As this course draws to a close, it is time to start thinking about how I can apply what I have learned in my life. In this final pod essay, I will be going over four skills and concepts that are the most critical in the working world. I will then discuss my answer to the question posed at the beginning of this course, “What does it mean to be an ethical communicator?” I will go over a discussion that challenged my belief of right and wrong, and finally, will lay out my communication goals for the future.
The first communication skill that I believe is important in the workplace is skepticism. Rothwell defines skepticism as “a process of listening to claims, evaluating evidence and reasoning supporting those claims, and drawing conclusions …show more content…
For me that discussion was discussion number 4. This was the discussion on the video and accompanying article “Making Ends Meet”. When discussing such a emotionally and politically charged topic, the ethics of communication quickly become apparent. The challenging thing about this discussion was the assumption that in a given situation there is a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’. This is not to say that there is a generalization of right and wrong, because it is easily agreed upon that each situation is unique. Instead, I mean that in a given situation, the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ can be a large gray area. When discussing a situation like the economic disparity in the world, there really is no right or wrong. This challenged me because it makes it impossible to come to a conclusion or judgment of the situation, or about what should be done.
So what does being an ethical communicator mean? Since there is not necessarily a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in a given situation, I have come to the conclusion that it has nothing to do with right and wrong at all. In chapter 1, Rothwell states that “Communication is the central focus of our existence. ” (Rothwell, 4) What it means to be an ethical communicator, is simply to be a competent communicator. With communication competence comes less conflict, and overall better interactions with others, so competent communication is
The first communication skill that I believe is important in the workplace is skepticism. Rothwell defines skepticism as “a process of listening to claims, evaluating evidence and reasoning supporting those claims, and drawing conclusions …show more content…
For me that discussion was discussion number 4. This was the discussion on the video and accompanying article “Making Ends Meet”. When discussing such a emotionally and politically charged topic, the ethics of communication quickly become apparent. The challenging thing about this discussion was the assumption that in a given situation there is a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’. This is not to say that there is a generalization of right and wrong, because it is easily agreed upon that each situation is unique. Instead, I mean that in a given situation, the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ can be a large gray area. When discussing a situation like the economic disparity in the world, there really is no right or wrong. This challenged me because it makes it impossible to come to a conclusion or judgment of the situation, or about what should be done.
So what does being an ethical communicator mean? Since there is not necessarily a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in a given situation, I have come to the conclusion that it has nothing to do with right and wrong at all. In chapter 1, Rothwell states that “Communication is the central focus of our existence. ” (Rothwell, 4) What it means to be an ethical communicator, is simply to be a competent communicator. With communication competence comes less conflict, and overall better interactions with others, so competent communication is