I do find myself communicating differently depending on the individual or group of people I am communicating with. When communicating with friends and family, I tend to be more informal. I am more comfortable and not as concerned with the conversation formalities. When communicating as a professional, I tend to be more formal and precise. When communicating I am more focused on the message I am trying to convey, as well as listening to others.
One strategy I would use to effectively communicate with others is to verify my perceptions. When communicating with others, I tend to jump to conclusions before fully assessing the situation. It is important to take time to consider the other perspective before making and judgements. A second strategy I would use is to look beyond first impressions. It is very easy to make assumptions based strictly on your first impression of someone. I need to make sure to take time and get to know someone before making any judgements. Another strategy I would use is to be mindful when communicating. It is important to be mindful when communicating with others. There are so many ways that people can be diverse, we need to be open minded because we can't understand the way they are different.
Angie,
ReplyDeleteI think that we all may be guilty of judging people or making assumptions before even getting to know someone. I live in an area where there are not a lot of people that look like me and sometimes people tend to make judgments about me. However, I found myself making a judgment about a guy who came into my office one day to fix the copier. I had just had short conversation with him and made a quick judgment. I then put myself in check and had to take that judgment off of that young man I did not know. He turned out to be a nice guy. Ever growing experience
Angie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that we need to have an open mind in other to be an effective communicator . One needs to be a better listener in conversation. I must listen twice as much as I speak.