Discussion board | Applied Sciences homework help
- Apply the concepts of ethical communication discussed here to one or more ethically challenging situations.
- Communication and Career Success The next time you look for job postings online, read the help wanted section of the newspaper, or check out internship opportunities at your college’s career services office, look a little closer. No matter which type of position you are seeking—from an entry-level job to a highly technical professional position—chances are you will see “excellent communication skills” listed as a job requirement.
Regardless of which occupations they pursue, people spend a staggering amount of time communicating on the job. Engineers spend most of their professional lives speaking and listening, mostly in one-to- one and small group settings.1 Accountants may crunch numbers, but they also need to communicate effectively to serve their clients. That is why certified public accountants (CPAs) and the firms that hire them consistently cite effective communication as essential for career success.2 50 One study, based on responses from more than 1,000 employees at Fortune 1000 companies, found that workers send and receive an average of 178 messages each day via telephone, e-mail, faxes, text messages, blogs, instant messages, and face-to-face communication.3 Some experts have estimated that the average business executive spends 75 to 80 percent of his or her time communicating—more than 45 minutes of every hour.4 When it comes to communication, quality matters in almost every career5—not just those traditionally regarded as people oriented. On-the- job communication skills can even make the difference between life and death. The Los Angeles Police Department cited “bad communication” as one of the most common reasons for errors in shooting by its officers.6 Communication skills are also essential for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.7 In one study, “poor communication” was identified as the root of more than 60 percent of reported medical errors—including errors leading to death, serious physical injury, and psychological trauma.8 A survey by a major hospital accreditation group found communication woes to be among the leading sources of medical errors, causing as many as 98,000 deaths each year.9 Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and elsewhere suggests there is a significant difference between the communication skills of physicians who have no malpractice claims against them and doctors with previous claims.10 CAREER tip Recovering from a Communication Blunder Communication plays an important role in business. Miscommunication in the workplace is stressful and costly. The results of a study conducted by Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield, authors of Crucial Conversations and cofounders of VitalSmarts, a Twenty-Eighty, Inc. company, indicate 51 that 83% of employees have witnessed their colleagues say something that has had a catastrophic impact on their careers, reputations, and businesses. To recover from most common blunders: acknowledge how others feel, admit when you have made a mistake, and express sincere regret. Source: Adapted from “The Top Five One-Sentence Career Killers” VitalSmarts. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.vitalsmarts.com Communication skills are essential to personal career success. Employees in technical careers who have effective communication skills earn more money than their counterparts who are weak communicators.11 A survey of corporate recruiters revealed that effective communication skills and the ability to work with others are the main factors contributing to job success. People with MBAs reported that the skills they valued most were the ability to work with others, listening, the ability to influence others, and communicating with diplomacy and tact.12 William Schaffer, an international business development manager for computer giant Sun Microsystems, made this point most emphatically: “If there’s one skill that’s required for success in this industry, it’s communication skills.”13 Executive coach and pharmaceutical recruiter Jim Richman echoed this sentiment: “If I give any advice, it is that you can never do enough training around your overall communication skills.”14 Table 1-1 summarizes the results of one annual survey in which employers list the skills and qualities for their ideal candidate. Communication skills always are near the top of the list.15 Table 1-1 Top Qualities/Skills Employers Seek on a Candidate’s Résumé