Communication Skills: Diagnosis, Reflection, and Action Plan

This essay delves into the multifaceted aspects of communication, examining both theoretical frameworks and practical applications. The author begins by reflecting on their communication abilities using various diagnostic tools such as the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Questionnaire and the Talkaholic Scale, identifying areas for improvement. The essay then explores two key communication issues: challenges in intercultural communication and a perceived lack of argumentative skills. Personal anecdotes illustrate these issues, highlighting the impact of cultural differences and the difficulties in advocating for oneself. A review of relevant literature follows, drawing on critical thinking skills and argumentative behavior to address the identified problems. The author discusses the importance of organizing information, structuring reasoning, and gathering evidence to enhance argumentative skills. The essay concludes by outlining an action plan, aiming to improve intercultural communication and develop stronger argumentative capabilities. The overall goal is to enhance professional development and improve communication effectiveness.

Running head: ESSAY
ESSAY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ESSAY
Introduction
Communication can be described as an effective tool which plays a major role in
determining how an individual needs to interact with other people present in the given scenario.
The given essay will be discussing the different aspects of communication aspects and analyze
the same using theoretical as well as practical examples. Communication in business plays an
effective role and it is very important for the business to ensure that they communicate
effectively and present their case in business domains so that they are able to crack the deal
(Broadbent, 2013). Hence, it lies the duty of the individual and the university to train the
different students and assist them in acquiring the different communication skills.
The given essay follows a structured format whereby the different components of the
communication have been discussed. The given assignment comprises of a diagnosis and
reflection of the various tools which I had undertaken previously. The second part is a review of
literature whereby the different communication issues which had been identified earlier will be
discussed. The last part is an action plan whereby the different courses and steps taken by me
will be effectively recorded.
Diagnosis and Reflection
Analysis of diagnostic tools and Findings
For the purpose of personal analysis, I made use of five diagnostic tools to analyze my
communication ability (Coombs, 2014). These tools were as follows; Self-Perceived
Communication Competence Questionnaire, Personal Report of Intercultural Communication
Apprehension, Non Verbal Immediacy Scale Self Report, Talkaholic Scale and the Tolerance for

2ESSAY
Disagreement. Each of these scales possess the capability of examining the different aspects of
my personality and went a long way in assisting me to understand the various requirements in
communication which I would be required to undertake.
As stated earlier, for my personal analysis I made use of five different tools in order to
analyze the communication in different scenarios. In the first tool which was the Self-Perceived
Communication Competence Questionnaire I got a score of 76. The given tool is generally used
to indicate the manner in which people make use of their own communication competence when
they are confronted by situations where there are a wide variety of receivers present to undertake
the information.
The second tool which I undertook was the Personal Report of Communication
Apprehension which tends to measure an individual’s feelings and his easiness when the
individual communicates with people belonging to a varied cultural and diverse background. The
score reflects how an individual would behave in scenarios where he would require to undertake
an action. I got a score of 14 in this aspect (Habermas, 2015).
The third tool which I used for analysis is the tool of Non Verbal Immediacy Scale Self
Report. The given tool is a tool which helps in the analysis of non-immediacy. The non-
immediacy can be described as powerful indicators which help in indication of the cues which
help in indication of the positive feelings towards another person. The given tool has more
diverse items and hence for this purpose it tends to have a greater validity. The scores of male
and female are different in the given aspect. In the given tool, I achieved a score of 101 which is
relatively on the higher side.

3ESSAY
The fourth tool which I use was the Talkaholic Scale which determines the measurement
of compulsive communication. It is believed that some people or individuals are driven to talk
more than others and they cannot stay quiet for a very long time. These group of people need to
be differentiated from the ones who are labelled as talking too much because they are different
and these people speak sense and others like to listen to them as well. People scoring 30-39 are
borderline talkaholics whereas below the score are the ones who can usually control themselves.
A score below 30 is ideal. The compulsive communicators are the ones with scores above 40. In
the given aspect, I achieved a score of 27
The last tool which I used from the diagnostic tool set was the tool of Tolerance for
Disagreement. The given tool has been popularly designed to measure the degree to which an
individual can tolerate or communicate politely to another individual who reflects upon what the
first individual believes to be true. It is often believed that the individuals may not agree with one
another in this regard however, generally people with high argumentativeness tend to
disagree with others more often than the ones with lower argumentativeness. When an individual
scores above 46 in the given scale he seems to possess a high tolerance for disagreement whereas
when he scores low the tolerance is low as well. I got a score above 50 in this domain which
reflected that I had a good tolerance for disagreement which means I am not that argumentative
in nature.
The results which I received from the various questionnaires were quite accurate and
through these tools I came to know about my communication style as well as preference.
According to the results I could understand that I am most comfortable when talking to my
closed ones and possess the fear of talking in public. In the same manner on the other hand,
though the intercultural measurement dimension tool I understood that I need to improve upon

