Comp200

Reflective Paper
Stacy Steward
Comp 200
David Hunt
May 16, 2011

  Everyone needs effective communication skills to succeed in this world, whether it be in the business world or in your personal life, it is ever so important to be able to communicate in a productive manner.   The focus in this paper will be on explaining the principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communications, developing strategies for active, critical and empathic listening, and understanding how perceptions, emotions, and nonverbal expressions affect interpersonal relationships.   My hope is to have a better understanding of each of these important communication techniques and be able to explain them thoroughly.
  First of all, with communication, you need strategic flexibility, which is expanding your communication repertoire to enable you to use the best skill or behavior available for a particular situation.   People who possess strategic flexibility are happier and more fulfilled because they are not only aware of their own communication skills and deficits, but also they can bring to bear on any situation they encounter a broad range of potentially valuable behaviors.   There are six steps in strategic flexibility, they are:   anticipate, meaning think about potential situations and the needs and requirements likely to arise because of them, assess meaning take stock of the factors, elements, and conditions of the situations in which you find yourself. Evaluate meaning determine the value and worth of the factors, elements, and conditions to all those involved and how they bear on your own skills and abilities.   Select meaning carefully select from your repertoire of available skills and behaviors those likely to have the greatest impact on the current (and future) situations.   Apply meaning now with care, concern, and attention to all the factors that are likely to be affected, apply the skills and behaviors you have selected.   Last but not least, reassess and...