Communication Evaluations

I really enjoyed reviewing the results of the surveys for this week's application assignment. In addition to my participation, my mother and a colleague also completed the surveys, basing their results on how they thought I would score myself based on my communication skills. I found it interesting that all three of us placed myself in group 1 for the listening styles survey. I would have to agree that I am very people-oriented. I really try to focus on the message that is being relayed and the person who is relaying the message. In a conversation, I would much rather listen than speak. I have always been a quiet person, even in a professional setting. One surprising revelation that came from the results of the verbal aggressiveness survey is that I tend to be moderately aggressive. I like to view myself as passionate, especially when it is something that I care deeply about. If there is something that I know should be said or heard, I relay that message, even if it means that the person receiving the message could possibly be hurt by it. There are times where I do regret what I say, but for the most part, I think long and hard before I say something. This survey, however, made me realize that I may want to use more caution and evaluate my level of aggression depending on the situation that I am in.

One thing that I found interesting in the readings for this week was the concept of cognition for one's self. I know that I have a low self-esteem, which often carries into my professional life. I try to be a perfectionist at work because I have a fear of making a mistake or not being good enough. Whenever I lower my standards for something, I feel as though I have let other people down. I know that this is an area that I need to improve because my low self-esteem can potentially be sensed by the children and families that I work with. I want to teach them to think highly of themselves and be proud of their accomplishments and abilities, but first, I need to believe in myself. The other topic that I found interesting this week is the reliance that we tend to have on technology in order to communicate with others. Again, I am guilty of relying too heavily on technology because I can hide my feelings behind the text. I use technology because I do not want others to see my fears about bringing up a touchy subject or discussing a concern with a parent who potentially may not handle the situation very well. But, as a leader, I need to be able to have the confidence to interact with all types of individuals on a face-to-face basis and accept the fact that everyone makes mistakes and people often are uncomfortable in one-on-one situations.

Cultural-Based Communication

This week, we have been discussing how culture influences our communication style and our views about how other individuals communicate. I will readily admit that I am generally a shy person, no matter who I am around. I view myself as a strong listener, speaking up only when I am truly passionate about something. However, my role as an education coordinator does not allow me to take the back seat in communication scenarios, so I have to be willing to step out of my comfort zone in order to address people in many different circumstances.

I do tend to communicate differently when I am around people who have a different cultural background than myself. For instance, if I notice that a person may not be a member of my community, I tend to weigh more heavily on my role as a listener than as a verbal communicator. I also tend to avoid eye contact during conversations with these people because I fear that I am being judged and may possibly offend them if I make eye contact and they are uncomfortable with it.

In order to communicate more effectively with people from all cultural backgrounds, I first need to stop judging and trying to decide whether or not a person comes from a particular background or not. It should not matter what that person's background is. If they are willing to have a conversation with me, then I should be willing to respect them. Another step that I can take to effectively communicate is to find something in common with the other participant. Common interests or communication styles enable all participants to be able to offer understanding to one another. I can also try to put myself in the other person's place and view things from their perspective. By viewing the conversation from their point of view, I show that I am willing to fully participate in the conversation and honor their opinion, even if I may not fully agree with it.

Observing Communication Without Sound

This week, I chose to watch an episode of Army Wives. I chose this television show because I have always been interested in watching it, but have never had a chance to do so. While viewing the show without sound, I noticed that I was really focusing on observing the characters' emotions and body language. Based on the body language of the characters, I noticed that there was a lot of jealousy between some of the groups of wives. I could also sense the tension in some of the relationships based eye movements and posture Once I turned on the sound of the show, I realized that many of my feelings about the characters were validated. By being able to listen to the sound, I was able to gain more information the nature of the relationships. If I had prior knowledge about the show, I would admit that my feelings toward the characters would persuade my observations and force me to focus on certain interactions among the characters instead of being able to take the objective approach that I did.

Competent Communication

When I think of competent communication, one person in particular comes to my mind. My supervisor, who is our Early Head Start Director, is a great communicator, both on a professional level and on a personal level. Whenever I am speaking with her, she takes the time to truly listen to me. She evaluates what I have said before she responds. She also makes eye contact with me when I am speaking, which also reassures me that she is listening. Even in emails, she always seems to take the time to stop and think about how she wants to say something before she actually does it. To me, that shows that she cares about her audience and how her audience views her. I feel important when I speak with her, even if it is simply sharing my frustrations that I experienced earlier that morning while trying to get my oldest daughter to preschool. Another key point that makes her a competent communicator is the fact that she holds an open door policy in her office. She is always willing to take the time to communicate with her staff, no matter what the topic may be. I have learned a lot about communication through my relationship with her and it has carried over to my interactions in my position in the program.