4ESSAY
my intercultural communication, Furthermore, I got to know that I have a high tolerance for
disagreement and generally prefer listening to talking more. In the Talkaholic meter I scored a
low score which helped me in understanding that I am not a talkaholic.
Hence, from the given tools it could be figured out that the two main areas that I need to
concentrate on are areas related to improving my intercultural communication and inability to
present my argument in front of others.
Two communication issues
In the previous section, I reflected upon the findings that were undertaken from the
diagnostic tools and the two major issues which were identified were related to the inability to
communicate effectively for intercultural people who seem to belong to a different culture than
that of mine. My communication apprehension becomes primarily a concern and one of the
communication problems.
The second problems which I identified was the problem related to the lack of
argumentative skills. Although I believe that a low score in the given dimension can be
considered to be fairly accurate, however this is not the case. In a business environment it
becomes extremely important for any business to reflect upon the different negotiation and
arguments which take place. They go a long way in helping the individual to understand the real
game of business. If an individual is unable to understand the primary context behind it then he
or she might not be able to given in their whole effort.
Hence, in areas of improvement I would like to improve in the two given aspects.
Reflecting upon personal incidents

5ESSAY
Hence, as I identified that I face problems with respect to two scenarios which are the
scenarios relating to communicating with intercultural people and unable to present m argument.
I will be narrating to personal experiences in the given section which further strengthen the
argument that I require development in the two given areas.
Once when I was visiting a restaurant outside of my country, I wanted to place an order at
the counter. However the individual present behind the counter did not understand what I wanted
to say and as he belonged a culture which was different from one, he insisted on being clear so
that he was able to understand what I needed. However, I was not accustomed to the accent and
was unable to understand his demands (Utzinger et al., 2015). This fear in me made me fled
away from the restaurant and I could not face the individual even though he was just trying to be
helpful and assist me in taking my order. While purchasing other items as well, I am unable to
deal with people who are differently cultured and this often leads to frustration and anger in me.
The second example of the scenario, where I faced communication issues is related to the
time when I was working in a group project with some of my classmates. With a relatively high
score in tolerance for disagreement and low argumentative nature, I was unable to stand for
myself. The leaders and other members present in the team tried to conspire against me and they
stated down various requirements in front of me, which became necessary for me to abide by.
Secondly, while dividing the group project, I was given a part which I was no comfortable in
(Ruesch et al., 2017). This further lead to a problem in my scores as I was not comfortable in
doing the section of the project which was allotted to me and this lead to a further deficiency in
my image in front of the given colleagues and my tutors as well. I believe that as I am not
argumentative in nature, this is often taken up as a negative point in my personality and I often

6ESSAY
face problems due to this. However, this should not be the case as I believe, I am unable to argue
because I believe that peace is the right path and this is what gets misunderstood.
Review of Literature
The given section will be consisting of relevant literature with respect to the two
communication issues which were identified. The review will be based on relative theories and
frameworks which shall help in identification of relevant aspects. I will be using relative authors
for the review in order to be successful in identifying the issues and the probable theoretical
solutions for the given scenario.
Critical thinking skills
One of the major issues being identified is the above reflection is the presence of non-
argumentative behavior that is leading to the issues in between the business deals and
interactions with others. In this case, there are number of opinions and theories being given by
different authors that can help in overcoming the challenges (Cocks et al., 2014). According to
Dwyer, Hogan and Stewart (2014), the most effective measure or concept that should be
followed in this becoming more argumentative is initiating the critical thinking skills. This is due
to the reason that initiation of the critical thinking skills will help the person to have enough
argumentative data or information that can be used as evidence in the time of the business deals
or interactions. The authors have also stated that non argumentative behavior of the students or
anyone emerges when they do not have enough evidence in relation to the particular case. Thus,
it is important for me to effectively organize the information in relation to the issue or case. The
next step according to the authors is to structure the reasoning for the respective information or
data. The more reasons can be gathered, the more will be the options to open up in the time of

