I said ... because I thought I heard...

I thought I heard...

Communication is the most creative way leaders can influence the desired outcome of a organizational goal. Too often, I have found my communication to be one sided, by the fact of myself only talking and or verbally addressing issues; rather than actively participating in the listening realm necessary for communication to be effective. Listening skills are something, however that I must accomplish as a skill in order to be an effective leader. "Human communication is based on listening because it is the foundation for effectiveness of interaction" (Lu, 2005). This effectiveness of interaction is what is essential to a leader's ability to orchestrate the accomplishment of their followers for a perceived desired organizational outcome.

As a Director of Financial Aid, having the ability to listen is something crucial for myself to gain totally opportunity of. Especially since my focus entails the daily supervision over student account balances and the financial aid process in itself. My initial feedback in describing the necessary steps for a family to take in order to apply for financial aid will ultimately determine how they apply and sometimes if they will apply. By the acknowledgement or disassociation between understanding the directions I have given for what the financial aid processing steps are, I may have successfully assisted them in their financial aid processing or distanced their understanding of the financial aid process by not listening to their financial aid needs. In order to make my feedback appropriate I must have determined their needs upfront which requires a communication channel of being a giver (communicator) of the financial aid directions and a receptor (listener) of what their financial aid needs are. " Successful communication depends on the speaker to correctly encode; the channel of communication of free of distortion, and the receiver (listener) is successful in decoding the message" (Lu, 2005).

I can improve my professional communication skills as a Director of Financial Aid by practicing the appropriateness concept related to human communication. "Appropriateness addresses social acceptability of communication goals" (Lu, 2005). To fully be competent of the needs of my student clients financial aid status I must process the appropriate communication style. This will show my understanding of what is needed versus what I will recommend. For example, a student may state their need as financial aid counseling; which in turn I may believe to include going over the FAFSA application itself and showing the student step by step how to fill out the application. However, the student may perceive financial aid counseling as 'bill' owed to the business office.

Intrapersonally we must monitor the words and their meaning into what the message or response being given. With social media taking over the way we communicate, it is imperative that as a speaker and listener our tone must match the in or output of information we are trying to get across.

Interpersonally this means, I need to focus my listening abilities on the outward appearance as well. I will take a more focused approach when communicating with a parent or student by physically being aware of my listening approach. I will make sure my eye contact is appropriate, that I contain my self-expressions when being asked a question during my counseling sessions, and try to become more aware of my hands when addressing financial aid issues with my student clients. "The most direct and effective way is immediate oral response, but nonverbal language such as head nodding, smiling and yawning will provide a type of response" (Lu, 2005).

This concept also important in dealing with global cultures and listening styles. We must start to become more aware of our listeners and those that are communicating in order to determine the correct listening style to use. Cultural literacy and our interpretation of cultures are vital to the message we are transmitting for translation. Therefore, we must be more culturally aware and as effective listeners we must also be able to channel what we hear appropriately to the needs of the communicator. "Listening is an active process that requires attention to the speaker (sender) in order to appropriately react and respond" (Lu, 2005).

Lu, J (May 2005). The listening style inventory (LSI) as an instrument for improving listening skill. Sino-US English Teaching, 2 (5), 45-50.

As I read the USA Today's Newspaper article dated Friday, February 13, 2009 in celebration and excitement surrounding of the commerancement of Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday, I took reflection on the article's statement of Abraham Lincoln as "America's Great Emancipator". Abraham Lincoln was America's first Republican President in 1860 who is known for his introduction of the Emancipation Proclaimation, as well as, leading the American victory in the American Civil War.
In learning throughout my elementary education the imporatance of Abraham Lincoln to the abolishment of Slavery in America and the creation of the Thirteenth to the Constitution, I was always informed Abraham Lincoln was always out right against slavery and had the entire purpose as President to free the slaves within the south. However as an adult, upon my own research into African-American history, I found this fact to be otherwise.
The truth is that Abraham Lincoln was for whatever action necessary to preserve and protect the Union. Even throughout his campaign to presidency in 1859, Abraham Lincoln noted his whole purpose as president would be to protect and secure the rights, actions and needs of the Union.
In preserving those ideologies of the Union, as Abraham Lincoln won over the presidency in 1860, he began to note Union members-who were also white, wage earing workers could not get a wage earning job in the south because many southern employees were using free labor or slaves. This posed a serious problem to Union workers who needed jobs and Abraham Lincoln believed would later pose a more serious problem to the economic statue of the south. Therefore, Abraham Lincoln saw the solution as freeing the southern slaves as a means of protecting the economic growth of his Union laborors.
Hence, the Emancipation Proclaimation.
So as we celebrate President Lincoln's 200th birthday, we should include in rememberance of black history month the importance the underlying truth behind how the Emancipation Proclaimation came about.