Communication Differences

With the communication tests, there were so many different validations with the results and it was difficult for me to understand the results without finding some way to connect to all the final results. Once I thought about the questions in more detail, I was able to connect with the groups/classifications the questions aligned me in more. The problem was the Listening style test, and I did not agree with the results at all. I thought about the questions and I could see the similarities and why I was classified in that particular group but ultimately, I didn't agree that I become emotionally invested in the problems that are explained to me. 

With the results from my family member and my co-worker, the differences between all results were incredibly interesting. I figured that the test would be most accurate if I had a co-worker who wasn't someone I communicated with daily complete it, because they see an aspect of me that isn't too personal and they only have the image that is placed before them. 

When I noticed the differences, it was almost like the results were describing different people. Thinking about communication and the key factors that are immediate to effective communication like tone, body movements and eye contact, it can be interesting to think about. 

Cultural Diversity

The cultural diversity seen within my surroundings is surreal. It's actually something I don't think about often because I've always been surrounded by diverse populations. With my husband being in the military, it's assumed that there are other people around us from areas all over the world living right next to us. Living so closely allows all of our neighbors to become acquainted with one another and understand the idea of culturally infused areas.

With culture, there are definitely some boundaries that people overlook because they are unaware of the impact their lack of knowledge will influence. With people that I am unfamiliar with, I typically hesitate on my responses because I don't want to offend them or their culture in any way.

Communication Skills

The TV show I chose to examine was Criminal Minds. I'm not familiar with the characters, story line, or plot for this show, so it was difficult for me to go through the entire episode and not know what was happening. I could gain some familiarity with the characters and how they communicated with one another through facial expressions and body movements, but ideally, it would've been a lot simpler if I knew the characters and what the show was/is about. Body language and facial movements were the most crucial points of communication with this show, considering the lack of knowledge I had about it. 

I assumed certain personalities for the characters and their relationships through the show while it was on, but as I was watching it recorded back with sound, I was definitely wrong in some cases. Comfortably, there's nothing more easing than being able to understand characters and their personalities after watching the episode in sound. If this was a show I was familiar with then it would be less difficult to gauge the relationships between characters because I would already have an understanding of the dynamics within the cast. 

Communication

The person who I have chosen as a competent communicator is my Aunt Annie. My aunt has been a positive role model when it comes to communication. She would always exhibit interest and that she was listening and processing what was said. Between the compassion in her voice, her eye contact and she listened as I spoke. The look that she would give me that she understood, what I was saying and she would ask me if I understood as well. There was never a moment when she displayed disappointment, but she did express verbally when an action of mine was disliked or disapproved. She was family, so communication was always respectful, not that I would ever disrespect her. My aunt was known as the aunt or person who everyone loved. She was very compassionate and she didn't have favorites, she treated everyone the same. When it came to communication we were treated differently because the types of effective communication were not universal. It wasn't a "one size fits all" type of method. My aunt had a gift to speak with her siblings, her nieces and nephews and everyone else in between.

I admire my aunt's compassion and that she listened, when she spoke, it wasn't degrading or speaking down to you, even during confrontations, my aunt did not speak with anger, but with clear thoughts. She adjusted her communication tactics depending on the situation. I would hope that what I have learned from her growing up, would be something that I could model and practice with my communication efforts.

I am still a working progress in communication; I have learned that effective communication is different for everyone, and even from generation to generation. I need to learn to communicate with children so that it's effective and then be able to change to parents and then to staff and the director. Just because I speak doesn't mean the communication is understood. There is a lot to effective communication and this is just the beginning.