7ESSAY
the interactions with different arguments. Moreover, as per the authors, it is also important to
have evidence for every reasons or arguments due to the reason that without the use of evidence,
the reliability and authenticity of the arguments will get reduced. Thus, it is also important for
me to have the proper evidence for my arguments. If I can come up with proper evidence, then it
will become easier for me to convey my opinions in the time of the business deals or
interactions.
Organizing information
Structuring information
Garnering evidences
Conveying opinion
Diverse knowledge and
information
Argumentative behavior

8ESSAY
Enhancement of knowledge
Another view regarding the initiation of the argumentative skills is given by McNeill,
Gonzalez-Howard, Katsh-Singer and Loper (2016). According to them, one of the major and
most effective ways to initiate the argumentative behavior is go have the access to larger, vast
and diverse set of knowledge. This is due to the reason that according to the authors, it is
important for the particular entity to have the diverse knowledge in order to come up with
diverse set of arguments. It is also being stated by the authors that the major challenges faced by
the students or any others in time of argumentation is the pseudo-argumentation. This refers to
the concept of initiating the argumentation without having proper knowledge domain behind it.
Thus, according to the authors, lack of knowledge will lead to the ineffective argumentation
process. It is also being stated by the authors that there are number of instances where the fear of
not having enough knowledge as evidence caused barrier in the initiation process of
argumentative behavior. Thus it is important for me to gather and garner enough and more
diverse set of knowledge in order to come up with more authentic and effective arguments.
Moreover, it will also help in overcoming the fear of lack of evidences if I have the access to
more set of knowledge.
Intercultural communication and stereotyping
In the previous reflection section, it is also identified that ineffectiveness in dealing with
people from other cultures is one of the major challenges for me. In this case, one of the most
effective measures is stated by Castaneda and Bateh (2013). According to them, the first and
most primary step in overcoming the challenge of dealing with people from other cultures is
mitigating the concept of stereotyping (Laske et al., 2015). This is due to the reason that
according to the authors, in the majority of the cases people tends to stereotype different cultures

9ESSAY
and this caused fluctuation impression or perception among them. For instance, if someone
perceives that a person from another particular culture will be harmful only due to the reason that
he is from a certain culture, then at the very first stage of communication process, the
environment will be negative and not favorable. Thus, according to the authors, it is important
for the communicators to not stereotype different cultures in order to not have any pre-
determined perception. This will help in having effective communication with the people from
different cultures from the initial stage. Therefore, it can be concluded that if I have to reduce my
ineffectiveness in communicating with the people from different cultures then I should not
stereotype and initiate the communication process in more flexible manner.
Choice of language and speaking skills
According to House (2014), in the case of intercultural communication, it is important for
the involved stakeholders to have the effective and proper use of language and speaking tone.
This is due to the reason that in the process of intercultural communication, language plays an
important role in creating negative or positive impression. The authors have also stated that
improper use and lack of knowledge in different set of languages will deter the communicator to
initiate the effective process of intercultural communication. Same language and speaking tone
may have different meanings in different cultures. Thus, it is important for the communicators to
have the knowledge of different knowledge prior to the initiation of the intercultural
communication. The authors have also stated that in different cases, communicators face the
challenge in the intercultural communication process due to the fact that they do not have the
idea about how to use different and proper language that will help to effectively and properly
communicate the message to the target audience (Marinho et al., 2017). Thus, the
communicators should have the diverse skills of language in order to communicate properly with

