Reflective Essay on Effective Communication & Improving Performance

This reflective essay discusses the importance of effective communication and its impact on improving performance. It explores a specific situation in which the author demonstrated effective communication skills and how it influenced their performance, behavior, and experience. The essay follows Driscoll's model of reflection (1994).

A Reflective Essay about Effective Communication & Improving Performance,
& how this influenced my Performance, behaviour & experience
This piece of reflective writing utilises Driscoll’s model of reflection (1994).
Here I will discuss my experiences at work/in education (WHICH OF THESE
TWO DO YOU WRITE ABOUT? WORK, OR EDUCATION?) where I demonstrate
effective communication, and the process that enabled me to improve my
performance, in the table below:
Part A
1. What? 350 words
A description of the situation or event
Description of a situation or event which
enabled you to improve performance because
of effective communication
What is/was the Purpose?
The purpose of the activity was to demonstrate
appropriate and effective communication skills
within the organisation in relation to being a
manager within a restaurant company. Within this,
an business dinner was to be organised which
would have been subjected towards appropriate
performance enhancement. Along with this,
communication was to be established with a team
of individuals working towards organising this
event (Zhang, 2019).
What happened in the
event/scenario?
Within the event, it was required that appropriate
communication and management is organised
which would be contributing in development of an
infrastructure that was suitable to make this event
a big success. Furthermore, it was expected that
each member of the team worked with effective
coordination in order to prepare the meal, setting
up an environment and adhere to the expectations
of the individuals for whom the dinner was
organised by the restaurant.
What did I see/do during the
event?
I was required to manage all the resources within
the firm, along with indulging into several practices
which required effective planning, staffing,
directing and controlling. Moreover, I was
responsible for creating a multi-cultural team who
would be handling different tasks that were
required to develop the event and satisfy the
customers in an appropriate and effective manner.
At first, my reaction towards the event was quite

What was my reaction to it? anxious and nervous, as I have never been
engaged in something this big. Moreover, it was
my first time in dealing with a team of multi-cultural
staff members that were supposed to work on this
event. However, as I progressed through the
different stages of its organisation, I became more
confident in relation to having this event organised
in an appropriate and desirable manner.
What did other people do that
were involved in this?
There was a group of individuals who were
distributed amongst different departments, such as
kitchen, maintenance, organising the event, setting
up the creative essentials, work towards the light
and sound operations, as well as serve the
customers with effective meals that would appease
them more.
How did they react or what
did they do as a result of it?
All the individuals within the event were very much
excited to be a part of this happening. Moreover,
they were also anxious in relation to performing at
their level best to make this event a success. The
result of the same, they undertook respective
training in context of their job roles as a result of
being a part of this.
2. So What? 350 words Analyse the Event
How did I feel at the time of
the event?
At the time of event, it felt really optimistic as I
realised that I have several necessary
communication and management abilities that
were supposed to be possessed effectively as a
result to this event. Moreover, I was quite amused
because of leading a team of competent
individuals who possessed necessary knowledge
and competencies that were necessary for the
event.
Were those feelings I had any
different from other people
who were involved at the
time?
In my opinion, the feelings were not very much
different than those who were involved at the time.
Furthermore, all our feelings and mindsets were
very much aligned during the whole event (Lee,
Son & Kim, 2016).
Are my feelings now, after the
event, any different from what
I experienced at the time?
After the event, I realised that there are many
aspects that are yet to be accomplished by me to
communicate and lead in a better manner.
However, my feeling is still same for future projects
and events as I will be getting an opportunity to
showcase these skills effectively.

Do I still feel troubled, if so, in
what way?
I feel troubled on several aspects related to the
project. One such aspect is that multi-cultural
communication is quite complex in nature and
requires a deep knowledge about different
societies, their dialect and mind frame, which was
not quite accurately judged by me while I provided
them with necessary instructions.
What were the effects of what
I did or did not do?
I provided necessary instructions to individuals for
their daily tasks. However, due to the complexities
and my weaker communication, it lead to more
time towards organising the event effectively.
What positive aspects now
emerge for me from the event
that happened in practice?
From the project, there were several positive
elements that emerged out of it. For instance, I
realised that a collective and assertive approach to
communication works best to motivate multi-
cultural teams. Moreover, I assessed my
competence within communication and acquired
an insight of how best different situations could be
handled while engaging in multicultural
communication.
What have I noticed about my
behaviour in practice by
taking a more measured look
at it?
Throughout the event, I noticed that mostly my
behaviour was normal and optimistic as I feel it
maintains the motivation and engagement of
subordinates. However, I sometimes got frustrated
when the employees did not work as per the
instructions, as no feedback was provided to me in
relation to understanding the instructions.
What observations does any
person helping me to reflect
on my practice make of the
way I acted at the time?
There was another colleague who was supposed
to assist me through this aspect and according to
her, I am required to give more time towards
enhancing my knowledge on acquiring feedback
within communication and towards assessing
different cultural values, which would be allowing
me to communicate with them in a better manner
(Lee, Lee & Suh, 2016).
Part B
3. Now What? 300 words Proposed actions following the event
What are the implications for
others and me in practice,
As per the description and analysis, the implication
for me within this practice is that I am required to
work more effectively towards improving my

based on what I have
described and analysed?
performance towards cross cultural
communication. As for others, they are also
required to follow principles of communication and
provide necessary feedbacks (Schneider & et. al.,
2017).
Will it make a difference if I
choose to do nothing?
It will make a difference if I choose to do nothing
as in order to improve my performance, I am
required to indulge into several training and
development programmes that is necessary for
improvement.
Where can I get information
from, if I were to face a
similar situation again?
If I face the similar situation again, I will be
acquiring appropriate information from my seniors,
as well as professionals within communication.
Do I need help to assist me to
‘action’ the results of my
reflections?
Yes, I definitely need help In accessing assistance
towards my actions that are required to be taken
by me to improvise the performance. They would
be giving me constructive feedbacks that is
necessary for better improvisation.
Which aspect/s should be
addressed first?
The cross cultural communication, along with
principles of communication within my
performance are required to be addressed first as I
failed to adopt and implement the same effectively.
How will I know if I am
different in clinical practice?
It would require me to be appropriately be in touch
with the professionals within the field to know how
different I am in context of communication in the
field (Obermaisser, 2018).
What is the main learning that
I can take from reflecting on
my practice?
Through reflecting on my practice, the main
learning which I can take from the same is that it is
necessary for individuals to follow the principles of
communication along with necessary training to
ensure better application within the same.
In conclusion this essay I have described a time when I…(WHAT IS THIS WORK
ABOUT?). After reflecting, I feel…(HOW DO YOU FEEL AFTER REFLECTING?)
List of References
Driscoll. J. (1994). Reflective practice of practice. Senior nurse. Vol.13 Jan/Feb.47-
50
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Lee, S. B., Lee, S. C., & Suh, Y. H. (2016). Technostress from mobile
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Obermaisser, R. (Ed.). (2018). Time-triggered communication. CRC Press.
Schneider, D. J., & et. al. (2017). Mechanisms and modulation of microvesicle
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Zhang, J. (2019). The dynamic linkage between information and communication
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