Strong Communcation in Leadership

With the advent of computers and related technologies of communication, the nature of communication has changed drastically. There are some positive highlights to this change as well as negative highlights to this change based on my experience. In my younger years, the only form of communication was one on one communication or writing through snail mail. However, this is not the case today. Today, I make use of emails, social media, and other chatting forums to communicate both professionally and personally to family, friends, and relatives. I have found this change to have its advantages as well as disadvantages. In this paper, I will discuss how computer-mediated communication has aided my communication as well as how it compares to the type of communication that was available during my younger years. In addition, I will give a comparison between computer-mediated communication and person-to-person communication.

The advancement of technology has limited the ability to communicate non-verbally. Non-verbal communication is the main channel of communicating as it helps in expressing and interpreting others. It comprises of cues such as facial expressions, postures and gestures. Nowadays, people are using e-mails, texts and social networking sites to interact as well as express themselves. As in “Why Gen-Y Johnny Can’t Read Non-Verbal Cues,” Mark analyzes ,”We live in a culture where young people- outfitted with iPhone and laptop and devoting hours every evening from age 10 onward to messaging of one kind and another- are ever less likely to develop the “silent fluency” that comes from face-to-face interaction” (146). The disadvantage of using technology as a means to communicate with others is people tend to lose fluency in non-verbal cues, as a result misunderstand and offend others. Any number of emoticons used by people cannot measure their depth of their feelings. Non-Verbal aspect of communication should not be replaced by the advancement of

Hi Doug. I agree that communication is a very good perspective to contemplate when considering leadership. Communication can be essential to successful leadership through identifying risks, issues, and other barriers on a project, or in an organization. Regardless of the skills, abilities, or traits that a leader may possess, being deficient in effective communication will cause failure in reaching the goals and objectives of a group (Solaja, Idowu, & James, 2016). This is due to the importance of information across all spectrums of an organization, including leaders and followers (Solaja et al., 2016). Understanding how people give and receive information will allow a leader to change the various methods of communication (e.g. newsletters,

This work is part one of an ongoing communications portfolio which will be expanded upon weekly. Barrett (2011) describes leadership communication as “the controlled, purposeful transfer of meaning...” (p. 6). The following is a self-assessment (Barrett, 2011, pp. 407-411) which will help gauge my current leadership communication abilities. Each area will be answered with either excel (master of skill) , competent (acceptable but could improve) or need to develop (needs attention).

Today’s leader is faced with many challenges, and one is the generational divide that exists in the workplace today. With four different generations working together it is clear that each group has their own preference for communication. Throughout the context of this paper I will explore the generational differences, and describe the characteristics of my generation with regard to leadership and communication styles. I will also describe how technology and the information age play a role in how leaders communicate. Finally, I will identify basic communication skills that are needed and used in generational leadership.

Annotated Bibliography Barrett, D. J. (2014). Leadership communication (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Leadership Communication is a wonderful guidebook for anyone who desires to develop the communication skills and capabilities that are needed to be effective and transformational leaders. Deborah Barrett presents both hard and soft skills in this textbook with a special emphasis on group and organizational skills in chapters 10 through 14.

Brian Watson talks about the communication problems that Information Technology professionals have to deal with in his article named, “Failure to Communicate”. Watson also presents his ideas on the communication skills of chief information officers (CIO) of companies and he mentions that there are several intrinsic obstacles in the quest of a CIO to become a better communicator. The author also goes on to say that most CIO’s have career paths that are not built on strong communication skills. He then suggests that CIO’s should think of innovative ways to mingle with their team and pay attention to the communication problems troubling their bosses.

In the publication Serve to Lead (2012), James Strock asserts that one essential characteristic of every leader for the 21st century embodies in the recognition that communication is part of everything we do as human. As we have seen over the years the direct impact of technology on our lives, it has helped nations and people of diverse background to communicate efficiently and because communication is a key component of our lives, it also serves as the facet of interpersonal skills.

Communication is an essential part in a leaders daily work life, and without it, effective leadership does not exist. However, it is possible to be able to communicate without having to lead. These interactions can consist of transmitting communication through messages, pictures via email or text messages. For most humans it comes natural to interact through communication and shared symbols. Leaders can face barriers of communication, but finding new methods or tools that work appropriately in order to transmit their information is a crucial factor.

It is essential for business leaders to have excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills, as leaders are often a symbol of a company’s integrity and this affects not only how customers perceive the company, but also impacts the thoughts and actions of lower positioned employees. For example, a leader that speaks using improper grammar, or writes correspondence with spelling errors throughout it, could project a negative image that can be harmful to a company. Customers might conclude that the leader is incompetent and they might decide that they do not wish to purchase goods from a company that hires inept leaders. Furthermore, employees might become less apt to respect an authority that appears to be uneducated, as well as employees might feel that if the leader disregards using proper communication than it is not necessary for them to use it either. Business leaders need to know when to listen, when to talk, and how to share ideas effectively. Clear and concise communication states exactly how, who, what, and when and serves to guide, direct, protect, persuade, and to inform. Communication is essential for decreasing miscommunications and for increasing productivity, motivation, and efficiency. When someone uses effective communication, he or she is more apt to have favorable results and his or her requests will become granted more often. Furthermore, communication builds goodwill. Having excellent communication skills is

Face-to-face communication seems to be a dying art – replaced by text messaging, e-mails, and social media. Human communication and interactions are shaped by available technologies.

Communicating through social media and technology can sometimes be challenging, what are these challenges and how does this affect the nonverbal communication; and do you think this form of communication causes inabilities to interact positively and work effectively with others. While communicating through new technologies and social media can be challenging at times for some, one must also remember that “nonverbal behaviors can be important in establishing trust in working relationships, but modern technologies may challenge our ability to maintain that trust” (Nelson & Quick, 2017, pg. 131). This is because too much of a good thing can cause harmful reactions when trying to communication with another through that of modern

Personally, learning how to exchange information appropriately using both verbal and nonverbal forms between the messenger and the receiver will increase my aptitude to overcome communication barriers. Communication has evolved over the years with smarter technological resources for networking globally such as social media, digital apps, virtual communications and the “cloud” a place to store all business information that is easily accessible in the palm of your hands, any time of the day. Although the evolution of communication has changed in the 21st century of business today, the most practical way to connect with others is in a social setting is by sharing human experiences through personal narratives which help to facilitate discussions.

It is very typical among people to forget about the many aspects involved in communication as a whole. Communication is in part the verbal content, but also in part the nonverbal content. It is the nonverbal content, however, that holds the importance of the message and the underlying meaning being translated. But as it is now the 21st century, we have blindly become part of a social media oriented culture. A culture in which we have the unlimited access to any and all social medias at our fingertips. A culture where we have become more connected to our virtually created lives rather than reality itself. We have become accustomed to communicating in a

Texting, FaceTime, iMessage, Snapchat, Yik Yak, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Now that we know more about the strengths, obstacles, and communication preferences of each generation, let’s look at some effective strategies for capitalizing on these strengths and overcoming these obstacles.