Source One: How To Become an Expert Communicator
Summary
The article How to Become an Expert Communicator by Balcitis (2017) outlines why communication skills are vital in various career development. Effective communicators must master reaching out to multiple listeners or readers. Different professions have different ways and ease through which communication can be conveyed (Balcitis, 2017). For example, an engineering presentation contains many materials to be covered compared to a classroom presentation, and there needs to be more time to develop the logical flow of thoughts. A key point to note is that the presenter only sometimes has a robust understanding of the presentation topic as compared to the listeners, but capitalizing on audiovisual techniques adds more appeal to the audience (Balcitis, 2017). A successful presentation must be structured following tips such as planning. As there is limited time to cover everything, the presentation must follow a chronological approach. There should be brief handouts to the audience containing the company’s introduction, contact information, and a copy of the slides used in the presentation.
How To Use the Information
The information learned throughout the article will play a significant role in improving my communication skills. As I advance with my master’s program and in my future career, I will be able to structure engaging oral and written communication by allowing myself enough planning, approaching communication from a logical perspective, and avoiding touching on basic concepts, primarily when the presentation is directed towards professionals in the same field. The information learned throughout the article will also be vital in summarizing my presentation and structuring handouts highlighting critical aspects of my professional development, such as company outlook and resume summary.
Credibility Of the Source
The article is a credible source of information. Consulting-Specifying Engineering Editorial is a reputable consulting firm that has gained its reputation through publishing informative editorials, especially related to engineering careers. The editorial is owned by CFE Media and Technology, a company that has earned its reputation for providing engineers with the knowledge they require throughout their professions to improve their operation efficiency. Further, Syed Peeran, the article’s author, has published numerous articles and publications within the engineering consulting field. He is an engineer of no mean repute and has been working as a consulting engineer with CDM Smith Inc. for over 19 years.
Source Two: Effective Oral and Written Communication
Summary
The article Effective Oral and Written Communication by Prabavathi & Nagasubramani (2018) states that people quickly form perceptions towards professionals, their businesses, and the services they offer depending on how they communicate, dress, or manage their responsibilities. Communication only sometimes reaches the intended listeners in the same manner that a speaker anticipates, but it is usually distorted (Prabavathi & Nagasubramani, 2018). The distortion of the message can, however, be reduced by applying various strategies for effective communication. Five universal facts are related to communication: Communication is linked to all aspects of human life, there must be more than one party involved, it can take the one-way or two-way approach, there are various organizational patterns of communication such as upward and downward, and it is always media or channel-specific based (Prabavathi & Nagasubramani, 2018). It is vital to note that communication can be poor, demotivating the listeners or employees. Thus, all communications should be guided by principles such as establishing a receptive atmosphere, active engagement of the listener’s interests, and verifiable, among others. Oral communication has its advantages, such as ease of conveying the intended message and the ability to maintain pitch and tone relating to the subject or theme being communicated. Oral communication is preferred when a human touch is required, there is a need to establish a relationship with the audience, and there is urgency in receiving rapid and instant responses from the listeners. Oral communication may fail due to reasons such as poor planning, defective presentation medium, boasting of status differences, poor evaluation, or the existence of a language barrier. On the other hand, written communication is preferred when there is a need for record-keeping, the topic covered is a complex one, there is a larger than expected audience, and lack of interaction with the audience does not distort the message.
How To Use the Information
The information obtained from the article is vital in my Master of Health Administration/Master of Business Administration major. Throughout my studies and future career, I will be required to Convey messages to a professional audience within the organization where I will be domiciled. As such, understanding how interactive communication plays a part in enhancing the perception of the message is critical to ensuring success in touch. Depending on the audience and the professional complexity of the topics I will be required to present, I can choose between oral and written communication effectively. For example, within a professional setting where the communication is supposed to be directed toward fellow employees and an immediate impact is required, I can settle on oral communication and structure my presentation in a way that positively connects with the audience. At the advanced professional level, where communication is related to conveying essential academic reporting, data, or findings, I can settle on written communication as the more effective approach.
Credibility Of the Source
The article is peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Applied and Advanced Research. The article’s authors have gained their reputation within the field of pedagogical sciences, which is related to education theory and communication effectiveness. Both authors are department heads within a reputable higher education institution, and their work has been cited numerous times. Although there are no other published articles associated with the two authors, the referencing of different credible results within the articles adds to the credibility of the information conveyed. Overall, the article is a credible source of information for academic and professional purposes.
Source Three: Health Communication
Summary
Health communication is a multimodal approach through research and professional practice of communication strategies specifically promoting public health. Health communication has been hugely associated with population and family planning approaches, prevention of disabilities, and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV (Malikhao, 2020). Further, health communication has also been forwarded as one of the critical pillars in fighting harmful cultural practices such as those promoting female genital mutilation. Health communication theories have significantly been used to promote the quality of the social dynamics as stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO). There is a holistic approach to the multidimensional healthcare approach that stretches to psychical, mental, and socioeconomic well-being and not just viewing health as a lack of illness (Malikhao, 2020). Health communication theories are borrowed mainly from psychological and social psychology theories that emphasize cognitive change at personal, interpersonal, and organizational levels as a critical approach to health. Different techniques are deemed vital in sustainability associated with health communication. Such systems extend to behavioral change communication, mass communication, advocacy communication, participatory communication, and communication for structural and communication change. Various communication strategies are applied in tackling multiple health-related issues, such as non-communicable diseases, injuries, and violence. Such forms of communication are structured to meet the community’s needs in areas such as promoting healthy eating habits, raising awareness on chronic conditions such as obesity, promoting mediation rather than violence in handling conflicts, and advocating programs to reduce poverty levels, among others.
How I Can Use the Source
The health communication discussed in the article is widely applicable in pursuing a Master of Health Administration/Business Administration major. The concept learned will positively influence my future professional development, enabling me to embody effective leadership within health organizations. Effective leadership, especially within a healthcare setting, is enhanced by promoting healthcare communication and the ability to communicate organizational mission and goals, among others. The major that I am taking leads to engagement with healthcare stakeholders and business leaders within a healthcare setting. The concepts learned will improve my ability to engage with stakeholders effectively. Where I follow a career path leading to working within a healthcare setting, I will be able to develop various communication channels aiding in patient education, community promotion programs, and championing for alleviation of poverty and reduction of the social-economic inequity gap, enabling all populations to meet their healthcare needs effectively.
Credibility Of the Source
The article’s author is an established scholar with numerous health communication publications associated with his contribution. The report dramatically borrows from academic books from the same author, and the information provided throughout the article is primarily derived from credible sources that have been referenced. Further, the report has been peer-reviewed several times and draws aspirations to other authors who use it as a reference point in their academic works. The author has a long history of publications that span ten years and is also a professor of high repute, having taught at various institutions.
References
Balcitis, J. (2017, January 23). How to become an expert communicator. Consulting-Specifying Engineer. https://www.csemag.com/articles/how-to-become-an-expert-communicator/
Malikhao, P. (2020). Health Communication: Approaches, Strategies, and Ways to Sustainability on Health or Health for All. Handbook of Communication for Development and Social Change, 1(1), 1015–1037. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2014-3_137
Prabavathi, R., & Nagasubramani, P. C. (2018). Effective oral and written communication. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(S1), 29. https://doi.org/10.21839/jaar.2018.v3is1.164
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