Developing Communication Skills: A Reflection Essay for Professionals

This essay presents a student's reflection on their experience in a hotel receptionist role, focusing on the development and application of effective communication skills. The essay utilizes Driscoll's Model of Reflection to analyze the student's experiences, including the 'What?,' 'So What?,' and...Read More

Preparing for Success – Knowledge &
Creativity

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Part A ..............................................................................................................................................3
You are required to write an essay, which must be based on either a job or education
experience (current or previous). The essay should demonstrate your experience of effective
communication and the process that enabled you to improve your performance. (Approx. 700
words). Here you must utilise Driscoll's Model of Reflection. .............................................3
Part B...............................................................................................................................................5
You need to add a reflection of how working and communicating in a professional or
academic context mentioned in “Part A” has influenced your individual performance,
behaviour and experience. (Approx. 300 words)...................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
Reference.........................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Reflection is known as the evaluation and analysis of own skills and abilities in order to
improve the work. The model used in the following report for analysing skills and abilities is
Driscoll model. This is very important for an individual to analyse his or her abilities for
improving the performance and skills (Borich, 2016). In the present report, reflection of an
individual is presented. There is discussion on the improvement of her skills and abilities.
Part A
You are required to write an essay, which must be based on either a job or education experience
(current or previous). The essay should demonstrate your experience of effective
communication and the process that enabled you to improve your performance. (Approx.
700 words). Here you must utilise Driscoll's Model of Reflection.
Communication is a very important skill that is present among the individuals for doing
great work. It is essential for people to do work effectively and use the communication properly.
The Driscoll model is defined as the model of reflection and it is one of the simplest model for
writing experience of an individual while writing the experience. This model was given in the
year 1994, 2004 and 2007. There are basically three steps included in this model -
 What?
 So What?
 Now what?

There are some advantages and disadvantages of Driscol model of reflection. This model
is beneficial for all individuals who need quick results. This model helps in analysing the present
skills and scenario of the person. This tells what are the different abilities and skills a person has
developed after starting any new job or doing a new task or activity. For the beginners, this
model is very effective as it provides a good evaluation and analysis regarding the skills and
abilities of the individual. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages of Driscoll model.
The main problem with this model is there is need for deeper reflection to do strong analysis.
When an individual needs preparing of extensive and layered reflection, The person cannot use
this model.
Experience is known as the best teacher. There are various things which can studied and
learnt in classrooms. Reflective practise helps to know the best way for formal academic study.
The reflection helps in learning which is a life long process. The Driscoll model is helpful for
ensuring in gaining of knowledge and challenge new ideas as well as concepts. The reflection is
helpful in personal growth and developing different ways for responding in future effectively.
Having an experience in hotel as a receptionist required to have good communication skills and
customer service (Kurtz, Draper, and Silverman, 2017). Reflection is written for achieving the
change within practise, and doing work effectively by not repeating similar mistakes. The main
aspect of Driscoll model is for evaluating the performance and skill. The three things on which
reflection focuses are events, self evaluation and self analysis. The Driscoll model is helpful to
analyse all the skills and abilities effectively. For any individual who want to have good
evaluation as well as analysis of his or her own skills, Driscoll model is best. It is beneficial for
people to actually know what are the flaws they were having and now how they have developed
their skills. Performance analysis provides an opportunity for managing and handling the work
performed as there is proper management of what to do and how to do. The main thing that is
considered while writing reflection is that all the skills and abilities developed will be analysed.
It is very important for an individual to realise what are the different skills needed by an
individual for doing his or her job role perfectly (Guo, 2017). It is important for people to
analyse what is needed for making improvements that will help to manage work in efficient
manner. As the job role of receptionist needs the most important skill which is communication, it
is seen that a good receptionist can attain goals by improving the communication skill.

Part B
You need to add a reflection of how working and communicating in a professional or academic
context mentioned in “Part A” has influenced your individual performance, behaviour and
experience. (Approx. 300 words).
A description of the situation or event - As in the given case, it is given that I am working
as a receptionist at a multinational hotel, I require lot of skills that will help in managing and
greeting customers for making them happy (Lloyd, Bor, and Noble, 2018). The main motive of
me as a receptionist was to improve my skills especially communication skills so that I can be
comfortable with customers and they will have good experience.
Analyse the Event - In the college days, I was taught to have good communication skills
for excelling in my job role. But when actually I had to do work as a receptionist, I got to know
how much it is important to improve my communication for bridging gaps between customers.
People visit hotel for relaxing from the hectic life and stay away from all tensions for some time.
The duty of a receptionist is to make this stay unforgettable. Customers are provided great
experience by greeting them properly and providing them good service. I have good
communication skills and this has helped me to work effectively. I can talk to people in efficient
manner. I know three languages English, French and Spanish. This has helped me to work
effectively and offer my customers and clients in effective manner. I have good communication
skills and this has helped me to do work effectively (Master, Loeb, Whitney, and Wyckoff,
2016).
Proposed actions following the event -The main benefit of communication skill is to meet
people and make them comfortable. This helps them to share their problems effectively. I am
able to do my job roles in less time by having all these skills. As a receptionist, I have to direct
guests and solve their queries. Also, other roles include notifying other staff about the new
customers. I have to ensure that office is secure and the logbook is kept updated every time
(Mercer-Mapstone, and Kuchel, 2017). I have to make sure that reception area is clean and
security as well as telecommunication system are working properly. My good communication
skills helps in managing work properly and achieving the organisational goals.
Reflection has helped me to analyse my job role effectively. It is important or me to
analyse my skills and abilities so that I will improve my capabilities. I am able to analyse my

roles and responsibilities of receptionist by doing my analysis. I have good communication skills
and this has helped me to do work properly as receptionist.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it is analysed that communication skills are important for
achieving success in work. Receptionist’s job role is to make sure that work is done effectively
and customers are greeted in effective manner. Reflection is known as analysis that will help in
analysis self- performance.

Reference
Books & Journals
Borich, G.D., 2016. Observation skills for effective teaching: research-based practice. Routledge.
Cottrell, S., 2017. Critical thinking skills: Effective analysis, argument and reflection. Macmillan
International Higher Education.
Guo, C., 2017. Effective Skills for the Implementation of Senior High School History Classroom
Teaching. The Science Education Article Collects, (9), p.50.
Kurtz, S., Draper, J. and Silverman, J., 2017. Teaching and learning communication skills in
medicine. CRC press.
Lloyd, M., Bor, R. and Noble, L.M., 2018. Clinical communication skills for medicine. Elsevier
Health Sciences.
Master, B., Loeb, S., Whitney, C. and Wyckoff, J., 2016. Different skills? Identifying
differentially effective teachers of English language learners. The Elementary School
Journal, 117(2), pp.261-284.
Mercer-Mapstone, L. and Kuchel, L., 2017. Core skills for effective science communication: A
teaching resource for undergraduate science education. International Journal of Science
Education, Part B, 7(2), pp.181-201.