Sunday, January 26, 2014

Cultural Communications

Sometimes I do find myself communicating differently depending on the group I am speaking in front of. I adapt my delivery methods and techniques as it relates to the implied needs of the group. It is definitely easier to communicate with people I see as similar to myself because of my comfort level with them. However, I feel I am extremely empathic and desire to communicate with everyone equally and try my best to find a link or connection for smooth lines of communication. Some of the ways I adapt my communication skills when speaking with someone from another group or culture is to listen well, not interrupt, repeat what I understood, and try to speak clearly/ use facial expressions to get my ideas across. It is important to attempt to make another person comfortable when speaking/communicating with you, so that they are more likely to comprehend your point.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Competent Communicators

(oldest sister, older sister, ME, mom, dad, little brother, oldest brother)
 
I have a family of educators and what I feel are extremely competent communicators. The one that would stand out of all of us the most would be my oldest sister.

I believe my oldest sister is the strongest out of the family in communication because she presents herelf as a highly educated and professional person with a high vocabulary level and understanding. One situation that I know assisted her in becoming a more competent and aware communicator would be that her daughter (my niece) is mute, meaning she has to use sign language and non-verbal communication to communicate. Because of this my sister has focused in on listening, watching, and being completely engaged in the entire atmosphere of a conversation or in communicating with others. My sister is a highly successful female and commands attention when she enters a room, which also elevates her communication skills and effectiveness. Again, I do feel like many of us in my family are extremely competent communcators, but she is someone I would model my communication techniques off of.