Diagnostic Tools For Communication: A Report

Diagnosis and Reflection

The purpose of the assignment is providing with the scope for engaging in reflective practice that uses a range of diagnostic tools as well as feedback that will be identifying two major areas regarding individual capability that will be addressed for increasing the communication effectiveness of the communication. In this regard, there will occur the use of five diagnostic tools in relation to communication like Johari Window, Communications Style Questionnaire, Assertiveness Questionnaires and so on. There is the requirement for analysing the individual communication style across different areas like verbal communication, active listening, non-verbal, assertiveness perception and so on. There is the requirement for defining the concepts, outlining key models as well as behavioural aspects that require to be developed for demonstrating the efficient practice. There is also the requirement of developing an action plan regarding key events as well as activities that is required undertaking in the next couple of months for acquiring the knowledge, statistics as well as behavioural aspects that will be identified for requiring development in component. The two key areas of personal capability that will be addressed for increasing the communication effectiveness are self-awareness as well as personal development.

In this context, there is the requirement for using certain diagnostic tools in relation to communication. These are considered as Johari Window, Communications Style Questionnaire, Assertiveness Questionnaires, Thinking Style Questionnaire and Thomas Kilman Conflict Questionnaire.

Johari Window

The Johari Window is considered being a graphical tool that will assist in determining how open an individual is.

Figure 1 The Johari Window

(Source: Unice, 2017)

An individual is considered being at his/her creative best when there occurs the maximization of our open self. The increase in the open self will be leading the way towards bringing a change in the character of the individual. In this context, two procedures can be recommended for increasing the open self,

• There occurs the decrease in the hidden self with the help of self-disclosure. There is the requirement of having a heart that is having the eagerness of sharing the individual’s problems with others. Self-disclosure will be bringing the threat of being hurt in an emotional manner. Nevertheless, unless the hidden self of someone gets revealed, how can the individual will be getting advice on the ways for changing.
• The feedback process will be decreasing the blind self. There is the requirement of having the heart for identifying challenging aspects to other individuals that they might not have awareness about. In regard to self disclosure, there occurs the raising of concern to hurt the feelings of someone in respect of revealing the blind self. Nevertheless, it is vital that there will occur the elimination of the blind self. When an individual is not having the awareness regarding a problem that might be influencing all the others, how can the individual be having the willingness for fixing the problem (Wheelan, 2014).

This designing of this questionnaire is done in assisting in the discovery of the preferred style of communication. This key benefits associated with this kind of questionnaire include,

• The capability towards encouraging individuals for developing their potential
• Having the ability for the identification of individual as well as other’s strength relating to learning as well as communication and as a result, learning ways by which they can be used in a more effective manner.
• Styles of communication are widely acknowledged as well as used by various blue chip organizations for promoting a culture of communication at work.
• To develop a personal growth plan on ways for achieving the communication potential (Ulmer, 2015)

The designing of the Assertiveness Questionnaire is done for measuring the proficiency of a person regarding the two significant elements of assertiveness that are,

• Even when it is challenging, there is the expression of the individual’s wants, needs as well as thoughts
• Even when it is challenging, there is the requirement for respecting what others want, need as well as think (Ralph, 2013).

This questionnaire will be allowing the students for seeking assistance, searching for educational scopes as well as resisting peer pressure. Students that are assertive will be expressing themselves in a self-assuring as well as direct way. Researchers as well as educators take into consideration assertiveness being a significant skill in respect of adolescents, since it will be assisting them in engaging in efficient interpersonal behaviours that will be contributing to their success academically as well as social growth (Percy, 2014).

