Communicating Effectively

I have come to realize that I do speak to individuals differently depending on if they are good friends or family, people I work with or people that are from different cultures that I am not familiar with. When communicating with friends and family I am very comfortable and knowledgeable about certain topics and situations that are going on in their lives. When knowing this you are able to give more advice, know when they want your opinion and know just when to listen to what they are saying. I feel that is also how I speak to my staff members because we do have close relationships.  Sometimes when I am around co-workers or especially a boss my comfort level decreases and I tend to be a little more anxious. With this I have a tendency to be less talkative and don’t often give my opinion. If I am speaking with individuals that are from a different culture and I am unfamiliar with their traditions and beliefs I do a lot of listening to become more knowledgeable but also I have a tendency to speak slower because I want them to understand what I was saying. I could probably also say that I speak slower to elderly individuals as well as a little louder to make sure they could hear me.

I do believe that one strategy that is always effective in communication is listening. Listening to someone really shows your genuine concern and care for what they are saying. This is also important for you to receive the correct information in order to help them effectively.

Even though I say listening is a great communication skill to have, there are times when I am speaking to my friends and family or even my staff members and I have a hard time stopping myself from talking and giving them a chance to speak. This happens for me when I am speaking about something that I am passionate about, and usually teaching and children is a topic I can’t stop talking about.  So I would say that my second strategy would be let other individuals speak and have their chance to get in on the conversation and share their thoughts and opinions.

A third strategy that I believe is important is be cautious of non-verbal cues. Much of a conversation is made up of non-verbal cues such as eye contact, facial expressions, hand gesture, and even tone of voice. I have been told that I make certain facial expressions when speaking that I myself don’t even realize half the time. I need to be more aware of this because it could give off the wrong message as to how I feel about a certain topic. It is also important to be aware of non-verbal cues when speaking to individuals of other cultures. “Nonverbal communication is highly influenced by culture, and what mya be an innocent gesture in one group, context, region, or county can convey a different and possibly offensive message elsewhere” (O’Hair & Wieman, 2012).Comm

 O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.