In this post, I will be sharing one of the interpersonal communication problem I have recently experienced using the Gibb's Model of Reflection framework.
This
incident took place during my internship stint at Ritz Carlton, where I worked
as a housekeeping supervisor. On that particular day, I received an impromptu
request from the front office department, requesting me to set up the guest
room according to their requirements. Due to the imminent arrival of the guest and
other incoming requests occurring simultaneously, I conveyed the instructions
to the respective room attendant hastily. After the room was of ‘vacant clean’
status, I returned to inspect the room and found out that it was not prepared
based on the guest specifications.
Reflecting
back, neither had I performed my duties well nor communicated effectively with
the room attendant, thus resulting in unfulfilled guest requests. This
communication breakdown between the room attendant and I was partially due to
the language and psychological barriers. While communicating, I overlooked the
language proficiency of the room attendant, especially English language. Moreover, due to the overwhelming workload on
that day, I also displayed poor body language and appeared unapproachable. This
acted as a constraint and prevented effective two-way communication between the
room attendant and myself.
To
conclude, it was undeniable that I caused the problem and I learnt to be more
aware of my verbal and non-verbal communication cues. In this way, my coworkers
will then be more inclined to clarify with me regarding the instructions given.
Lastly, I also understood that good communication can only take place after
reducing obstacles such as language barriers.
