This is incredibly cheesy but who inspires me as a communicator is by dad Bill. Although he does not work in communications, he works in finance actually, he is a great listener. Listening is a core component of communications, maybe even more important than the talking part. I worked for my dad this past summer and I could see how great of a leader he is in his position at work. Of course he is great at his job but I would argue that a majority of the reason he is so great at his job is that he is an incredible communicator. He listens, is clear, direct and understanding. He is always open to suggestions as well as explaining something multiple times. My dad has always explained to me that it is never bad to ask questions if it means the work will be done correctly the first time. Another factor that my dad holds as a professional communicator is that he is not too lenient or too bossy. I think this is the perfect mix and something I strive to achieve in my professional career. Something my dad preaches to my sister and I is that being a good professional communicator is the number one quality he looks for when hiring employees, more so than past work experience and impressive academic credentials. Being a good communicator is crucial to being a successful and quality employee. I want to emulate every quality that my dad has as a communicator professionally. I strive to be less shy and more confident in my communication skills as I believe this will make me a better employee in the future. I want to become more confident in asking follow up questions for clarification so I can excel and be proud of my work.
Another aspect of the way that my dad communicates that is inspiring to me is how he communicates as a father and husband. I think a major part of the reason that my parents marriage is so successful is because both my dad and mom communicate with each other. My mom and dad listen to one another and are always respectful of one another. I also am inspired by the way that my dad communicates with my sister and I. He is not condescending and patronizing. He encourages my sister and I to have good relationships professionally and personally. Additionally, growing up my dad always encouraged my sister and I to be advocates for ourselves meaning asking teachers questions ourselves, emailing and talking on the phone. Although being able to communicate well in that aspect is a very basic life skill, I know people my age who avoid talking on the phone and advocating for themselves so I am incredibly grateful that my dad taught me that valuable life lesson.
Claire Henneman 