Communication Evaluation

This week’s assignment is an eye opener to see the way different people perceive me compare to the way I perceive myself. In communication anxiety I perceive myself as moderate that is I feel somewhat concerned about a number of communication contexts while one of the people who evaluated me  perceive me to be elevated that is I feel uncomfortable with several communication contexts. The second person perceives me to be mild that I feel a bit uneasy in communication situations. I’m quite surprise to see the difference in the way they perceive me compare to the way I perceive myself because I know I don’t like to speak in public. I’m very shy when it comes to staying in front of people talking.

I perceive myself under listening styles profiles as people oriented by being empathetic with people’s emotion while two people perceive me the same way. I’m somebody that is very emotional so I’m easily been touched by people’s feelings. This would definitely enhance my relationship with both the children and the parents.

 I was to gain this week that culture affect communication and that nonverbal communication could speak louder than verbal communication. I also gained how we perceive ourselves differently from the ways others perceive us. We as professionals in this field have to actually take note of our bias and pay more attention to children, parents and colleagues nonverbal communication when we are talking to them. As professionals we need to know that it is when we engage them in communication we could actually know them better not by just seeing their faces.

Communicating differently with people from different groups and culture

The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of "yes" varies from "maybe, I'll consider it" to "definitely so," with many shades in between.

Another major aspect of communication style is the degree of importance given to non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication includes not only facial expressions and gestures; it also involves seating arrangements, personal distance, and sense of time. In addition, different norms regarding the appropriate degree of assertiveness in communicating can add to cultural misunderstandings. For instance, some white Americans typically consider raised voices to be a sign that a fight has begun, while some black, Jewish and Italian Americans often feel that an increase in volume is a sign of an exciting conversation among friends. Thus, some white Americans may react with greater alarm to a loud discussion than would members of some American ethnic or non-white racial groups.

One of the ways I find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures is that I’m from Africa so I’m not as fast as Caucasians when I’m communicating. I try to pay more attention in order to hear them. I find it difficult most times to look straight into people’s eyes while communicating with them like some other groups do. I try to be more careful when I’m talking with people the way I move or position part of my body for example the hand, face, and legs and so on because others may read meaning to it. When I'm taking to people older than me that are from Africa I usually show some signs by bending my kneels when I'm greeting them and don't look straight to their eyes but when I'm talking to some white people especially Canadians I have to.

Cultural differences is very important to bear in mind in communication because different groups have different ways they would want to be treated which is the "Platinum Rule"  which is one of the strategies I use for effective communication. I also watch out for non verbal communication and try to use simple words in other to prevent misunderstanding. 

References:

http://www.pbs.org/ampu/crosscult.html

Oprah Winfrey

The Oprah Winfrey Show, often referred to simply as Oprah, is an American syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from 1986 to 2011. Produced and hosted by its namesake, Oprah Winfrey, it remains the highest-rated talk show in American television history. The show was highly influential, and many of its topics penetrated into the American pop-cultural consciousness. Winfrey used the show as a platform to teach and inspire, providing viewers with a positive, spiritually uplifting experience by featuring book clubs, compelling interviews, self-improvement segments, and philanthropic forays into world events. The show gained credibility by not trying to profit off the products it endorsed; it had no licensing agreement with retailers when products were  promoted, nor did the show make any money from endorsing books for its book club.

One of the Oprah shows I watched where she was interviewing Joel Osteen after she visited his church which is Lakewood in Huston Texas. The interview was based on his life history in the ministry, how he feels pastoring a church of 16,000 people which is the largest church in United state, how is getting money and so on. At the beginning of the interview Oprah made mention about the diversity in the church which was one of the things the interview was based on asking him how he’s managing the large congregation like that. This is something that really appealed to me when I also went to the church. It's so amazing. In this show both of them were sitting face to face looking relaxed and seems comfortable with each other. In the show as Oprah was interview Joel Osteen they were trying to show some clips of what they were talking about to illustrate what they are saying which is very powerful to convey their messages. They both focused on each other by looking at each others' eyes while they are communicating. I think it is very important in communication to feel relax and comfortable with the person you are talking to for effective communication. Also their facial expression is awesome, smiling and moving their hands to express themselves. Both of them are good leaders very eloquent and confident to face the crowd. They are both full of life with the way they appear when they are in front of people by smiling, making jokes and moving the parts of their bodies to express themselves. The ability to lead effectively is based on a number of key skills. These skills are highly sought after by employers as they involve dealing with people in such a way as to motivate, enthuse and build respect.

 Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkOpB5VQM5g 
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/leadership-skills.html