Evaluating Myself as a Communicator

As I consider how I evaluated myself as a communicator and how others evaluated me, I found there were more similarities than differences. This information leads me to understand that the individuals I asked to evaluate me understand me well and they know what kind of person I am. I was surprised to learn that one of the individuals who evaluated me differently was in the Communication Anxiety Inventory where they felt that communication does not worry me and I feel confident in all communication scenarios. This was surprising to me because I evaluated myself differently as I feel unconfortable in some scenarios when it comes to communication, and I second guess what I am communicating at times and whether I communicated effectively. This helped me understand that while I may feel uneasy on the inside, I portray myself as a confident communicator, which I guess is a positive thing!

            One insight I learned this week with regard to communication is your communication strengths and weaknesses are related to your culture and your social identities (O’Hair, Weinmann, Mullin, & Teven, 2015). I have learned that it is important to understand your social identities as they impact many aspects of your life. This information can inform my professional and personal life because based on my understanding of my social identities and communication skills, I may need to adapt how I communicate depending on the situation I am in.

            The second insight I gained this week is knowledge about what type of communicator I am. This information is important to be aware of because I should understand my strengths and weaknesses as a communicator. In order to grow as a professional and personally, I need to set goals in order to become a better educator and become more confident in my communication abilities. I feel after completing these evaluations I better understand myself as a communicator.  

           

References

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Tevan, J. (2015). Real communication (3^rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Communication

As I consider who I communicate with on a day to day basis, I do believe I communicate with others differently based on the context I am in. Considering different relationships I have and the different situations I am in, I may communicate accordingly. O’Hair and Wimann, Mulllinm and Teven (2015) explain a competent communicator takes into consideration their “internal thoughts and influences as well as the various contexts in which they operate” (p.22). I realized that based on the context I am in, I may joke around more with my family compared to when I am working where I am more serious when communicating.

            If I am communicating with individuals from different cultures, I try to be aware of what I am saying to ensure I do not say anything offensive. I may not express everything I am thinking and hold back some of my opinions. If I am not comfortable with who I am communicating with, I try to remain polite and communicate to the best of my abilities based on the information I have about the individual.

            However, in all contexts I try to make sure I am communicating clearly and effectively by ensuring I am honest with what I am expressing. In addition to this, I try to make sure that I speak properly when I am in a professional setting to show my professionalism and demonstrate that I am a competent communicator. When at home, I believe I become more relaxed with my communication and after communicating all day with students, their families and colleagues it is nice to not have to think as much about how I am communicating, but also to just sit quietly and not have to talk at all!

Three strategies that could be used to communicate more effectively include:

1. Considering the perspective of the person you are communicating with. In order to do this, put yourself in that persons shoes and think about the reasons they may do something (Gonzalez - Mena, 2010).
2. It is important to remain unbiased and have a no judgment conversation.
3. Understand your own nonverbal behaviors. Many of us are unaware of how we communicate nonverbally; having an understanding of this will help ensure you do not portray a nonverbal behavior that could hurt your communication with others (Gonzalez- Mena,2010).

References

Gonzalez- Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. 

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Tevan, J. (2015). Real communication (3^rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.