Goal 3

Introduction

The third goal of the Honors Program is to demonstrate excellence in verbal and written communication. Accomplishing this goal is essential to delivering information accurately and clearly to be understood by the audience. Excellence in communication also helps to build trust and credibility. These skills are vital as a leader of any community and necessary to efficiently complete a project. Communication skills can always be improved through experience and practice. Thus, through my artifacts, I will display how I have significantly improved in both my written and verbal communication skills.

Outcome 1: Present ideas logically and effectively – verbally

The first outcome of the third goal of the Honors Program is to present ideas logically and effectively through verbal communication. I accomplished this goal through two different presentations in the Foundations in Leadership class (HON 250H). The first artifact for this outcome is my Leaders in Film presentation which was the first presentation I completed for this class. Though I did receive an A for this presentation, there were areas I needed to improve upon. For example, I relied far too heavily on my notes. This was due partly to nerves, but more practice could have remedied this problem. I also spoke too quickly throughout my presentation in an attempt to complete it within the allotted time. This problem could have been solved by removing or summarizing some talking points and sufficient practice to calm my nerves. Other areas of improvement would include having less information on the slides and verbally communicating that information instead. It is hard for the audience to follow along when there is too much information to read on each slide.

My second artifact for this outcome is a presentation I completed for my Leadership Involvement Experience (LIE) project. I chose to be an active board member of MSU Campus Pride for this project. During this presentation, I discussed my initial goals for the project, hours completed, goals accomplished, my next steps for this experience, what I learned from this experience, the application of course concepts, and what I would have done differently. I practiced more for this presentation so that I rarely looked at my note cards. Correcting my mistakes from my first presentation, I included less information on my slides and communicated more information verbally for the audience. I also slowed down my speech, to ensure the audience does not feel a sense of urgency. Lastly, I organized my LIE presentation in a manner that effectively communicated the required aspects of this project.

Outcome 2: Present ideas logically and effectively – written

The second outcome of the third goal of the Honors Program is to present ideas logically and effectively through written communication. I accomplished this goal through the Foundations of Leadership class (HON 250H) and the Integrity and the Examined Life class (HON 351H). My first artifact for this outcome is a Values Essay I completed for the Foundations of Leadership class. Within this essay, I discussed three personal values that I hold close to myself. These values include equality, integrity, and happiness. This essay was written more on a personal level than most of my written assignments for the Honors Program. Though it was well written, there are sections that may have been a bit too honest and casual. I organized the essay to discuss each value within in its own paragraph. I also included an introduction and conclusion per the instructor’s request. Throughout my undergraduate education, I have learned to precisely follow the instructions requested by each instructor.

My second artifact for this outcome was completed for the Integrity and the Examined Life class. The final paper I wrote for this class discussed the obstacles Anne Moody and Bryan Stevenson overcame, a summary of In this World of Wonders: Memoir of a life in Learning, and a movie review of North by Northwest. While my Values Essay for the first artifact was focused on one main topic, this final paper was much longer in content and required a different train of thought for each section of the paper. I effectively explained why I believe Anne Moody and Bryan Stevenson are remarkable people. I discussed the numerous obstacles they had to overcome in pursuit of their goals. I then described the many obstacles that are still present specifically regarding racial discrimination. The next section I presented a summary of In this World of Wonders: Memoir of a Life in Learning written by Nicholas Wolterstorff. I sufficiently described the influential and valuable moments throughout Wolterstorff’s life. The last section of this paper I delivered a movie review of North by Northwest. In this section, I discuss in detail the numerous reasons why I believed North by Northwest is a first-rate movie. I believe I utilized effective and professional written communication to complete this paper as the feedback I received from my instructor was “Your answers in the final went well beyond what was required! It was a pleasure to read.”

Conclusion

Excellent verbal and written communication are important for everyone. If everyone were capable of precisely and respectfully communicating with one another, there would be far less conflict due to misunderstandings in day-to-day life. It is also vital in any career or project involvement. Skillful communication helps us to understand another person quickly and accurately. In my future careers, excellence in verbal and written communication will be particularly advantageous. In the field of Human Resource Management, effective communication will be essential for accurately discussing the needs of both the company and its employees. It will also be beneficial during altercations and miscommunications between employees. As a trial criminal defense attorney in the future, it will be imperative that I continue toward excellence in communication skills to deliver the best possible defense for my clients. Being an active listener is also a substantial aspect of communication. Knowing when to take a pause from talking shows respect to the other person in the conversation and value in what the other person wants to add to the conversation.