COMM 401...What an Adventure!

My experience in COMM 401 has challenged me to gain an understanding of theories that do not necessarily align with my own personal views. However, the ability to see the world from different perspectives is what encourages diversity among thought. This skill has allowed me to develop a deeper sense of awareness in communication. An example of this is the Narrative Paradigm Theory. In the past, I have regarded stories at face value. I never really took anything away from stories that have been shared with me. However, there are many facets to the messages that are conveyed via stories and now I am more analytical of them. I listen to hear the underlying messages and strive to integrate the lessons learned.

Everyone communicates in their own way. This is especially true in a professional setting. Getting the task accomplished as effectively and efficiently as possible is the main goal in my profession. For this to be possible, messages must be conveyed in a way that they are clear and understood by the intended audience. This is where understanding theories comes into play. To be an effective communicator, we must be able to understand and apply communication theory to create meaning. We must then adapt our behavior to complement our communication partner. For example, the Genderlect Theory taught me that I will be a more effective communicator if I understand that men and women communicate differently. I can use that knowledge to shape my communication style to meet theirs based upon their sex.

The ePortfolio did encourage me to think about my online presence. Many companies are using social media as a hiring tool. Therefore, your online presence is extremely important in today’s competitive job market. For example, two job candidates have the same credentials. One of them has an online presence that indicates that they are more interested in parties while the other candidate projects a professional image. The employer is more likely to select the individual with the more professional image. This realization made me very cautious about the appearance of my ePortfolio. The images I have selected do not imply an unprofessional character. The text is neutral in both tone and style.

Since completing COMM 401, I have become more aware of how I utilize language to frame meaning. This was a hard learned lesson while studying the Agenda Setting Theory and the Spiral of Silence Theory. Despite efforts to remain as neutral as possible, bias is inherent. This is because everyone has their own perception of the messages that they are exposed to. It is common for the implied message to be misconstrued because of these perceptions. Therefore, even if you do not imply a stance, your use of language could give someone the impression that you do have a stance. In a professional capacity, you must be careful of the image you portray. In the future, I will be even more vigilant of my word choices in an effort to remain as neutral as possible.