Communication Difficulties: Reflective Analysis Using Gibbs Model

This reflective journal delves into the complexities of communication, exploring the challenges and difficulties that can arise in various contexts. The student uses the Gibbs reflective cycle to analyze a personal experience as a customer relationship executive, where they faced multiple customer complaints simultaneously. The journal meticulously describes the scenario, the feelings experienced, and an evaluation of the situation. It then analyzes the communication barriers encountered, such as attitude barriers and the impact of emotions. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of effective communication skills, respect for different perspectives, and the establishment of mutual trust. Finally, an action plan is developed to address similar issues in the future, focusing on building understanding and efficient communication strategies. The journal highlights the challenges in mastering effective communication and the significance of adapting communication styles to diverse situations, reinforcing the need for continuous improvement in professional development.

0COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
Introduction
In this reflective journal I have analyzed and evaluated the various aspects connected
with effective communication skills that make communication a difficult process. I definitely
agree with the notion that communication is a difficult skill. The reasons are provided through
detailed analysis of the various problems that are associated with communication. The Gibbs
model is used for better understanding of the issues and I have obviously related some of my
own life scenarios in which I have experienced communicational difficulties. The Gibbs
reflective cycle proposed by Gibbs in 1988 provides a 6 stage process of reflection (Finlay
2008). This can be used for further analysis of communicational difficulties that are the focus of
the study.
Gibbs Model and Difficulties in communication
During the course I came to know about the Gibbs model of reflective cycle. According
to this model the reflective process of an individual can be divided into 6 essential stages that can
also be arranged in a cycle. The first stage is description of any happening, the second is feelings
related to the given happening, the third is the evaluation of what happened, the fourth is analysis
of the occurrence, the fifth is the conclusion that can be derived and the last is the action plan.
Action plan is concerned with how to deal with issues that have been identified from the
happening in the future (Boud, Keogh and Walker 1985). Communication is a difficult process
as it involves the passing of information regarding one’s feelings, understandings and a wide
range of other aspects (Gollust 2016). Effectively communicating these things can be a tough
task as it can involve the usage of complex language and describing certain elements or scenarios
that might be very difficult to altogether put in words. Hence, communication requires skills that

2COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
might take a lot of time to develop depending upon individual abilities and perceptions
(Finlayson 2015).
Description
I may now put forward a scenario of my personal life that can help to effectively analyze
situations, contexts and issues that contribute towards making communication a difficult skill.
While doing the course I enrolled in an internship as a customer relationship executive at a store.
My job role was to develop good relationships with the customers and help them in resolving
their issues and other concerns in regards to the products they bought from the store. The store
essentially sold with kitchen appliances and cooking utensils. At one time there were a lot of
issues with the products and I had to handle many customer complaints. Exactly one day at this
time three customers came to me with their complaints at the same time. Two of them had issues
with the microwaves they bought and one had an issue with a mixer grinder. The situation
became extremely difficult as two of them were very irate and started giving threats of
approaching the consumer forum. I got extremely nervous at the time and more so as there were
not many people around to handle the situation. I was taken aback and started to mindlessly
apologize without having any clue as to what else I can say to the customers. This went for some
time as my supervisor finally rescued me. I had to take the rest of the day off as this was quite a
bit of a shock.
Feelings
I felt extremely bad as I thought I had failed in my job. The feelings worsened with time
as I began to think of ways in which the communication could have been made more effective to
handle the customers in a better way. I even wanted to leave the job as I thought being a

3COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
customer relationship worker is not an easy task and similar situations would keep on arising
from time to time. In regards to my communication skills, I felt that it might not be possible to
develop them optimally enough to provide better performances in the future. I was very shocked
and wished to talk to somebody concerning the situation that I encountered. I felt much
heartbroken and emotionally fatigued at the same time.
Evaluation
The next stage of my reflective process was evaluation. I understood that communication
becomes a very difficult task especially due to the varied contexts in which it has to be
effectively used. It is important to communicate the right thing at the right time and this skill is
hard to master (Baker and Warren 2015). I spoke with some fellow interns and my supervisors
who told me that this is quite a natural scenario for any new person at the job to face. I began to
understand that with time I can work hard towards improving my communication levels.
According to my supervisor it is a normal process and part of the experience that one gains at the
workplace.
Analysis
What I was able to understand that communication skills are much required aspects in
any given work environment. Since businesses and services depend mostly on communication it
is important to have good communication levels, especially in jobs such as customer
relationships. However, this is difficult to master (Effectivecommunicationadvice.com 2018).
Other than informal communication with customers, communication within teams are also
difficult. The most common errors are assumption of task being covered by colleagues or
seniors. Self-editing is also an important skill. It implies editing communication in order to make

4COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
it safer and free from negative consequences. Being unprepared for communication at a specific
scenario is a crucial difficulty (Aede.osu.edu 2018). Added to this usage of the wrong tools for
communication and oversharing could lead to failure in communication. I understood that these
are the aspects that make communication a difficult process. The most important communication
barrier that affected me in the scenario was attitude barrier where my personal emotions came in
between me and the customers and I failed to make the communication effective (Stryker 2018).
Conclusion
Considering essentially what I have been able to gather from the reflective process it can
be said that effective communication requires much time to master due to the various factors that
affect it. The most significant aspect that governs communicational needs are the personal point
of views of various people (Stryker 2018). In communication these point of views have to be
both respected and rationally argued in order to reach significant terms on which both the
communicating parties can agree. I had to do the same thing in order to effectively handle the
customers. I needed to establish a common communicational level and resolve the queries of the
customers thereafter.
Action plan
The action plan that I think will help me to tackle similar issue that may arise in the
future is to create a good level of understanding of various situations that may arise.
Communication becomes difficult when discrepancies arise in communication levels (Tenzer,
Pudelko and Harzing 2014). Hence, I will try to develop skills that will help me to first establish
a relationship of mutual trust and then communicate effectively concerning the need of the

5COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
situation. From hence forward the action plan I would like to implement will be in regards to the
establishment of efficient levels of communication.
Conclusion
In all, it can be said that the Gibbs model provides an effective framework for reflecting
upon a scenario that has taken place and reach effective conclusion through the systematic
analysis of the given situation. Communication is difficult skill to understand and master simply
due to its wide scope. Communication helps to establish essential relationship between people
and this can be a tough task as people tend to have different perspectives. Moreover, external
factors such as noise, ineffective mediums, ambiguity and personal capabilities make it further
difficult.

6COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
References
Aede.osu.edu. (2018). [online] Available at:
https://aede.osu.edu/sites/aede/files/publication_files/Overcoming%20Barriers%20to
%20Communication.pdf
Baker, T. and Warren, A., 2015. The Nine Common Barriers to Communication.
In Conversations at Work (pp. 54-74). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Boud, D., Keogh, R. and Walker, D., 1985. Promoting reflection in learning: A
model. Reflection: Turning experience into learning, pp.18-40.
Effectivecommunicationadvice.com. (2018). Barriers to Effective Communication. [online]
Available at: http://effectivecommunicationadvice.com/barriers
Finlay, L., 2008. Reflecting on reflective practice. PBPL paper, 52, pp.1-27.
Finlayson, A., 2015. Reflective practice: has it really changed over time?. Reflective
Practice, 16(6), pp.717-730.
Gollust, S., 2016. Improving population health in a politicized world: Understanding and
overcoming communication barriers.
Lowden, K., Hall, S., Elliot, D. and Lewin, J., 2011. Employers’ perceptions of the employability
skills of new graduates. London: Edge Foundation.
Stryker, S.R., 2018. Language Barriers to Gender Equity in Senior Executive
Leadership. Journal of Management Policy & Practice, 19(1).

7COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
Tenzer, H., Pudelko, M. and Harzing, A.W., 2014. The impact of language barriers on trust
formation in multinational teams. Journal of International Business Studies, 45(5), pp.508-535.

8COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
Reference links
https://aede.osu.edu/sites/aede/files/publication_files/Overcoming%20Barriers%20to
%20Communication.pdf
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137534187_5
https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=XuBEAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA18&dq=gibbs+model+of+reflection&ots=Tu_p0Nnd6S&si
g=JhdEmlan86MWAmX9D1rDVAyp-zA
http://effectivecommunicationadvice.com/barriers
https://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/sites/www.open.ac.uk.opencetl/files/files/ecms/web-content/
Finlay-(2008)-Reflecting-on-reflective-practice-PBPL-paper-52.pdf
https://sisu.ut.ee/sites/default/files/opikasitus/files/
finlayson_2015._reflective_practice_has_it_really_changed_over_time.pdf
http://isr.umich.edu/cps/events/Gollust_20160610.pdf
https://curve.coventry.ac.uk/cu/file/2dea66b1-301a-4abb-97e5-8cbb0012bee5/1/Employers
%20Perceptions%20of%20the%20Employability%20Skills%20of%20new%20graduates.pdf
http://www.na-businesspress.com/JMPP/JMPP19-1/StrykerSR_19_1.pdf
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2050312116652567