Who Am I as a Communicator

     For this week's assignment, we were asked to evaluate ourselves as a communicator as well as have two others evaluate us as well.  This exercise allowed me to self-reflect on not only how I behaved in situations but how others viewed my behavior as well as my ability to listen to what others had to say.  I was surprised by some of the results and it has helped me to reflect on areas in which my communication abilities can be improved.  What I found in the "Communication Anxiety Inventory," (Rubin et al., 2009) was that although I do feel anxious in some situations, it is not obvious to everyone around me.  This was a relief because I do tend to get nervous in some situations but not in all communication but there are areas I do need some work.  In the "Verbal Aggressiveness Scale," (Rubin et al., 2009), I evaluated myself much harder then how others see me, significant to be exact.  What a relief to find out that the two individuals that evaluated me do not see me that way and that even though I may be thinking something, I am hesitant to say it!  In the " Listening Styles Profile," (Rubin et al., 2009), I fell into the people-orientated group each time which just reconfirms that I am too trusting of others, which I am always being told.  But what do we have in the world without faith and trust in one another?  I know it sounds naïve but it is that blind faith that allows me to go into communications with others without judgment.
       The insights that I learned about communication this week is that I have to have more self-esteem and confidence in what I am saying and not be so afraid to speak up.  I also learned that I let my emotional side get the best of my listening abilities.  This is not a terrible thing when relating to families and children but it may cause me to miss important details that will be beneficial in helping children and families.  The thing that surprised me the most was that I did not seem more anxious or nervous when speaking amongst a group of people.  Giving a presentation in my old job was one thing but joining in on conversation with a group of people that could essentially criticize everything I have to say or believing that others would really want to listen to me is another!  I will really have to work on this.  Overall, this exercise taught me things about myself I never knew.

 

Rubin, R.B., Palmgreen, P., & Sypher, H.E. (Eds.) (2009).  Communication research measures: A sourcebook: New York: Routledge

Rubin, R.B., A.M. Graham, E.E., Perse, E.M., & Selbold, D.R. (Eds.) (2009).  Communication research measures II: A sourcebook: New York: Routledge.