The results stated that I had moderate communication
anxiety, which basically means situational. My listening style stated I was in
Group 1 which was people oriented and that meant I was empathetic and this
could hinder communication if I use my feelings too much. On the verbal
aggression scale I was at a moderate level, but on the higher end which really
surprised me. If there is one thing I feel that I am not, it is verbally
aggressive. However, after speaking with my friends and family it became apparent
to me that maybe I am not verbally aggressive in a negative manner, but I
advocate and defend what I believe in and what I know is educationally correct.
I do not assume I know it all, but when I do know I have the right answer I
defend it.
Communication is important to me, and I feel that through
this course and especially in my life experiences the past week this has been
validated. I have learned that I need to be a good listener and that I need to
be honest with others about how I feel. For example, a friend was supposed to
come and help my parents move this weekend. They gave a time span and said that
within two hours they would be there to help. I thanked them for their
assistance and explained how important it was that we get help due to my Dad’s
poor health. The friend was working and ended up working much later without
communicating to me that they would not be able to make it. I was very upset.
At first I was not going to communicate my feelings, but I changed my mind and
told them I was disappointed for the lack of communication. They accepted their
part and apologized and we were able to move on without conflict.
Having competent communication causes less stress and fewer
conflicts. In my professional life and in my personal life I will continue to
actively listen and communicate competently with all of the tools that I have
learned during this course. I will not only listen, but I will learn to respect
another’s opinion even if it is not my own. I try to do this now, but I know I
need to improve. As I have stated to my husband before, you do not have to
agree with my opinion, but you do need to respect it.
Samantha,
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts are very interesting here! I had similar evaluations on the scales. I think that when we are adamant about getting our point across when we feel strongly about a subject and really believe we are correct, it is viewed as aggression because it seems like we are trying to force others to agree. I find myself behaving in this way as well. My anxiety is also situational. I hope to transfer my confidence from one situation to the next in order to be a more effective educator. What you said about expressing oneself is so true. It can really cut down on confusion and aggressive communication; sometimes when we keep feelings in, they come out in the wrong manner. I am glad you made the choice to let your friend know how you felt.
Cherri