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What is Communication Competency?
Communication competency is the ability for someone who is communicating with another to reach their goals through interactive and appropriate interaction. Primarily, it is a skill level that human resources professionals and those responsible for managing others must attain and possess. In order to achieve competency in communication, the communicator must meet six criteria: flexibility, involvement, management, empathy, effectiveness and appropriateness.
Flexibility requires the communicator to be able to adapt to situations, so that it changes the behaviors of others in order to meet goals. Adaptability or flexibility may require the person who is communicating with others to be sensitive to both the goals itself and the people responsible for achieving the goals. For example, a supervisor may motivate workers by acknowledging the long hours the employees have had to put in, but at the same time make sure the job is being done.
Involvement in the conversation is another skill required to achieve communication competency. This requires the communicator to directly interact with the other party. Interaction includes listening to the needs and concerns of others. It also requires the communicator to be aware of how other people perceive them and to know what to say in response to all of this.
Being able to manage the conversation requires the communicator to regulate how they interact with others. The communicator must also adapt and control the conversation and their social interactions. Conversational management requires the communicator to control the direction the conversation takes, which is another level of attainement.
Empathy is the ability of the communicator to show that they understand where the others are coming from to share their own emotions. It is an emotion where the communicator shows he or she knows where the others are coming from, and that the communicator understands and understands.
Effectiveness is the ability for the communicator to reach the goal of the conversation. The ability to reach the goal of the conversation is the measurement of the level of communication competency. Effectiveness is the ability to meet both the requirements of the communicator and of the other parties involved.
Communication competency criteria also require appropriateness. Appropriateness is the ability to uphold the expectations of the situation at hand. How appropriate the conversation is in achieving goals is one of the primary measurements for attaining communication competency. When all of these criteria are met, the communicator has reached the highest level of communication competency.
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![Conversational management requires the communicator to control the direction that the conversation takes.]()
By: Odua ImagesConversational management requires the communicator to control the direction that the conversation takes. -
![Being able to manage the conversation requires the communicator to regulate how they interact with others.]()
By: inesbazdarBeing able to manage the conversation requires the communicator to regulate how they interact with others. -
![Human resources professionals must have communication competency.]()
By: Jeanette DietlHuman resources professionals must have communication competency. -
![A supervisor may motivate workers by acknowledging long hours that employees have put in, while making sure the job is getting done.]()
By: michaeljungA supervisor may motivate workers by acknowledging long hours that employees have put in, while making sure the job is getting done. -
![Communication competency impacts a person's ability to socialize.]()
By: Andy DeanCommunication competency impacts a person's ability to socialize. -
![Communication competency relates to nonverbal gestures as well.]()
By: ollyCommunication competency relates to nonverbal gestures as well.
Discussion Comments
Does anyone know a good way to improve your communication competency without having to take a speech class? I would love to work on my skills, but I can't stand to speak to a large audience. I'm looking for something more on a one-on-one basis.
I am a receptionist, and sometimes I have to deal with stubborn people. I never lose my temper, but I never seem to gain control of the conversation, either. I would like to work on being more assertive in a way that is still considered polite.
I hate feeling like I've lost all grip on the situation. If I were more eloquent with my words, then maybe I could gain more respect. I need some suggestions or tips to help me with this.
@seag47 – I totally agree with you. How an employee communicates with his coworkers is a good indicator of how well-developed his interpersonal skills are and how he will interact with clients.
I watch for signs of good communication amongst my workers. I manage an office, and I get to decide who gets promoted. I pick the person with the most effective communication skills, and I am never disappointed.
Generally, a promotion in our office means that a person will have much more contact with the public. I can't have someone with weak public relations skills in this position.
Most people don't think about how important communication skills are in the workplace, because they spend more time focusing on communicating with customers. For a work environment to flow well and for the employees to be content, good communication skills among workers are essential.
I work in an office where several people lack these skills. They forget to mention important things to me, and I often have to go back and do some work over once I receive the information I should have been given in the first place.
If I don't have proper instructions for what a client wants, then I can't be expected to turn out a suitable product. I have mentioned to my boss that certain people need to work on their communication skills, and I hope that he will make this clear to them.
My supervisor is usually quite competent at communicating with others in the department. He listens with an empathetic ear and offers solutions in an appropriate manner.
However, he does possess a temper underneath that calm exterior. One guy at work really knows how to push his buttons, and when he does, he loses all his people skills and tears into the guy.
Fortunately, he is able to maintain control during heated conversations with customers. If they are angry or demanding, he doesn't fire back at them with insults. He calmly offers them whatever refund or help he is authorized to give, and if they continue to be irate, he ends the conversation politely.
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