Communication Evaluation

The communication evaluation this week was very interesting.  I had my significant other and my mother complete the survey. The one thing that surprised me was that my mother did not rate me as high as I thought she would have for verbal aggressiveness especially since we have a long history of ineffective communication with one another.   After all of the exercises this week, I was reminded of the importance of knowing yourself, as it impact your communication with others.  Having self-esteem, knowing how we feel about specific things, and being able to continuously assess and reflect on our abilities is crucial. Without having those skills we will never grow in our communication or be able to effectively use communication as a way of building relationships both professionally and personally.  Another insight I had this week was how I manage my identity to others, specifically self presentation.  Depending on the setting, there are certain aspects I choose to reveal which have been successful thus far, however when determining what to present to others, I must take into account how that will be received by others and how that can impact my communication with those individuals.  This is especially important when determining how to present yourself to children and families and finding the fine line between building a personal professional relationship that does not cross to far into personal but far enough that the parents trust and value your opinion and input.  This week was eye opening in that like our professional practices, communication is constant and we should always be engaging in reflection around our communication so that it continues to be effective.

Communication

When thinking about communication one of the first people that comes to mind is the fabulous OPRAH!

Oprah, unlike many other new anchors and TV personalities, is able to show the affiliation she has for others in a way unlike anyone else.  When interviewing I notice she laughs and smiles, when appropriate, she is gracious for allowing others to speak with her, she touches her guest, on the hand or shoulder, and whether the topic of a serious nature or not the viewer, or at least I walk away feeling touched, inspired, or open to receiving the information present or extracted from the interview (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 6).  Oprah also has a goal in mind when speaking or interviewing.  She does not talk to gossip or slander but rather to expose a truth, dispel a myth, gain understanding, etc.  She uses her ability to communicate to achieve a specific goal, which is why she is considered one of the most influential people (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 7).  

Oprah is influential over many people, "there is no body else with that kind of consistency and power", as stated by Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes.com (Reaney, 2013). Additionally, Oprah always seems to be aware of cultural barriers and differences when speaking to others, she demonstrates appropriate behavior which make you want to spill all the tea! She is surely one that I have attempted to model some of my own communications after.  She is very successful and a huge portion of that is due to her ability to communicate.  I admire her ability to disagree without making others feel degraded or intimidated.  I admire her sincereness when speaking with others and respect for differences.   I admire her ability to accept responsibility for her communication, as she often expects the same when interviewing others (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2013, p.15).  My current level of communication is aligned with my experiences, age, and knowledge I have gained through work and personal experiences.  As my experiences and knowledge deepen and expand over time and through opportunities my level of communication will change and expect.  

References

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

Reaney, P. (2013). Oprah tops forbes' most powerful celebrity list. Huff Post Media. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/oprah-forbes-most-powerful-celebrity_n_3500418.html