One more assessment that will get used in the team building process is considered being the Thinking Styles Questionnaire. The questionnaire will be recognizing five styles that might be used in the thinking process. These are,

• Synthesist: The synthesist is future oriented, is interested in change as well as interested in challenging others. The individual is preferring to look for conflict, even when it is not required. The individual will be disliking the consensus. In a controversial scenario, this style of thinking will be adding topics to the debate.
• Idealist: The idealist style of thinking is relating to the “ENF” kind in the Myers Briggs Type. He is future oriented and always having the involvement of human values in his decisional aspects. He likes to do the setting of goals. The individual will not be preferring hard data.
• Pragmatist: The pragmatist is a creative “market driven” individual. The person is interested in looking for as well as solving challenging situations, but will be focusing on the short period opposing the future (Hackman, 2013).
• Analyst: The analyst will be taking the judge’s role with the individual’s preference to plan, schedule as well as process compliance. The individual is looking for the optimum solution regarding a problem, but will be reaching too hard in respect of consensus.
• Realist: The realist is interested in working with raw data as well as focusing on the present scenario. The individual is very goal-oriented. Nevertheless, the individual risks the aspects to ignore human values regarding decisions (Kelly, 2014).

The questionnaire that is used in respect of this assessment will be consisting of sets of five statements that are ranked regarding preference. This tool can be used in building of teams as well as to match up new teams. The synthesist is regarded as the most feared kind due to the potential of the individual towards introducing disunity within the team. Nevertheless, the individual’s drive in respect of change will be assisting the team, to pull them out of the storming stage. The individual’s debate driven attitude will be forcing the team towards accounting for as well as appreciating weaknesses. As a result, there is an increase in productivity. The realist as well as idealist styles are having frequent conflict but they are complementary. The realist is having the requirement of the idealist for assisting him towards developing solutions that will be taking human values into consideration. In the same manner, the idealist is having the requirement of the realist for assisting the person in staying in connection with the present scenario (Lundgren, 2013). The idealist will be helping the pragmatist by forcing the individual towards acconting for the long term as well as short term.

Johari Window

The Thomas Kilman Conflict Style will be identifying four styles to handle conflict. These are,

• Conciliatory Approaches

1. Avoidance (Reactive): This strategic aspect is used by a person who is filled with fear. The individual will never be raising a conflict issue, neglecting the concern of everyone that will take into consideration his own as well.
2. Accommodating (Observant): When this strategic aspect gets utilized, one will be seeking to cover the concern of others and will ignore his personal concerns (Lando, 2014).

• Aggressive Approaches

1. Competing (Confrontive): The competitor is having a “me first” attitude, and will not care about the needs of others.
2. Collaborating (Assertive): This individual will be trying to find a solution that will be satisfying completely both his as well as the concerns of others (Leathers, 2015).

This is considered being the series of 15 questions each having four possible options. The user is asked towards determining the probability of the option the individual would be choosing as an answer in a real life scenario. The categorization of probabilities takes place into four styles of conflict handling and summed. When one score in respect of one type is considerably more than the others, the individual is having the natural tendency for using that approach. An individual is explained as compromising when the individual’s scores regarding the four types are comparatively even. The compromiser is trying to do identification of solutions that would partly be benefitting both sides (Goetsch, 2014).

Individual communication style can be analysed across various areas such as,

• Verbal Communication – The sharing of information amongst individuals through the use of speech. Individuals functioning within a business are having the requirement for effectively using verbal communication that will be employing easily understood spoken words, and to ensure that the articulation, stress as well as tone of voice for expressing the words are suitable. Efficient verbal or spoken communication is depending upon certain factors and cannot be completely secluded from other significant interpersonal skills like non-verbal communication, listening skills as well as elucidation (Fearn-Banks, 2016).
• Active Listening – This is a skill that can be achieved as well as developed with practice. Nevertheless, active listening can be quite challenging to master and as a result, will be taking time as well as patience for development. It is having the involvement of listening with each of the senses.
• Non-verbal – Behavioural as well as components of speech apart from the words themselves that will be doing the transmission of meaning. Non-verbal communication will be including pitch, speed, tone and so on. This type of communication assists in reinforcing as well as modifying what is conveyed in words, conveying information regarding their emotional state, defining or reinforcing the association within individuals, providing feedback to the other individual as well as regulating the flow of communication (Evans, 2015).
• Assertiveness perception – It assists in distinguishing various models, with changing validity as well as practical effectiveness. There are certain kinds of assertive behaviour that are considered as reptilian emotional assertiveness, the learnt assertiveness behaviour, the frontal lobes driven assertiveness as well as the perceived assertive behaviour.
• Behavioural Communication – This is considered to be a psychological construct that is addressing the people’s use of daily behaviours as a communication form. It is referring to the tendency of individuals towards the expression of feelings, requirements as well as thoughts through indirect messages as well as behavioural impacts. Behavioural communication therefore, assists in providing a conceptual structure towards accounting for various instances of everyday behaviour from the standpoint of communication. Behavioural communication is also explained as a variable of individual differences concerned with the aspect of using behaviours (Cummings, 2014).

