The Competent Communicator

As the day approaches to commemorate and celebrate what would have been his 83rd birthday, I have chosen Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as The Competent Communicator.



Dr. King was a highly educated man.  A man who was esteemed throughout the world and he could communicate clearly and concisely to the masses.


                                                     


He was thoughtful, appropriate and effective in his communication.  He had behavioral flexibility and was process oriented.  Dr. King could talk to celebrities, the President of the United States, Congressional committees and the average man on the street. 

                                                 

  

Dr. King displayed a commitment to the National Communication Associations Credo for Ethical Communication however; the one credo we all know he embraced most was the one that states, "We are committed to the courageous expression of personal convictions in pursuit of fairness and justice."   

                                                        

  

He not only communicated competently through oration he communicated competently through his writings.  I encourage everyone to read "Letter from a Birmingham Jail".  He elicits power and emotion, many will never be able to do, through this form of communication.




Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The Competent Communicator

References

O'Hair, D. & Wiemann, M. (2009).  Real Communication An Introduction Boston, MA:  Bedford?St. Martin's

King, M.L. (1963).  Letter from a Birmingham (2011, November 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:12, January 7, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail&oldid=460389735