8 Part 1 Basic Communication Processes
NAME: Vicky Turk
OCCUPATION: Human ResourcesI love my job—and I
think I’m pretty good
at it, thanks in part to
the skills I gained as
an undergraduate Communication major. I’m cur-
rently a human resources professional at a global
financial data and media company, and I handle
everything in an employee’s “life cycle.” From
hiring to relations with coworkers, relocation,
flexible work arrangements, immigration, and
even separation from the company, I am the
employee’s go-to person.
You might think that people in this high-
intensity environment arrive with the com-
munication skills they need to succeed. Sadly,
this isn’t true; just because you’re a manager
doesn’t mean that you effectively negotiate con-
flict with a subordinate. Or just because you’re
an incredibly successful accountant doesn’t
mean that you’re a natural at leading a group
toward a particular goal. The fact is that com-
munication isn’t common sense; I spend a good
deal of time helping people navigate stressful
work/life situations that could be alleviated or
improved with better listening, nonverbal, inter-
cultural, conflict management, and group work
skills. Much of the time, I find myself reaching
for these very tools!
For example, when I’m mediating a
manager–employee conflict or one between
colleagues, I remind myself that people—
regardless of professional status—like to feel that
someone is truly, actively listening to them when
they’re sharing their perspective, particularly in a
heated situation. I’ve found that I can defuse all
sorts of problems by hearing the parties out, notshowing what I feel or think internally (monitoring
my nonverbal behaviors), and modeling how
to navigate a way through differing percep-
tions without threatening any of the individuals
involved. Once people feel that I’m on their side,
they listen less defensively and we usually find a
resolution.
I remember my college professors stressing
that competent communicators need to be agile
and adjust their behaviors rapidly to meet the
needs of intense and quickly changing situations.
Being able to do this confidently is essential
when working in Human Resources. (This is also
true of other people-oriented professions, such
as teaching, counseling, and consulting.) After
all, verbal and nonverbal behavior that might be
effective and appropriate with one individual in
one situation at one particular moment in time
might not be effective and appropriate else-
where—and you don’t always have a lot of time
to sit and think about it.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have
a wonderful and interesting job that constantly
challenges me to refine my skills and learn new
ones. Some people may have questioned my
decision to major in Communication because it
“doesn’t produce direct job skills.” Clearly I’ve
proved the naysayers wrong. I can always take
a course or a workshop to learn a program-
ming language, improve my Web design skills,
or learn other equally important skills in today’s
economy. But I rest assured and reflect gratefully
that I spent four years studying the ins and outs
of human communication. I would not be where I
am today had my studies taken me in a different
direction.real communicator