Myself As a Communicator 1

Myself As a Communicator

Abbey Haynes

Comm 1010

Professor Susan Cohen

2/14/2020
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Myself As a Communicator

1. How am I at articulating my needs, opinions, views, or concerns?

It is important to speak for yourself, as no one else will. I learned this lesson after many
years of not being heard due to not asserting myself and being looked over. My opinions are
valid, and while I may be asked for my opinion on occasion, it is my job to give my opinion
when appropriate. I do need to remind myself of this often.

I work at a car dealership as a Concierge Supervisor. A couple months ago there was a
miscommunication I had with the General Sales Manager. While I do not report directly to him,
we do work closely together (and he is considered one of the head honchos of the dealership). He
reported his frustration to my boss, the Director over my department. We had to have an
impromptu meeting. I had messed up and did not clearly and effectively articulate my
intentions/plans. My boss (the Director) was a mediator of this discussion to see both sides fairly.
The GSM and I had a good talk. We learned a bit more about each other (at least me about him),
and are still working towards communicating clearly to each other. I remember my boss
mentioning in the meeting that I seemed reserved, and apprehensive to voice my concerns. After
some consoling and encouragement, I was able to articulate my frustration with the situation. I
tend to internalize my problems (unconsciously) but it was a good reminder that my opinion
matters, too, and that I need to speak up for myself or else get bulldozed. Being new to a
leadership position has proven many times over that I have a lot to learn. I need to be patient,
explain myself clearly and in a professional manner and hear others out about their concerns and
opinions.

2. How am I as a listener?

On my Listening Assessment, I scored the medium result (‘You listen well’). While I am
mostly okay with this result, it shows me that I can improve. I know that I am naturally on ‘high
alert’ and can be distracted by small noises, uncomfortability, or things that are out of the norm.
Due to this, it’s possible that I am stuck in my own head, rather than listening to the
conversation.

On a daily basis, I am bombarded by many people speaking to me, many times multiple
people at once. I have to consciously make it a point to listen to the person in front of me. I need
to remind myself to put my phone down (calls, text messages and group chats, while all related
to work, are a great distraction). Often times, I will put my phone face down on the surface
nearby. This way I do not feel it vibrate or see the screen light up with notifications. I hope this
shows my team and others I speak to that I am trying to be present in the moment and listen to
what they have to say.
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3. What aspects of my nonverbal behavior are effective? What can be improved?

I find that when I am speaking to someone, I tend to move my body position so it is

similar to theirs. I do it hoping it can subconsciously put them at ease and makes me seem more
relatable. It seems to help. I ‘speak with my hands’ and will often make grand gestures to tell my
story or describe what I am saying. I avoid crossing my arms when talking to someone. I don’t
want to give off the vibe that I am uninterested… even if I am. I will communicate with my team
nonverbally by giving an ‘OK’ sign or thumbs up from farther distances.

I also tend to show my emotions or reactions on my face and have to be conscious about
keeping a neutral expression on while processing information I am given. I realize that even
when I am in deep thought I will rest my head on my hand. It may give the perception that I am
bored or tired. I try to stay aware of this, but it happens.

4. What are my communication strengths?

I am flexible and can adapt well to different scenarios. I scored high on the Adaptability
assessment. I take pride in this because I have worked very hard to learn to communicate
effectively to many different personalities. I am still learning the best way to get my point across
to different people (especially all at once), but I enjoy gaining knowledge so that I can do better
in the future. Taking this class has been a great resource so far and I think I’ll take quite a bit
away from it.

In my current role as Supervisor, that’s been taken to a whole new level. This is the first
time I have ever been in a leadership role, and I take it very seriously. When talking to different
people on my team, I will use different techniques to get my point across. For example, I may be
very direct to one person, while to someone else I may be a bit softer in my approach to not upset
them. I may cuss or use more casual language or be extremely polite in other situations.

5. What are my communication weaknesses?

I know that I become emotional when faced with intense conversations (whether positive
or negative). I would like to learn more on how to cope better to maintain my composure. As I
said earlier, I have a poor poker face, and that can be seen as a weakness because there are times
when little emotion needs to be shown, or rather, I need to hide my first reaction and process the
information before I react in a more appropriate manner. I also know that I may assume someone
else’s knowledge on a topic or situation. I know I need to work on taking a step back, seeing the
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whole picture, then moving forward asking the right questions. It’s a work in progress (and that’s
okay!).

I’ve already touched on this, but one of my lowest scores on the assessments was
listening. I am fully aware that I daydream or allow my mind to wander during some
conversations. When I’m at work, I try to be ‘in the moment’ with whom I’m speaking to, but I
try to be one step ahead strategically. That only makes it harder to respond in an appropriate
manner. I’m learning now that being present with the person you’re speaking to is the best
strategy.

6. What is it like to have a conversation with me?

Honestly, I think I am a good person to converse with. I scored high on both the
Self-Awareness and Empathy assessments. I give a lot of effort into seeing myself in others’
shoes and acquire their point of view to understand them deeper as a person, while seeing how
my responses could potentially alter what they think of me and how the conversation is going.

If I don’t know the subject very well, (if I am interested enough) I will try to ask
provoking questions to ensure I have a deeper understanding of the material. I enjoy getting a
positive reaction out of people. I know I am a people-pleaser to an extent. I will not bend my
morals to make someone else happy or satisfied, but I will do what I can to make the person feel
comfortable to talk to me. I have been told I am personable and refreshingly honest when giving
my opinion. I dislike talking down to anyone and would rather praise/compliment them than give
criticism.