The essay must be 3500 words in length
- Two points will be deducted for those essays that are over or under by 200 words.
- There is a late deduction of 2 points per day after the due date.
- The essay must conform to the APA style guide. There is a minimum of 25 references
- This assessment will be returned to you with feedback when the final marks for the unit are released.
- As this is an essay you must not use headings.
Task Description:
The purpose of this assessment is to provide students with the opportunity to engage in reflective practice, using a range of diagnostic tools and feedback, to identify two key areas of personal capability that can be addressed (improved) to increase their communication effectiveness. This assessment is aimed to assess your ability to demonstrate advanced knowledge in written communication and your skill to autonomously reflect about good practices in workplace communication. Through the process of self-reflection, you will be able to improve your communication competencies through your knowledge of and ability to perform contextually appropriate communicative behaviours.
This assignment has three specific components.
1. Diagnosis and Reflection. 1500 words
a) Using 5 diagnostic tools related to communication, you are to analyse your own communication style across various areas such as verbal communication, active listening, non- verbal, and assertiveness perception. You will be given the individual diagnostics during the tutorials. Your tutor/lecturer will check and sign-off that you have completed each individual diagnostic during the tutorials. This means that if you fail to attend some or any of tutorial you will not be able to receive and complete the diagnostics. The signed diagnostics must be submitted as a separate PDF file.
b) You are to present the findings of the tools. The scores for each diagnostic must be included in your essay. In doing so you will show your understanding of the results as they apply to your personal situation.
c) Based upon your analysis of the findings you are to identify two key communication issues that you have identified as requiring development.
d) Reflect on two recent professional interactions that you have had within the past 12 months. Analyse these interactions from the perspective of the two key communication issues that are identified as requiring development. To what extent are these evident and support the need for personal communication development?
2. Literature review 1000 words
You are to identify and explain the two issues from your diagnosis and reflection. You are to define the concepts, outline key models and or behaviours that need to be developed to demonstrate effective practice. This literature review needs to outline both the conceptual (theoretical) and behavioural (interpersonal) skills that you need to acquire to demonstrate competence in your chosen area of communication.
3. Action Plan 500 words:
As a conclusion, you are to develop an action plan of key events and activities that you can undertake over the next 6 months to acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors identified as requiring development in component one. This can include the following:
- undertaking specific short courses, to develop skills based on actual courses that are available,
- undertaking advanced post-graduate communication courses at CQU or other institutions,
- a reading plan to acquire conceptual knowledge, that may include specific communication texts and self-help books which must be specified,
- maintaining of personal journals reflecting on communication interactions,
This section must include actionable items with timelines (such as a Gantt chart) and an indication of how you will measure their successful completion.