Week 13: Critical Reflection on Learning in the Course

https://www.resumetarget.com/blog/what-objective-statements-really-mean-and-why-they-dont-work/

    For those who have read my second blog post (officially my first) , you might remember the two objectives I have set to achieve by the end of the COM 150 course. In case you forgot, and in favor of those new readers of mine, allow me to reintroduce the objectives once more. The two objectives are:

1) Communicate better by learning when to stop talking and allow others the opportunity to speak instead.

2) Use current skills effectively at a work place. For example, communicating in a project group where communication is key.

    Let's begin with the first objectives that I had set. I believe that I am able to communicate better as compared to when I first attended the course. Presently, I pay more attention to the non verbal cues of the person I'm talking to. This allows me to detect when the other person is uninterested in the topic of our conversation. For example, when a person starts to look away from me, he may no longer be interested in the subject. However, I must consider the communication barrier that could be present. The person might not be able to maintain eye contact with me, as he might be shy. By actively reading and deducing the body language of others, it allows me to have a better sense and judgement of when to stop talking and allow others to speak instead. By gaining such ability, I can conclude that I have completed the first objective and can move on to the next one.

    Let's continue to the second and last objective that I had set. I began by focusing on the leadership skills that I already possessed and how I can effectively use it in a project group. In the process of learning, I was made aware of the different types of leadership styles available. I started to match the leadership methods that I normally use to the different styles available. This brings me to a realization that mine matched closely with the collaborative style. By knowing the style that I used, it allows me to understand how my style can be bad or good depending on the situation. With that in mind, I explored and learned other leadership style as well. By knowing various styles, I can identify and use the best suited ones that works well in any types of project group.

    To sum up, I have achieved every objectives that I had set. However, I believe there is still room for improvement. I will continuously seek and gain knowledge while enhancing my current skillsets by practicing during conversations on  a daily basis. Hopefully, it will help to further enhance my interpersonal and work communication skills.