Assessing Personal Communication Style
Word Length: 1500 words (this can exclude your reference list)
Use the template linked below to assess your own communication style. Then, reflect about the following:
- What are the positive aspects of your communication style?
- What are some examples of how your strengths have benefited you in your communication with others? How do you think these strengths will be beneficial when working as a health practitioner?
- What can you do to strengthen these characteristics? What can you do to develop new strengths that you will need as a health practitioner?
- What are some of the aspects of your dominant style that may be potential trouble spots in one-to-one and team work communication?
- What can you do to control or avoid those potential trouble spots?
- Which communication styles do you communicate with most effectively, and why?
- Which communication styles do you communicate with least effectively, and why?
- What specific challenges do you face, or need to be mindful of, in your everyday communication?
- What can you do to overcome these challenges now that you understand the importance of communication style?
- Why is an awareness of personal communication style vitally important when working in health care? (Consider for example, issues of patient safety, team work, caring for vulnerable people who are sick, in pain or dying, breaking bad news and working with patients across the lifespan and from different cultural groups).
Write an essay comprising the following:
Title page with your name, student number, unit code, unit title, assignment number and title, submission date and your word count;
An Introduction, describing the context for the assignment (role of professional communication, your personal communication as a health professional, self-reflection as a component of professional practice; cite 2 – 3 key references here) and then clearly stating what you will be writing about;
Assessment of Personal Communication Style, reporting the results of your self-assessment in words, accompanied by an appropriate graph or table. Remember to acknowledge the source of the assessment tool you have used;
Reflection on Communication in Health Practice, comprising your reflection on the points listed above. Use appropriate subheadings to provide structure and focus. DO NOT use the reflection questions above as subheadings;
A Conclusion, demonstrating how you have addressed the key points of the assignment question;
APA formatted list of References, the sources you have cited in your essay.
Throughout your essay, it is essential to include APA-formatted in-text citations (references) to the academic literature to substantiate your analysis of your strengths and areas for development as a future health practitioner. It is fine to use your text book as one of your sources but you are also expected to search for 5 – 10 peer reviewed, scholarly articles (not your Moodle learning guide, newspaper articles, Wikipedia or popular internet sources) to support your writing.
| Marking Criteria | Fail (0-9) | Pass (10-12) | Credit (13-14) | Distinction (15-16) | High Distinction (17-20) | Mark |
| Self-assessment of communication style· Brief descriptive report
related to · Graph or table |
No or inadequate description; instrument not referenced;No or inadequate graph or table;
Description not related to graph or table |
Basic description not linked or poorly linked to basic graph or table; instrument inaccurately referenced | Sound description linked to labelled graph or table; instrument accurately referenced | Detailed, succinct description well linked to accurately labelled graph or table; instrument accurately referenced, additional examples (references) used. | Comprehensive, succinct description with detailed links to accurately labelled graph or table; instrument accurately referenced; additional references (examples) used. |
/20 |
| Reflection (analysis) on your own communication style· Strengths (points 1 & 2)
· Limitations, challenges (points 4 & 8) · Interaction with other styles of communication (points 6 & 7) |
Inadequate reflection on personal communication style with main points missed or not discussed | Basic reflection on personal communication style, mainly descriptive with little or no analysis | Sound reflection on personal communication style with some analysis and examples | Detailed reflection on personal communication style with good analysis that is well linked to examples | Comprehensive reflection on personal communication style with critical analysis that is very well linked to examples | /20 |
| Reflection (analysis) of any negative aspects of your communication style· Developing new strengths (point 3)
· Improving and controlling ‘trouble spots’ (point 5) · Overcoming challenges (point 9)
|
Inadequate reflection on communication style development & improvement needs with main points missed, not discussed or wrongly identified | Basic reflection on communication style development & improvement needs which is purely descriptive with little or no analysis | Sound reflection on communication style development & improvement needs with some analysis and substantiation from practice examples (or personal experience) and/or the literature | Detailed reflection on personal communication style development & improvement needs including examples from practice (or personal experience) that are well linked to relevant substantiating literature | Comprehensive reflection on personal communication style development & improvement needs including examples from practice (or personal experience) that are very well linked to relevant substantiating literature |
/20 |
| Reflection (analysis) on why awareness of communication style is important when working in health care(point 10) | Inadequate reflection on the importance of personal communication style in healthcare settings | Basic reflection on the importance of personal communication style in healthcare settings | Sound reflection on the importance of personal communication in style healthcare settings with some analysis and substantiation from practice examples and/or literature | Detailed reflection on the importance of personal communication style in healthcare settings with good analysis including practice examples with links to substantiating literature | Comprehensive reflection on the importance of personal communication style in healthcare settings with critical analysis that is very well linked to practice examples and substantiating literature |
/20 |
| Standard of academic writing and referencingNote: remember that written communication is also a very important aspect of communication in health | Poorly written with many grammatical errors, no or inadequate referencing; poor structure, introduction and/or conclusion | Soundly written with basic referencing and or a number of referencing errors or gaps; adequate essay structure | Well written and well supported with references, some referencing errors or gaps; sound essay structure, introduction, conclusion | Very well written and strongly referenced, few or no referencing errors; good introduction, conclusion, sentence and paragraph structure | Extremely well written and comprehensively and accurately referenced; very good introduction, conclusion, sentence and paragraph structure |
/20 |
Marked by Date TOTAL /100