10ESSAY
the people from different cultures. In the case of mine, I should also initiate the process of
garnering more skills regarding the use of proper set of language and vocabulary along with the
proper use of speaking skills. If I have these skills, then it will be more beneficial for me to
overcome the challenges in intercultural communication process.
Therefore from the above review of literature it could be identified that, these two
relative issues which are being faced by me form an essential aspect of the characteristics which
an individual is required to possess and thus for this purpose, it becomes relatively important for
an individual to ensure that the right skills are present in him (Interpersonal Communication in
Workplace: Importance, 2015). I have identified that I will be required to improve upon these
skills and undertake relevant classes for the same. Therefore, the given section will be discussing
the various skills and courses which I will be undertaking in the next six months along with the
time frame for each and the performance measurement techniques (Viterbi & Omura, 2013).
According to me, undertaking the given skills will go a long way in assisting me to achieve my
targets in a right manner and be able to achieve the success which is very important, in today`s
business scenario.
Action Plan
The action plan which has been created is as follows. The first step which I have
identified is that I will be keeping a journal. The given journal would go a long way in assisting
me to achieve my target and also be helpful in helping me to target my progress (Wenger, 2014).
Through the given journal, I will be able to track my progress and understand where the gap
actually lies in the given domain.

11ESSAY
The given journal would also help in acting as a measurement tool which shall assist in
guiding and acting as a token of how I started on this journey to development and where I have
reached till date. The given plan has been formed for a mere period of six months. Although I
believe that six months is quite a short span of time and that I must be able to effectively
continue the learning process for a larger span of time but this will not be the case and I need to
have certain well defined targets for the framework for future planning.
The next thing which I aim to do in the given scenario is appointing a mentor to track my
progress. Through the mentor`s guidance and expertise I will be able to overcome my disabilities
which are a lack of cultural communication skills and the lack in argumentative nature. Although
I scored a moderate score of 50 in the Tolerance for Disagreement scale, I believe that I can
perform a lot better in future. Hence, I aim to hire Jack Phil as a mentor who holds a Professional
Diploma in Intercultural Coaching and has over 15 years of working experience. He will be
assisting me and tracking my progress in the given field.
Under his guidance, I plan to participate in an 8 week training program which will help
me to improve my communication skills and help me to attain relevant skills which shall assist
me in understanding how to interact with the different cultured people. When I will be attending
these classes, I will also be meeting different cultured people who will then help me in being able
to communicate freely with one another (De Vries, Bakker-Pieper & Oostenveld, 2010).
I also plan to read other books like Intercultural Communication in context by Martin and
Nakayayama. I plan to read another book named Communication persuasion by Hovlind and
Janis. These books would go along ay in assisting me to build my argumentative skills as well as
remove my fear of cultural barriers.

12ESSAY
Furthermore, after the given course stated above, I have planned to enroll myself in
another course provided by a private tutor the given tutor is known to have a long experience in
teaching students how to ace in arguments and communications without having an impact on the
personal relationships. I believe that this shall assist me in maintaining relationships (Hartman &
McCambridge, 2011).
Lastly, I would be participating in various debates which will be held in local and college
levels as these will help me achieving better experiences and guidance from expert. This shall
also have a two way effect as it shall also help me in improving my communication skills by
interacting with various other cultured people.
As a token of measurement, the journal and the mentor would go a long way in assisting
me to achieve success and be able to track my progress. Furthermore, the feedback received from
my colleagues and tutors will also assist me in understanding my progress and achievement.
Sr. No Action
undertaken
Resources
required
Time frame Measurement of
success
1 Journal writing Book 6 months Analysis at the
end
2 Mentor
appointment
Fees 6 months Feedback
3 8 week training
program
Fees and effort 8 weeks Scores obtained
4 Book number 1 The book 2 months Feedback at the
end of the book

13ESSAY
5 Book number 2 The book 2 months Feedback at the
end of the book
6 Private tutor Tutor fees 4 months Feedback from
tutor
7 Debates Debate
participation
fees
6 months Result from the
debate
Gantt chart
Major Stages or
activities
Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month
5
Month 6
Journal writing
Mentor
appointment
8 week training
program
Book number 1
Book number 2
Private tutor
Debates
Conclusion

14ESSAY
Therefore from the given analysis it could be stated that communication plays an
effective role in different aspects of life. Whether in context of the business domain, or in the
context of a personal life, if an individual is able to communicate effectively, he can be achieve
success. The given essay discussed the various aspects of my communication skills and
identified the gap that existed in them. Furthermore this analysis was done using various tools
and skills which then helped me to identify my shortcomings. I have developed a personal
development plan for myself which will help me in achieving success and overcoming all my
shortcomings.