Two communication issues that that has been identified, which requires development are associated with self-awareness as well as personal development.

This is associated with having a clarity in perception regarding an individual’s personality that includes strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivational aspects as well as emotion aspects. There occurs the development of self awareness with the help of practices that focuses an individual’s attention on the details regarding the person’s personality as well as behavioural aspect (Cornelissen, 2014).

Within the place of work, organizational awareness is the entirety regarding the self-awareness of a staff. When there is more self-awareness amongst the employees, there will occur minimal as well as constructive workplace conflict. An individual who is self-aware is the one examining the quality of his/her interpersonal associations in a continuous way and self-aware company is the one examining the quality regarding its interpersonal dynamic regularly (Christensen, 2014).

The Johari Window is considered being a graphical tool that will assist in determining how open an individual is. An individual is considered being at his/her creative best when there occurs the maximization of our open self. The increase in the open self will be leading the way towards bringing a change in the character of the individual. In this context, two procedures can be recommended for increasing the open self. Firstly, there occurs the decrease in the hidden self with the help of self-disclosure. There is the requirement of having a heart that is having the eagerness of sharing the individual’s problems with others. Self-disclosure will be bringing the threat of being hurt in an emotional manner (Carnmarata, 2014). Nevertheless, unless the hidden self of someone gets revealed, how can the individual will be getting advice on the ways for changing. Secondly, the feedback process will be decreasing the blind self. There is the requirement of having the heart for identifying challenging aspects to other individuals that they might not have awareness about. In regard to self disclosure, there occurs the raising of concern to hurt the feelings of someone in respect of revealing the blind self. Nevertheless, it is vital that there will occur the elimination of the blind self. When an individual is not having the awareness regarding a problem that might be influencing all the others, how can the individual be having the willingness for fixing the problem (Bhalerao, 2014).

Communications Style Questionnaire

Personal development will be covering activities that will be improving the awareness as well as identity, developing talents as well as potential, building human capital as well as facilitating employability and enhancing the quality of life as well as contributing to the aspect of realizing the dreams as well as aspirations. However, there are certain issues that are associated with personal development that includes the aspects of faking progress, having insecurity, as well as not having a linear growth (Austin, 2015).

Continuing Professional Development or CPD Model is the process to track as well as document the skills, knowledge as well as experience that is achieved in both formal as well as informal manner when a person is working, beyond any basic training. It is the record of what an individual experiences, learns as well as applies. The CPD process assists an individual in managing his/her development in a continuous manner. The functional aspect of it is providing assistance in recording, reviewing as well as reflecting on what an individual has learnt (Arnold, 2015).

Figure 2 CPD Model

(Source: APSO, 2017)

1. Timeline – 1^stMonth to 3^rd Month

Activities – Joining of short courses

Description – The short courses will be essential regarding the enhancement of my knowledge as well as improvement regarding the skills of communication. For instance, the short courses will be including, a 2-day Efficient Communication course that the Australian Institute of Management is providing. Also, a 1-day Communication Skills Training Course from Professional Development Training institute as well as a 1-day course at Queensland University of Technology regarding public speaking to make messages that are considered meaningful.

