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).
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 (3rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Brianna thanks for sharing your blog post. Communicating effectively and professionally indeed are fundamental to becoming a competent communicator. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteBrianna,
ReplyDeleteI also find I joke more with my family and friends than others in a professional setting! However, I have been trying to blur the lines between my social groups and to joke more with parents in the classroom, and I have found it to be really rewarding. Parents seem to be more trusting when they see that I have a sense of humor and we build stronger relationships, as opposed to just keeping it rigidly professional. Thanks for sharing!!
Tara
Brianna,
ReplyDeleteI also find that context is important when communicating with others. I also tend to be more professional at work unless I feel that the person responds better to a more casual style. Being professional should not always mean to keep your emotions or personality in check.
I like the strategies your included in this week's blog and I agree that all of them help us be better communicators. I especially like that you included nonverbal behavior because it is important to know what is acceptable to us may not be acceptable in other cultures such as handshakes, hugs, and eye contact.
Trish
Brianna, when communicating with others, being unbiased is extremely important. Sometimes, stereotypes influence us and we already have formed opinions about certain situations. However, we do ow it to everyone we communicate with to be unbiased and open in our communication.
ReplyDeleteHi Brianna,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog and I too agree with you that we communicate with people different from a professional to a personal level. I cannot imagine talking to my colleagues the same way I speak to my children or husband that would be inappropriate. I do agree that it does not matter who we speak to we must be clear to make sure that no miscommunication arises from it.
Briana,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. I think this assignment was a very nice way for us to evaluate how we communicate with others who may have different social identities. I love your second strategy to put your biases aside and have a no judgement conversation,
Thanks
-Danielle