15ESSAY
References
Broadbent, D. E. (2013). Perception and communication. Elsevier.
Habermas, J. (2015). Communication and the Evolution of Society. John Wiley & Sons.
Wenger, E. (2014). Artificial intelligence and tutoring systems: computational and cognitive
approaches to the communication of knowledge. Morgan Kaufmann.
Coombs, W. T. (2014). Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding.
Sage Publications.
Viterbi, A. J., & Omura, J. K. (2013). Principles of digital communication and coding. Courier
Corporation.
Laske, C., Sohrabi, H. R., Frost, S. M., López-de-Ipiña, K., Garrard, P., Buscema, M., ... &
Bridenbaugh, S. A. (2015). Innovative diagnostic tools for early detection of Alzheimer's
disease. Alzheimer's & dementia: the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 11(5), 561-
578.
Utzinger, J., Becker, S. L., van Lieshout, L., van Dam, G. J., & Knopp, S. (2015). New
diagnostic tools in schistosomiasis. Clinical microbiology and infection, 21(6), 529-542.
Cocks, M., Moulton, C. A. Luu, S., & Cil, T. (2014). What surgeons can learn from athletes:
mental practice in sports and surgery. Journal of Surgical Education, 71(2), 262–269. doi:
10.1016/j.jsurg.2013.07.002
De Vries. R. E., Bakker-Pieper, A., & Oostenveld, W. (2010). Leadership = Communication?
The relations of leaders ‘communication styles with leadership styles, knowledge sharing

16ESSAY
and leadership outcomes. Journal of Business & Psychology, 25(3), 367-380. doi:
10.1007/s10869-009-9140-2 Education portal. (2016, January,7).
Interpersonal Communication in Workplace: Importance (2015) [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tG9YHeZT2A
Hartman, J. L., & McCambridge, J. (2011). Optimizing millennials’ communication styles.
Business Communication Quarterly, 74(1), 22-44. doi: 10.1177/1080569910395564
Marinho, A. C. F, Mesquita de Medeiros, A., Gama A. C. C, & Teixeira, L. C. (2017). Fear of
public speaking: perception of college students and correlates. Journal of Voice, 31(1),
127.e7–127.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2015.12.01
Dwyer, C. P., Hogan, M. J., & Stewart, I. (2014). An integrated critical thinking framework for
the 21st century. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 12, 43-52.
McNeill, K. L., González‐Howard, M., Katsh‐Singer, R., & Loper, S. (2016). Pedagogical
content knowledge of argumentation: Using classroom contexts to assess high‐quality
PCK rather than pseudoargumentation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 53(2),
261-290.
Castaneda, M. E., & Bateh, J. (2013). Strategies for multicultural management: communication
and a common set of values. Journal of International Education Research, 9(1), 41.
House, J. (2014). Moving across languages and cultures in translation as intercultural
communication. In Translational action and intercultural communication (pp. 14-46).
Routledge.

17ESSAY
Bibliography
Argyle, M. (2013). Bodily communication. Routledge.
Castells, M. (2013). Communication power. OUP Oxford.
Knapp, M. L., Hall, J. A., & Horgan, T. G. (2013). Nonverbal communication in human
interaction. Cengage Learning.
Knapp, M. L., Vangelisti, A. L., & Caughlin, J. P. (2014). Interpersonal communication and
human relationships. Pearson Higher Ed.
Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts. New York:
NY: McGraw-Hill.
McChesney, R. W. (2015). Rich media, poor democracy: Communication politics in dubious
times. New Press, The.
Mehrabian, A. (2017). Nonverbal communication. Routledge.
Ruesch, J., Bateson, G., Pinsker, E. C., & Combs, G. (2017). Communication: The social matrix
of psychiatry. Routledge.
Samovar, L. A., McDaniel, E. R., Porter, R. E., & Roy, C. S. (2015). Communication between
cultures. Nelson Education.
Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2014). Fundamentals of organizational communication. Pearson.
Stüber, G. L. (2017). Principles of mobile communication (Vol. 3). Springer.
Thompson, J. B. (2013). Ideology and modern culture: Critical social theory in the era of mass
communication. John Wiley & Sons.