Reflection and Professional Development (20 points) - Outcome 1 - DUE NOVEMBER 15 SHRM had identified Communication as a primary competence for HR professionals. Reflection and Professional DevelopmenUnder Communication, SHRM further outlines 6 subcompetencies: Verbal and Written Communication Feedback Facilitation Active Listening Persuasion Diplomacy Go to this link to see more about this: https://www.shrm.org/learningandcareer/career/pages/shrm-competency-model.aspx For your final assignment you will choose one of the 6 subcompetencies and write a reflection paper of 3-4 pages. Provide the specific course subcompetency you′ve selected. Explain the importance of this subcompetency in the field of HR Explain in your own words how that subcompetency relates to what you have learned in this class Reflect on how you can use this learning in your future life or career

Reflection

ANSWER

Active Listening And Its Importance In Human Resource Management

Suffice it to say that the course on Human Resource Management has been remarkably involving and enjoyable. I have learned many crucial skills for human resource managers, like effective communication and so forth. My instructor has been very grateful from the beginning to the end – being patient, engaging, always listening to my queries, and providing helpful feedback that has increased my knowledge of human resource management. The skills I have learned in this course will ultimately benefit and influence my career in many ways. For instance, I knew that effective communication is essential in the workplace, but dint comprehends the critical aspect of active listening. In this reflection paper, I will highlight what I have learned about effective communication, particularly active listening, and its importance in human resource management.

Before engaging in this course, I didn't really comprehend the place of human resources in the organizational structure. However, I have been taught that human resource is an essential department of every organization – it helps businesses and organizations to generate revenue by managing and using people's skills and abilities. Human resource management refers to the process of employing, training, compensating, and developing strategic plans to maintain the best workforce. It's noteworthy that every manager has to undertake roles similar to those of human source management. Otherwise, just because one doesn't have a title of an HR manager does not mean that they won't do the duties or at least play some roles relating to human resource management tasks (Xiao, Zhou, Chen, Yang, & Chi, 2020).. Therefore, this course taught me to be a good human resource manager by providing the essential elements of effective communication, particularly active listening. Reflection and Professional Development

Listening is an art that steers the direction of communication. Most importantly, active listening is an essential component of management success. Active listening is the ability to concentrate and be fully aware of what the speaker is saying rather than just hearing what the talker is trying to convey. Many people like myself often appreciate that communication is an important skill, but we forget that it's more than just speaking and writing things. However, one element that people forget is active listening – an important element of effective communication. Listening effectively is more than a physical process of hearing. It has intellectual and emotional aspects that should be mastered to be a good listener (Jahromi, Tabatabaee, Abdar,  & Rajabi, 2016). There are different categories of listeners; some are non-listeners, others evaluative listeners, marginal listeners, and finally, active listeners. The category of active listeners interests me, and I find it important in human resource management.

Active listening is actually the most effective form of listening, and it's the foundation of clear communication. Active listening means being completely attentive, listening carefully to the speaker, and showing interest in the conversation without interjections or interruptions. It involves having a positive attitude that allows one to listen to the speaker's emotions, feelings, and thoughts without judging them. The main goal of a good listener should be to provide a safe and more understanding environment for the speaker. However, it's also important to seek clarity and show with simple questions or use non-verbal cues to show the speaker that one is interested in what they are saying – and that what they are saying is important and worth to be listened to. Unfortunately, many people in the human resource department fail to understand this aspect of effective communication and often interrupt their employees when talking (Jahromi, Tabatabaee, Abdar,  & Rajabi, 2016). Interrupting the speaker (whether with good intent or not) creates confusion, and the talker is most likely to lose his talking points and focus on what the listener wants to hear.

Several things should be put into consideration to engage in active listening. First, always giving the speaker enough time to express themselves without interruptions is essential. In other words, active listening cannot be achieved in hurried communication between the speaker and the listener, in this case, the HR manager and a junior employee. Good active listening involves giving enough time to talk, using both verbal and non-verbal cues to show interest, and seeking clarity. Secondly, it's important to maintain appropriate body posture and movement and ensure there is eye contact to show interest and intent to listen. Thirdly, it's important to use minimal verbal content, show attentive silence, and at the same time, try to reflect on the feelings through facial expressions and body movements (Spataro, & Bloch, 2018). In doing so, the active listener can listen to the speaker and intellectually synthesize the talker's words and their intentions or purpose.

Active listening is a crucial communication skill for managers. Good managers possess active listening skills. Active listening allows managers to listen to their employees and customers and understand their needs or points of view. Good HR managers often actively listen to their staff's opinions, and as the conversation grows, they are able to understand their staff's concerns and offer the best advice where necessary. When leaders or managers allocate enough time to listen to their junior staff, employees, or stakeholders, they actually build trust and commitment among their people. Consequently, when the staff and other stakeholders feel that the managers care to listen, they can be very supportive and engaging and even become more productive in their respective roles (Spataro, & Bloch, 2018). I believe that active listening actually creates a positive work relationship between the managers and the staff. Therefore, to be a successful manager in the future, I will have to allocate enough time to my staff and customers to get their feedback, understand their concerns, and intellectually offer the best advice or take appropriate actions.

It's important to note that listening skills vary from one person to another. However, the ability to become a good listener can be acquired over time through patience and active learning. Learning to be a good listener requires a sharp focus on the speaker, proper understanding, a good attitude and intent, and more looking at things from a different perspective. During my study, I have realized that I have to become a good listener and consciously decide to listen to others when they talk carefully. More importantly, as a manager, I have to learn how to listen to other people without interrupting or judging them based on what they are trying to convey.

In conclusion, the human resource management course has ultimately added to the body of knowledge that I possessed before. I intend to apply the learned skills of effective communication and particularly exercise active listening to create positive work relationships with my colleagues and staff. More importantly, the communication skills I have learned in human resource management class also enable me to interact better with my peers and family