Business Communications: Week 6 Option 1 Building A Key Relationship (Essay Sample)

Business Communications
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Business Communications
Week 6 option 1 Building a Key Relationship
It seems so simple to say the words ‘what do you mean?’ in the pursuit of communication people do get lost in the translation process despite their best intentions. You can say one thing, but the other person hears something else which is altogether a different version of what was said. Thus, misunderstandings and conflicts ensue. It is possible to learn the art of effective communication, especially in a working environment as this would enhance the relationship with colleagues and other people requiring your services at any particular time. One question worth asking therefore is; how can I improve my communication skills to enable me effectively communicate with other people like the co-workers, boss or clients?
One way of getting an answer to this question is through embracing the aspects of listening, avoiding rushing, and agreeing that it is okay to also disagree at some point. Communication has seemed to be a major source of the problem even for people as well as various companies too. For instance, the marketing problem of Nokia came as a result of communication inefficacy. Their communication habits lacked focus pertinent to the strategy discussions over clear plans to bring new models of phones to the market. The management in one way or another may have failed to communicate the appropriate values and the openness to explaining any sign affiliated with the models (Tuck, 2014).
Week 8 LinkedIn
The introduction of the professional portfolio has contributed to LinkedIn drawing much attention from various people. It is important to manage your professional identity, build some network and even engage with connections. Thus, there is need to enhance the outward view of your profile to attract more attention. Some various aspects of attraction have proved worth with time as far as readability is concerned. One factor worth taking into account is the scanning capability of your profile. For instance, it is possible to say that my profile is scannable. I have organized information into sub-topics and added relevant and helpful links that can direct viewers to various places of interest. Also, the texts are sufficient enough to explain the various required concepts and other pertinent of the portfolio as far as the area of expertise in question is concerned.
One thing worth noting about my profile is the need for visualizations. A robust visual makeover adds some rich content to the profile thereby creating more attraction (Socially Sorted, n.d.). I have come to learn that besides texts, LinkedIn is a visual platform too. The introduction of professional portfolio has made LinkedIn to be a visual social media fan thereby creating positive change. One form of visual elements I would say it is worth adding to the profile is quick slide share presentation regarding the professional profile. This in one way or another summarizes the contents of your profile thus saving time for anyone viewing the profile. The power of a photo should never be underestimated as it shows some level of creativity in creating attraction. Thus, I would conclude by saying that the profile is aesthetically pleasing but adding more visual elements would be another great option.
Week 9 Presentation Preparation
Presentation and the art of public speaking tend to have similarities. Both of them are very crucial in any life aspect, particularly at work. Presentation skills are also important in sales, teaching among other things. Nevertheless, some critical barriers hinder the adoption of good presentation skills. Lack of confidence bars the capability of standing up before the audience and deliver as required. Without confidence, even language becomes a problem as the fear developed prevents fluency. It is worth noting that confidence leading to effective presentation skills is not inborn and limited to special people. Preparation and practice can really improve the art of presentation and capture more audience as required.
In enhancing confidence, it is important to get rid of a bad memory that triggers fear. One way would be through preparation and rehearsals. These two elements would boost the level of memory and enhance confidence. In my opinion, I tend to think that lack of confidence comes if you have insufficient information regarding what to present. Thus, rehearsals and preparations would boost your memory and capture more information. Being informative is the initial step to building confidence as you can tackle every question shot your way. Rehearsals should also be done under various environments like varying the number and age of audience. Another way is to seek public speaking opportunities to enhance experience which would lead to building confidence. At times the voice may change due to anxiety but calming the butterflies would increase relaxation thereby maintain a uniform tone. Finally, with the knowledge and confidence at control, it is worth embracing the relaxation techniques such as entertaining while at the same time conveying information. Entertainment would lead to enjoyment and the feeling of relaxation in the audience which would subsequently lead to more absorption.
Week 10 Final Peer Review
Personal branding is critical to career development in this era of the -internet. This could come in many ways like sprucing up the resume or being more active on social media to pave the way for new opportunities while emphasizing the progressive work experience. An individual willing to climb the ladder of professionalism exponentially should not underestimate the power of the profile picture. The picture should give the first impression required for visual needs. Managers and recruiters actively involved in hiring normally do it the shortest time possible thus a great profile picture could help them reach you mentally. Recruiters come across various profile pictures and therefore the thought of what makes a good profile picture, or a bad one is a matter of concern. Profile pictures should show a higher degree of professionalism, demonstrate authenticity, tell a story, and even summarize other aspects of interests.
Looking at the profile picture of peers, I will focus on two peers namely Claire Diaz-Ortiz (/in/clairediazortiz/) and Richard Branson (/in/rbranson/). The profile pictures of these two according to what they do proves professionalism in one way or another. Claire is a speaker and a social enterprise worker too. In her picture, she is ecstatic depicting t...