for Leaders and Teams. Business Listening. Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://www.businesslistening.com/leadership_listening-skills.php How to cite Mastering a Skill, Essay examples