subject: Communication Skills And Personal Development Plan [print this page] In a personal development plan, it is important that you have good communication skills. It helps you set out with clarity your goals, the course of actions that you need to initiate in pursuit of such goals, conveying your needs to people who may help you with your goals, and utilizing the available relevant resources.
When you have realized your goals, you may share them with other people or use them in your company, good communication skills play an important role. If you want to improve your confidence, you must work out to be able to:
1. Be more effective in dealing with professors, classmates, colleagues, customers, supervisor, subordinates.
2. Realize your desires on your own terms.
3. Enhance your performance and feel better about yourself.
4. Handle problems more efficaciously.
5. Communicate more clearly.
The essence of communication is to understand and be understood clearly. The varying personalities and background as well as the different points of view may pose challenges in understanding things and people. If your communication skills are improved, the benefits are wide.
If you have excellent communication skills, you may possess the following abilities:
a. successful response from people and the surroundings
b. sound relationships in business and personal
c. effective problem solving and decision-making skills
d. good level of productivity
e. sound work flow
f. improved professional and personal image
g. compelling advocacy
The truth is that good communication skills are vital to your personal growth. It should be among the areas that you should give consideration if you are having a personal development plan.
If you are good at communication, you may still include some exercises that may enhance your skills. If you have difficulties in communication, it should be among your top priorities in your development plan. Learn to express your concepts in several approaches.
Learn to understand what people are trying to convey through their gestures, body language, and not just through their words.
There are three areas of communication that you need to be good at. These are writing skills, listening skills, comprehension skills, and oral communication skills.
In writing communication, it is important that you know English composition and Business English. In both of these aspects, your writing must be effective. You should know the different styles in writing and when to use each style.
In listening communication, it is wise to listen with your heart and mind.
To have the effective listening skills, you need to maintain eye-contact with the speaker, and never to interrupt him or her. You may express your understanding by nodding.
If you are good at listening, you may understand better the situation, and know the best resolutions. If you have assignments, you may understand them clearly and understand what is expected of you.
In oral communication, you should learn the techniques to catch the attention of your listeners. When you have caught their interests, it is important to maintain their concentration on you.
Avoid boring people and keep the conversation or speech lively and interesting. Your personal development plan should allocate time for exercises that would enhance your communication skills.
