Effective communication skills can have a significant impact on a person's life, the way they carry out job responsibilities, and how they interact with the people around them and their environment. As defined by Helpguide.org, "Effective communication combines a set of skills including nonverbal communication, attentive listening, the ability to manage stress in the moment, and the capacity to recognize your own emotions..." (Helpguide.org, n.d.). The two skills most salient to policy change are the ability to listen attentively and emotional awareness.
Attentive listening opens the lines of communication between people. In an attempt to share one's own thoughts, it is equally important that the people that you are communicating with feel that they have been heard and understood. "Successful listening means...understanding how the speaker feels about what they are communicating," (Helpguide.org, n.d.). When you give a person the opportunity to express their thoughts, fears, or concerns, you open the lines of communication by showing that you respect and value what they have to say, even if you don't agree with their viewpoint. In relation to policy change, it is crucial to know about other's viewpoints in order to make the most informed decisions regarding all sides of an issue.
Emotional awareness is another key skill to have when communicating. Emotional awareness refers to the ability the recognize your own emotions and the emotions of others in order to manage them accordingly (Helpguide.org, n.d.). This awareness helps a person to separate how they are feeling with the situation at hand. People are less likely to be persuaded on an issue when there is too much emotion involved. Being able to manage your feelings allows you to present your agenda with a clear and concise message, without letting your emotions take over.
As a scholar-practitioner eager to promote social change, I feel comfortable in most public-speaking situations. I am able to carry myself with poise and confidence and deliver information to people in various settings and situations. As an area of improvement, I recognize that I need to listen more attentively to others and consider their viewpoints in order to come to a compromise on certain topics. Managing stress in one-on-one and small group settings is also an area of improvement. If I listen more attentively to others in smaller settings, I could better understand varying viewpoints, which would encourage colleagues to trust in me and my agenda efforts.
References
Helpguide.org. (n.d.). Effective communication. Retrieved June 4,2014, from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI realize the same things in myself as you mentioned in your post. I need to listen more attentively. I'm always thinking of what I want to say next instead of really listening to the person. Emotional awareness is also a trait I could improve. I need to learn to step back and breathe before I react.
Laurel
Hi Laurel,
DeleteI admire administrators who actively listen and respond to concerns from parents and teachers. It can be especially difficult when emotions are involved.
Thank you for your response.
-Jessica C.
Laurel and Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI also agree that actively listening is an important skill. In the age of technology, multi-tasking is the norm. Often, I am talking on the phone while texting, browsing the Internet or doing research. Either task, I am not fully focused on the conversation which could lead to miscommunication. It is imperative as advocates for social change that we do not only listen but we listen for understanding before we reply.
Hi Melissa,
DeleteI agree! Thank you for sharing.
-Jessica C.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteYour description on emotional awareness is clear and concise. It is definitely a skill to keep in mind when communicating with others.
Sharon Lloyd
Thank you Sharon!
DeleteHi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteYou stated “People are less likely to be persuaded on an issue when there is too much emotion involved.” I often wonder how to be passionate about an issue and keep my emotions in tact. I never know how much emotion to share-if I don’t show enough, then my audience will not think I am passionate about my cause. If I show too much then I will have a problem persuading them to support my issue.
Tammy
Hi Tammy,
DeleteI struggle with this too! I think the key is show find a place somewhere in the middle. This is definitely an area of improvement for me and is very closely related to managing stress.
Thank you for your response.
-Jessica C.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned something in your post that I find difficult to do sometimes. You stated that active listening involves listening to a person even if you do not agree with them. While I know that to be true, and for the most part adhere to that thought, there have been a couple of times when I have argued my case with the person. And I find myself thinking of what my next point will be in my defense while they are making their point. I guess what I am saying is that it is easier to listen when you are in agreement with the other person.
Darla
Hi Darla,
DeleteI completely agree with you. It is difficult to agree to disagree. I find myself in awkward silence situations at times because I am trying to honor someone's opposing view. I have watched my administrators closely at how they react to certain situations. I think it will improve with more practice.
Thank you for your response.
-Jessica C.
Jessica, among the many communication skills and techniques I have read, I did not realize how important, managing stress in the moment was until you mentioned it. This technique is so important when communicating to parents, and professionals within the community when we live in such a diverse community. Being mindful of another person culture, biases, and perceptions has a great deal to finding effective ways to manage stress of those we communicate with on a daily basis. Thank you for reminding me of this necessary skill when communicating to the public and audience when supporting my ideas and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHi Josette,
DeleteYou bring up a very point about being mindful of diversity. Before meetings, my colleagues and I will try to anticipate how an upset parent may respond to certain situations. During discussions, parenting style and ethnic background often come up as a reference of how the parents might react based on what we know about their culture. Culture can have such a significant impact on conversations. Thank you for your response.
-Jessica C.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI really like that you picked being an attentive listener as an important communication skill. When people think of communication they often think about talking themselves and ways to get their point across. As you said though being an active listener is so imperative so that you can hear others viewpoints and think about them to make an informed decision regarding all sides of the issue. If more people were active listeners then I think more issues would be resolved quicker.
Hi Sarah,
DeleteI agree. Being able to compromise is key. Thank you for your response.
-Jessica C.