Blog Assignment Week 4:
The differences were not significant between how I evaluated myself and how others did. We all agreed that I use the people oriented listening style. I fell in the moderate section in the verbal aggressiveness scale on each evaluation. The one difference was my colleague rated me as displaying mild communication anxiety. I was slightly surprised. I was rated as low anxiety from my husband and myself. My colleague however perceives me as uneasy in some circumstances. For example in public speaking or in large groups I seem less confident and a little uneasy. Otherwise she feels I have little anxiety. The most important idea I learned was the power of perception. We do assume whether we want or not based on appearance and first impression. To be effective communicators we need to be aware of that as well as any biases we have.
Hi Josie
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to know what cues your coworker used to decide that you were displaying mild communication anxiety. Sometimes it can be the the tone or inflection of your voice when speaking in groups as compared to one-on-one communication, and sometimes it can be the nonverbal cues that you use to regulate the interactions you have during group discussions such as whether or not you allow interruptions and how you hold your posture (O"Hair & Wiemann, 2012). I have watched myself once on video after a presentation and was surprised by the difference in how I carried myself in front of a group as compared to how I perceived the presentation went.
Carolyn
O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.
The power of perception is incredible. As I completed the assignments for Week 4, I could not help but think of how people perceive me. Verbal as well as non-verbal gestures have a major impact on the perception that one has on others as well as how someone perceives me. Communication anxiety is very likely when presenting a project to a group of people. I always feel my anxiety rise when I am public speaking in large groups so I can relate to how you feel.
ReplyDeleteJosie,
ReplyDeleteI was just the opposite I know I have anxiety and trouble speaking in large groups but my colleague doesn't see that, so maybe I am just paranoid. I now that I am very self-unconscious and maybe that is why I feel so uncomfortable. I am definitely going to be more aware of my actions now.
Catherine
Hello Josie,
ReplyDeleteI also found that how I perceive myself and how I am seen by others was in sync. It is a good thing to find out. I had a friend find out that sometimes she is rude. I was happy to tell her not in the work environment and not as a friend. It helps to hear what some else has to say about you, when it’s meant to help. I guess we can use this information to gather information, and to check on how we are perceived by others-just to help us be stronger communicators, and to look back on to see how we have developed. Hope that we both can work on that public speaking.
I always feel there is more anxiety at work. I feel sometimes that the communication expectation is often higher than the comfortable environment I have at home regardless of the relationships and friendships I have developed in the workplace. I think our environment also plays an important role in how effective we are as communicators.
ReplyDelete