I believe that a skill that not a lot of people have but would definitely benefit from mastering would be the skill of communication. When we communicate, we are exchanging opinions and information form one person to another. Whether it be verbal, written, or simply an action; whatever way we choose to communicate we have to be sure we are conveying things the way we want them to be received.
Having the ability to successfully communicate context is very important. Context is a non-verbal way to express yourself such as tone of voice, body language, hand gestures, facial expressions and emotions. Many times the words you speak and the actions you perform send different messages. To effectively communicate the receiver must be able to fully understand whatever it is that the sender is trying to transmit. Just because you say something does not mean that the receiver is listening. Hearing and listening are two different things. When the receiver does not fully comprehend the things that are being said the message might not be relayed the same way the sender believes he relayed it. The receiver must actively listen to what is being said, not only by hearing the message but by understanding the meaning and verifying the information by giving feedback. Giving feedback does not mean to constantly interrupt; it means correctly process the information being received without being biased, you must analyze all the relevant factors and ask open-minded questions. Remember that even excellent feedback, when presented at the wrong time, can do more harm than good.
When a person does not focus on the conversation at hand or one person dominates the conversation then it becomes one-sided and miscommunication can take place. When miscommunication occurs the results can be extremely negative. Take the medical field for example. If the lines of communication are not freely open, a variety of things can happen. Exams might not be performed when needed or...