We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
HR

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Communication Competency?

Kristie Lorette
By
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 48,553
Share

Communication competency is the ability for someone who is communicating with another to reach their goals through interactive and appropriate interaction. Primarily, it is a skill level that human resources professionals and those responsible for managing others must attain and possess. In order to achieve competency in communication, the communicator must meet six criteria: flexibility, involvement, management, empathy, effectiveness and appropriateness.

Flexibility requires the communicator to be able to adapt to situations, so that it changes the behaviors of others in order to meet goals. Adaptability or flexibility may require the person who is communicating with others to be sensitive to both the goals itself and the people responsible for achieving the goals. For example, a supervisor may motivate workers by acknowledging the long hours the employees have had to put in, but at the same time make sure the job is being done.

Involvement in the conversation is another skill required to achieve communication competency. This requires the communicator to directly interact with the other party. Interaction includes listening to the needs and concerns of others. It also requires the communicator to be aware of how other people perceive them and to know what to say in response to all of this.

Being able to manage the conversation requires the communicator to regulate how they interact with others. The communicator must also adapt and control the conversation and their social interactions. Conversational management requires the communicator to control the direction the conversation takes, which is another level of attainement.

Empathy is the ability of the communicator to show that they understand where the others are coming from to share their own emotions. It is an emotion where the communicator shows he or she knows where the others are coming from, and that the communicator understands and understands.

Effectiveness is the ability for the communicator to reach the goal of the conversation. The ability to reach the goal of the conversation is the measurement of the level of communication competency. Effectiveness is the ability to meet both the requirements of the communicator and of the other parties involved.

Communication competency criteria also require appropriateness. Appropriateness is the ability to uphold the expectations of the situation at hand. How appropriate the conversation is in achieving goals is one of the primary measurements for attaining communication competency. When all of these criteria are met, the communicator has reached the highest level of communication competency.

Share
SmartCapitalMind is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Kristie Lorette
By Kristie Lorette
Kristie Lorette, a storyteller, copywriter, and content creator, helps businesses connect with their ideal audiences through compelling narratives. With an advanced degree and extensive experience, she crafts engaging long and short-form content that drives results across various platforms. Her ability to understand and connect with target audiences makes her a valuable asset to any content creation team.
Discussion Comments
By Oceana — On Nov 29, 2011

Does anyone know a good way to improve your communication competency without having to take a speech class? I would love to work on my skills, but I can't stand to speak to a large audience. I'm looking for something more on a one-on-one basis.

I am a receptionist, and sometimes I have to deal with stubborn people. I never lose my temper, but I never seem to gain control of the conversation, either. I would like to work on being more assertive in a way that is still considered polite.

I hate feeling like I've lost all grip on the situation. If I were more eloquent with my words, then maybe I could gain more respect. I need some suggestions or tips to help me with this.

By wavy58 — On Nov 29, 2011

@seag47 – I totally agree with you. How an employee communicates with his coworkers is a good indicator of how well-developed his interpersonal skills are and how he will interact with clients.

I watch for signs of good communication amongst my workers. I manage an office, and I get to decide who gets promoted. I pick the person with the most effective communication skills, and I am never disappointed.

Generally, a promotion in our office means that a person will have much more contact with the public. I can't have someone with weak public relations skills in this position.

By seag47 — On Nov 29, 2011

Most people don't think about how important communication skills are in the workplace, because they spend more time focusing on communicating with customers. For a work environment to flow well and for the employees to be content, good communication skills among workers are essential.

I work in an office where several people lack these skills. They forget to mention important things to me, and I often have to go back and do some work over once I receive the information I should have been given in the first place.

If I don't have proper instructions for what a client wants, then I can't be expected to turn out a suitable product. I have mentioned to my boss that certain people need to work on their communication skills, and I hope that he will make this clear to them.

By shell4life — On Nov 28, 2011

My supervisor is usually quite competent at communicating with others in the department. He listens with an empathetic ear and offers solutions in an appropriate manner.

However, he does possess a temper underneath that calm exterior. One guy at work really knows how to push his buttons, and when he does, he loses all his people skills and tears into the guy.

Fortunately, he is able to maintain control during heated conversations with customers. If they are angry or demanding, he doesn't fire back at them with insults. He calmly offers them whatever refund or help he is authorized to give, and if they continue to be irate, he ends the conversation politely.

Kristie Lorette
Kristie Lorette
Kristie Lorette, a storyteller, copywriter, and content creator, helps businesses connect with their ideal audiences through compelling narratives. With an advanced degree and extensive experience, she crafts engaging long and short-form content that drives results across various platforms. Her ability to understand and connect with target audiences makes her a valuable asset to any content creation team.
Share
https://www.smartcapitalmind.com/what-is-communication-competency.htm
Copy this link
SmartCapitalMind, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

SmartCapitalMind, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.