Communication Effectiveness

This week I was able to reflect on the similarities and differences of my communication style through my husband, former co-worker and myself. My evaluations as a communicator varied for each assessment. I received a mild/low score for communication anxiety and verbal aggressiveness from others and a moderate score for both communication anxiety and verbal aggressiveness from myself. This information revealed that I may be more harsh the way I judge my communication than others. Others think I am always respectful and able to disagree or change minds gently while I think I always remain respectful and attack the issue or facts rather than a persons and his or her character. 

I was surprised at the questions in the verbal aggressiveness assessment. Damaging self concept, devaluing, and assaulting others with words was an eye opener. I questioned my past actions. Do I inflict pain on others with my words? Can I handle conflict without attacking someone else's character? When I saw that I actually scored myself the highest, I thought maybe I can use some etiquette training to lower my score.   

In the end I believe the key to effective communication is respect for others. Being respectful sets the tone for more communication to happen. From this assignment I have decided to further research on verbal aggression and how to communicate non-offensively when their is a disagreement or a dialog of persuasion. By doing this I would be able to communicate more effectively in many of my relationships including those with children and families. 

Communicating with Other Cultures

When I thought about my interactions with people of different cultures and groups it became aware that I do communicate differently with them. Ex. I use high language and never code switch when speaking with someone of a different culture. This is because I am aware that people from other cultures learn formal English and I'm not aware of how much slang or jargon an individual would understand. Another reason I use high language is because I have experiences exchanging words with people from other cultures and often they have thick accents. Sometimes it is hard for me to understand them and so I prefer them to use high language as well.  Lastly, I always ask people from other cultures where are they from if they have an accent. Knowing where they come from opens up an opportunity to get know their culture better, which I love to do! 

Communication Skills and Style

I choose the show Breaking Bad. I have heard raves about the show but never watched it.  

Sound Off:

I believe the main character is an old man with glasses. He has a wife because he has on a wedding ring woke up in the bed and kissed a women who later made breakfast for him. They have a son who also received breakfast. It appears that the husband and wife are discussing a touchy subject of I'm going to assume cleaning up because their hand gestures increased and they no longer maintain eye contact. The wife turns her back over the sink while washing and continues to talk while making disappointing facial expressions. She occasionally looks over her shoulders in annoyance as she washes dishes, then finally storms out of the room. 

Sound On:

The assumptions that I made of the role of the characters were pretty accurate.There was a husband, wife and son. However, the assumption I made about what their argument was about was totally wrong. The couple was arguing about his frequent absenteeism in the home. The wife wanted to know where he was spending his time and he did not give her a straight answer which climaxed to her walking briskly out of the room.  

In the end I believe my assumptions would have been more correct if I watched the show. I learned a great about non verbal behavior and how powerful it can be. I even thought about deaf individuals and how they use non verbal behavior to understand our language. This assignment was very insightful. 

Competent Communicator

President Barack Obama is a competent communicator. His communication is always appropriate and effective. Rather he is hosting an event at the White House, press conference, or interviewing on late night television, he is always able to meet the demands of the crowd. I love the way he answers questions intelligently and directly with a hint of humor. His comic relief makes him relatable and appealing. President Obama does a fantastic job of deflecting ignorant comments. He's graced with stating facts in a professional way which includes his nonverbal expressions. He smiles when it's appropriate and uses hand gestures to reinforce his ideas. In spite of the numerous political speech ghost writers I believe President Obama has the intellect, charisma, and personality that captured the hearts of our nation. At the end of the day I would model some of my own communication behaviors after our president. Being firm, direct, and charismatic at the same time can lighten tough news.