Running head: TEAM COMMUNICATION
Team Communication
David Chavez
University Of Phoenix
Gen/300
October , 2004
Team Communication
Communication is an essential part of building a successful and cohesive team. There have been many instances where communication breaks down and causes chaos in almost any profession. In the medical field alone, it has been found that medical errors have killed between 44,000 to 98,000 a year due to lack of communication.(O’Connor,1999). Therefore, it is very important to learn how to communicate effectively. There are three elements to effective team member communication: speaking, listening, and understanding. (Crow, 2002)
Speaking
Good speaking skills are essential in getting the point across without the audience getting confused. One way to make sure the point will come across clear is to practice speaking in public. Another way to polish one’s speaking skills is to make more speeches (Kotz, 2008). Communication among the team will allow a team to flourish with possibly new and innovative ideas. This is an important part of team building since every member of the team brings different talents and strengths. The different talents brought to the table will give the team a vast array of tools to help them solve problems and meet deadlines. There are many ways of communicating in the 21st century and one has to be careful all team members are capable of communicating in the chosen manner. Face to face communication is by far the easiest as far as clarity is concerned. Speaking styles will differ from group to group. Keep in mind, what is spoken to one group can easily be misinterpreted by another group. Communicating by phone, email, text messaging, and cell phone are always another optio ...