Self evaluation
Key Words: Communication, Interaction,
- What have you learned about yourself this term (with regard to interpersonal and intercultural communication), from the reading, from the discussions, from your writing?
I have really rediscovered myself especially in the way I do communicate and interact with fellow peers. Mainly, this encompasses the perspective I had regarding numerous aspects pertaining to communication as insignificant in maintaining of health relations with other people, for illustration, listening and persuasion. Therefore, once equipped with this information, I had to reposition myself via disregarding former perceptions that were not helpful. Since, communication besides one’s intellectual knowledge is of great importance whereby one cannot afford to disapprove (Ryckman, 2008). This is especially due to its application in the corporate world whereby people cannot limit either who to interact or work with in their varied specializations. Through reading, I have learnt how communication approaches similar to numerous variations characterizing humanity constantly change (Humphrey, 2002). This is due to culture’s dynamic nature that normally changes with global influences and processes. For instance, millennial generation whose both communication approaches and aspects vary across cultures despite the segment proving to be complex especially in the workplace (Humphrey, 2002). Therefore, one ought to acquire effective skills meant to understand and engage each human developmental segment as necessitated, hence establish strong or health relations. Besides, having discussions with varied people has also enabled me to appreciate and understand diversity comprising humanity. This is especially in the way different people argue or present their ideas despite emanating from similar cultural settings. Since, these settings normally influence each person differently though people from a certain region may bear convectional mode of expression. Through writing, I have developed keenness in ensuring what I put in the paper besides being understandable, my recipients will not feel offended. This is because ideas’ presentation normally varies across cultures whereby one selectively utilizes polite language depending on the recipient.
- What have you learned about others?
Communicating effectively with own peers solely depends on how an individual delivers the intended message (Ryckman, 2008). Hence, poor delivery usually yields to ineffective decoding because the recipient may not understand clearly, what the sender implied. Besides both decoding and encoding normally relies on numerous individual aspects that may influence the involved parties differently. For instance, personality is an essential aspect that determines how an effective of an individual communicates especially when conversing (Ryckman, 2008). Since, in most cases, people having similar dominant personalities seem to be harmonious while conversing contrary to those who may be having incompatible (Ryckman, 2008). Therefore, I learnt that the only practical solution meant to shun personality obstacles when conversing or communication with others is to develop effective skills. These encompass appreciating, persuading and listening. These aspects to whomever a person converses, with imply one values the other despite caste that he or she may be emanating from or the post held by that individual; hence, cultivate an environment of mutual understanding. Throughout term, I have also unveiled people usually respond positively and soberly to any change if informed in time. Since, they will accept any plea intended to better the situation instead of learning later when a plan has aborted whereby they will result to blame game and resistance.
- What are some changes that need to happen to have more effective communication in your life?
The most practical change encompasses learning and accepting of people’s cultural diversity that characterizes humanity, which is inevitable in all life’s aspects. This is especially through learning people’s culture, beliefs and accepting how they are without judging them, hence shunning bias and conflicts. Since, bias judging will imply to the other people whom I may be interacting with that, their culture or values are insignificant or archaic. Therefore, learning and accepting their culture, will also lead to a mutual understanding while conversing with them.
The other change entails developing effective art of listening and good word usage, which will display respect despite whom I am conversing or interacting with, for instance in the workplace. This will imply to he fellow peers that I am considerate and sensitive to their sentiments whereby I will not appear selfish or autocratic especially when holding a managerial position. Besides, this also includes being able to accommodate other people’s pronouncing or spelling errors that emanate from own accents’ influence.
- What is your commitment to making changes for yourself and for others?
Presently, I have purposed to expose myself to numerous cultures through both reading literature and physical interaction with people in the workplace or school. The latter method will equip me with adequate knowledge regarding how to handle and converse with people whose culture is different from mine. This is especially in knowing appropriate ways meant to resolve emotional conflicts or wrangles whereby as mediator one has to understand parties’ involved respective cultures. This is to ensure the approach or process adopted will be respecting each party’s culture with the intention of finding common argument. Besides, I am also training myself on how to give people time to air their views while conversing with them though this is proving difficult. Since, it is an engraved habit and hard to abandon though I have involved my close friends to help me. This is to notify me especially when I am feeling I have to air my views first without being considerate of others’ predicaments.
References
Humphrey, D. (2002). Intercultural communication: a teaching and learning framework. Cetre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies.<http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/paper/1303>
Ryckman, R. M. (2008). Theories of personality. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
