Communication competence

THE COMPETENT COMMUNICATOR

Communication competence

refers to both your knowledge and

understanding of how

communication works and to your

ability to use communication

effectively.

Using communication effectively

would involve your ability to select

and implement the best choices for

communicating and to read  and

adjust to the ongoing feedback that

you receive from your own messages

and that guide the choices you make

in selecting future messages.

An essential communication skill is the ability to

think critically about the communication situations

you face and the options for communicating that you

have available; this is crucial to your success and

effectiveness.

Without critical thinking there can be no competent

exchange of ideas. Critical thinking is logical thinking;

it’s thinking that is well reasoned, unbiased,

and clear. It involves thinking intelligently, carefully,

and with as much clarity as possible. It’s the opposite

of what you’d call sloppy, illogical, or careless thinking.

 

The Competent Communicator 
Thinks Critically and Mindfully

Create and re-create categories.

Be open to new information and points of view.

Beware of relying too heavily on first impressions

Think before you act

Think about your own ethical beliefs

 

• What are your ethical obligations as a listener?
• When is it unethical to remain silent?
• When is gossiping ethical & when is it unethical?
• At what point in a relationship do you have an obligation to reveal intimate details of your life?
• Are there ethical & unethical ways to engage in conflict & conflict resolution?

 

 

The Competent Communicator is Ethical

The end can never justify the means; an unethical act is never justified regardless of how good or beneficial its results (or ends) might be.

 

A good end would often justify the use of means that would in other situations be considered unethical.

 

Objective and subjective views of ethics

 

objective

 

subjective

• My behavior is ethical when I feel (in my heart) that I’m doing the right thing.
• My behavior is ethical when is consistent with my religious beliefs.
• My behavior is ethical when it is legal.
• My behavior is ethical when the majority of reasonable people would consider it ethical.
• My behavior is ethical when the effect of the behavior benefits more people than it harms.

 

Beliefs about Ethics

All five of these statements are false

The first statement is false because people often do unethical things they feel are morally justified. The good example is a Jack the Ripper who killing prostitutes.

 

 

My behavior is ethical when I feel (in my heart) that I’m doing the right thing.  

  It must be false when you realize so much discrimination against certain people is perfectly legal in many parts of the world, and, in many countries, war is legal.

 

My behavior is ethical when it is legal.  

Statement 2 must be false when your realize that different religions advocate very different kinds of behavior, often behaviors that contradict one another.

 

My behavior is ethical when is consistent with my religious beliefs.  

It is false because the thinking of the majority changes with the times & has often proven to be extremely immoral. The burning of people supposed to be witches or of those who spoke out against majority opinion are good examples.

 

My behavior is ethical when the majority of reasonable people would consider it ethical. 

Statement 5 is false because immoral acts frequently benefit the majority and harm the minority. For example the burning of witches, discrimination against gay men & lesbians, certain religions, or different races were in the interest of the majority.

 

My behavior is ethical when the effect of the behavior benefits more people than it harms.  

The Competent Communicator is an Effective Listener

 

Often we tent to think of competence in interpersonal communication as “speaking effectiveness”, paying little attention to listening. But listening is an integral part of interpersonal communication; you cannot be a competent communicator if you are a poor listener.

Listening is the most often used form of communication.  

At this activity we spend more time then on talking, reading and writing.

Thank you for attention