Communication Evaluation

 

                This week’s blog assignment included an evaluation that I conducted on myself and I had to choose two other individuals to evaluate my effectiveness in speaking, listening, and communication anxiety. The three assessments began by informing me that the best way for this assessment to be accurate was if I were to be honest. The test was pretty simple in strategy and technique. They contained 20-21 questions per assessment and ranged in degrees from always to never.

                Comparing the three evaluations revealed that the Listening Styles, Communication Anxiety Inventory, and Verbal Aggressiveness Scale all ranked within the same category. For Listening Styles, I scored highest in Group 1 deeming my style to be people-oriented. In Communication Anxiety Inventory, my score ranged in the 21-33 categories, labeling my communication anxiety Low. Verbal Aggression scale ranked at a Moderate level with my scores averaging between 53-68.

                One thing that surprised me the most is how all three of our evaluations were similar. I believe that most of the time I cope with anxiety, avoid verbal aggressiveness, and listen effectively. It made me feel good that others think this way about me as well. It a very tedious task to supervise 18 adults and try to be consistent and calm even when everyone else is in an uproar.

                Two insights that I have learned this week have encouraged me to continue striving to become a competent communicator. The evaluations served as an instrumental tool in envisioning how well I am doing and also some improvements that I need to make. It was equally important to know how others evaluated my ability to communicate. Part of being an effective leader is the ability to listen, speak, and deal with anxiety, not only for you, but for all others as well, including children, families, colleagues, and teachers. I think that as professionals, these assessments should be done on a regular basis for each individual in the work place. Being a competent and effective communicator both professional and personally has the limitless possibility to overcome barriers in communication, dispel cultural myopia and bias schemas, and positively influence our interactions and engagements with everyone that we come in contact with.

               

 

 

Communication Strategies

Communicating across cultures can be a challenge. As I reflect on this week’s blog question, I can honestly say that I do not communicate differently with people from other cultures but, however, sometimes my communication skills are similar and differ between contexts. For example, in my professional occupation, I communicate utilizing a linguistic intelligence solely related to early childhood care and education, while in a relational context I may utilize a different language context from my speech repertoire such as euphemisms or slang, which is more relaxed and informal when I am around friends and family.

Strategies that I could use to help me communicate more effectively with various people or groups include:

(1). Practice active listening

(2). Avoid cultural assumptions

(3). Practice being patient

(4). Ask for clarification

(5). Check for understanding

(6). Develop cultural awareness

 

 

Communication Video: http://youtu.be/8-hGDlifwhg

Verbal and Nonverbal Cues

 

                For this week’s assignment, I chose to watch a football game. Being that I am not really in to sports, I figured that viewing this game with sound off for the first half, then on for the second half, would be both a challenge and good experience for me as I try to master the skill recognizing verbal and nonverbal cues. The characters’ relationships based on the ways in which they were communicating, were that of uniformity and cohesiveness. Because football players do not have time to talk while they are on the field, I believe they relied largely on instinct, eye contact, hand gestures and body movement.  As  I watched the second half with the sound on, I observed the teams relationship as being in tuned with one another. I believed that they utilized a deeper level of concentration that allowed them to use nonverbal cues on the field as their ears. I didn’t make any assumptions about the characters  or plot for which I interpreted from the communication that I observed. I am, however, impressed with the way the team members were able to perform at a high speed regardless of the roar crowd, the expectations of the coach, and the pressure to win the game. I believe that my impressions would have been the same if I had been watching a television show that I like, such as Law & Order: SVU.  I believe this is true being that some messages are subliminal causing viewers to pay closer attention to nonverbal cues such as gestures, body movement, environments, or tone of voice. I believe that this assignment was a great experience in creating an awareness and responsiveness to verbal and nonverbal cues. Being that communication is multifaceted, across a variety of contexts, it is essential to becoming effecting in interpreting what you see, hear, and listen to when working with children, families, and communities in the field of early childhood care and education.

Competent Communicator

 

            I believe that “attitude reflects leadership”. I also believe that good communication is the greatest asset that any organization, team, or group can have. The person that I believe demonstrates a competency in communicating would be the director at the early learning institution for which I service. I have been under his leadership for 4 years and the characteristic that I admire most about him is his consistency in behaviors. I have yet to witness him enter the center without speaking to each and every one of the employees, parents, and students. He exhibits great interpersonal skills that are effective when dealing with various situations. He honors the “open door” policy which makes it easy for anyone to come into his office to express concerns, offer suggestions, or just to listen to the gospel music that he plays each day. He maintains a mutual respect for management, staff members, and families that make our organization operate efficiently. His behavior, interactions, and attitude is always positive, even when it is dealing with disciplinary actions.

            I model my own communication behaviors after his because of his actions are no different than his words. He does expect his employees to do something that he would not do. He serves as a role model by setting standards and expectations that are verbal, written, and performed. I am truly impressed by his ability to maintain his professionalism in any given situation. I have never witnessed him allowing his personal emotions or opinions cloud his professional judgment and what’s best for our organization. I hope to be as great of a leader and competent and effective communicator as he is through both his verbal and non-verbal mannerisms.