1. Timeline – 3^rdto 6^th Months

Activities – Conducting plans for reading

Description – Various books as well as articles will be studied in this period for enhancing conceptual knowledge regarding communication like,

• Percy, L. (2014).Strategic integrated marketing communications. Routledge
• Fearn-Banks, K. (2016).Crisis communications: A casebook approach. Routledge
• Cornelissen, J. (2014).Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice. Sage
• Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2013).Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press

1. Timeline – 1^stto 6^th month

Activities – Maintaining a personal journal

Description – A personal journal will be maintained for 6 months. There will occur the use of the journal for noting down my experiences as well as highlighting the major lessons that were learned in the last 6 months. It will be used as well for reflecting on the knowledge achieved as well as learning of the concepts during this time.

1. Timeline – 1^stto 6^th month

Activities – Having a mentor

Description – The selection of the mentor from the CQU will assist in learning more regarding corporate communications and as a result will be improving my skills regarding communication for aligning to the requirements of the corporate world. The mentor will be providing extra information regarding the real world application of communication skills as well as assisting in the expansion of my views regarding corporate communications.

1. Timeline – 1^stto 6^th month

Activities – Measurement of completion

Description – Post the completion of 6 months, there will occur the measurement of the knowledge gained by undertaking the test for communication evaluation that will be evaluating the knowledge level achieved in this period. Moreover, the five diagnostic tools will be used for evaluating the skills for communication as well as comparing the outcomes with the present ones for determining the development of the communication level that was actualized in this period.

Conclusion 

To conclude it can be stated that self-awareness is associated with having a clarity in perception regarding an individual’s personality that includes strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivational aspects as well as emotion aspects. There occurs the development of self awareness with the help of practices that focuses an individual’s attention on the details regarding the person’s personality as well as behavioural aspect. Within the place of work, organizational awareness is the entirety regarding the self-awareness of a staff. When there is more self-awareness amongst the employees, there will occur minimal as well as constructive workplace conflict. Personal development will be covering activities that will be improving the awareness as well as identity, developing talents as well as potential, building human capital as well as facilitating employability and enhancing the quality of life as well as contributing to the aspect of realizing the dreams as well as aspirations.

Reference 

Arnold, E. C., & Boggs, K. U. (2015). Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Austin, E. W., & Pinkleton, B. E. (2015). Strategic Public Relations Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Campaigns (Vol. 10). Routledge.

Bhalerao, K., Kale, P., Bhalerao, K., & Mahire, R. (2014). Implementation of total productive maintenance using data analysis, actual productive utilization and improved communication techniques for improving rolling plan for TQM. IJMCA, 2(1), 011-018.

Carnmarata, S., McArthur, D., & Steeb, R. (2014). STRATEGIES OF COOPERATION IN DISTRIBUTED PROBLEM SOLVING!. Readings in Distributed Artificial Intelligence, 102.

Christensen, C., & Raynor, M. (2013). The innovator’s solution: Creating and sustaining successful growth. Harvard Business Review Press.

Cornelissen, J. (2014). Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice. Sage.

Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2014). Organization development and change. Cengage learning.

Evans, D. R., Hearn, M. T., Uhlemann, M. R., & Ivey, A. E. (2015). Essential interviewing: A programmed approach to effective communication. Nelson Education.

Fearn-Banks, K. (2016). Crisis communications: A casebook approach. Routledge.

Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson.

Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2013). Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press.

Kelly, W. N., & Clark, J. E. (2014). 4 Leading Culture, People, and the Strategic Plan. In Leadership and Management in Pharmacy Practice, Second Edition (pp. 51-60). CRC Press.

Lando, A. L. (2014). The Critical Role of Crisis Communication Plan in Corporations’ Crises Preparedness and Management. Global Media Journal, 7(1), 5.

Leathers, D. G., & Eaves, M. (2015). Successful nonverbal communication: Principles and applications. Routledge.

Lundgren, R. E., & McMakin, A. H. (2013). Risk communication: A handbook for communicating environmental, safety, and health risks. John Wiley & Sons.

Percy, L. (2014). Strategic integrated marketing communications. Routledge.

Ralph, N. (2015). Communication in context: developing a professional identity.

Ulmer, R. R., Sellnow, T. L., & Seeger, M. W. (2013). Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity. Sage Publications.

Wheelan, S. A. (2014). Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders. Sage Publications.

Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:

Turnitin Report

Formatting

Title Page

Citation

Outline

Place an Order