Similarities & Differences as a Communicator

Effective Communication

As a director in a childcare facility through training's. I am constantly reminded about how we as leaders and educators are to communicate with staff, children and families. As a communicator I find myself and have been told by others that I communicate very effectively.  I find that when I communicate this way it helps me to understand a person better and understand their situation. This enables me to resolve differences while at the same time building trust and respecting the individual. No matter how simple communication may seem when we try to communicate with others or they try to communicate with us things are misunderstood or misinterpreted. As a result conflicts arise and folks become frustrated in personal as well as professional relationships. When I learn effective communication skills, I find that I can better connect with my spouse, children, families, friends and even the staff I work with. In talking with staff and other people that I come in contact with they like the way I communicate. They stressed that it is important that you listen to what a person has to say and not interrupt which is what I do. I am also empathetic and I concern myself with the emotions of others. I also am balanced and I maintain respect and I never engage in aggression.

This did not surprise me at all because over the years I have learned a great deal and as a result I have implemented new things I learn time and time again. Of course, it takes time and effort to develop effective communication skills and become an effective communicator. I find that you must put a great deal of effort and practice into communicating effectively. The more practice you put in, the more instinctive and spontaneous your communication skills will become.

The insights I have learned are that almost everything anyone wants or needs will depend on others to a great degree. This is true for everyone whether they are directors, teachers, managers, or supervisor. Everyone’s success at getting their wants and needs met will depend largely on how effectively they communicate with others. Being able to communicate effectively is the most important skill a person can learn today. It is more than just the words we speak, but it also involves the way the words are spoken as well as the body language that accompanies it. 

The essence of good communication is to impart a message in a way that the perception of the receiver matches that of the transmitter. In other words, the style and method of our communication is always matched to suit those with whom we are communicating. Another insight is that if you are effective in your communication then your staff will know what to do and what is expected of them. When there is miscommunication then your staff will become disengaged because they are not sure or clear about what they should be doing or what their focus is on.

These two insights will inform my professional work and personal life in that it teaches me how to communicate effectively with others and the positive performance or productivity that can increase or result because of communicating effectively with others. In my personal life I learn that this is just as important as my professional work. It should never change and that communication should take place effectively across the board. Keeping the lines of communication is important and must be effective is you want to accomplish things or get the job done.

Effective Communication is the Key

Communicating with people from different groups and cultures.

Albania Culture

                                                       Spanish Culture and traditions

When communicating with people from different groups and cultures I find myself speaking in a clear voice so they can understand what I am saying. This is a result of the limited communication skills that some have. I try to be very patient too because at times when you are communicating with someone who has an accent it may be difficult to understand and so you may ask them to repeat it. Over the years as a result of working with a diverse background of cultures I listen very carefully and because of being around them for so long of a time I begin to pick up on what they are saying. I work with a person from Albania who is limited in her English and even in the Albania language I understand her. At the same time, it is helping me learn a second language.

The same applies to the Spanish families in our care. I have been able to communicate to them in their language even if it is something small and it makes them feel good just to hear you say hello or good morning in their language. There are times when I have to use hand gestures, or facial expressions, to communicate. I have a parent that is death so in order to communicate with her she had to write things down for me to understand her. This required a great deal of patience on my part. To better communicate with her I went out a purchased a book that would help me with basic sign language and “wow” it helped a great deal and the parent is so pleased. I am still learning sign language.

I find that non-verbal communication is often more important than verbal communication, and good for communication with someone who speaks Spanish or Albanian. Paying close attention to their body language, gestures and demeanor can help in communicating with them. Understanding differences in Spanish culture will help you better understand the people. You will appreciate their openness. The more you learn about the language and the culture, the more you will enjoy the time and communication you have with them. I find an even better way to understand Latin culture is to learn their language Spanish.

The strategies I use in dealing with a death person is to first be patient, be positive and make sure I have plenty of paper and pencils. Another thing that works also is lip-reading. I find it very important to treat them with respect. I have even gone as far as learning some phrases in Albanian.

Overall effective communication is vital for every organization. Communication is required for all business workers in every industry in order to carry out their tasks and duties, and is essential for obtaining the best performance. Being an effective communicator requires effort, observation and good verbal and nonverbal strategies.

Reference:

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

What I have learned about Communication Skills.

                                   Law and Order Special Victims Unit

The show I watched was Law and Order Special Victims Unit with the sound turned off. The characters in the show to me are based on the fact that they have a good working relationship (that is the detectives). I say this because as they were discussing the case there was a great deal of eye to eye contact (in intervals), body language, gestures, and voice tone from all parties. Based on their feelings and expressions when dealing with the criminals and trying to get to the bottom of the case you could see the frustration in their faces. The criminals in the movie avoided making any type of eye contact with the detectives and they kept blinking their eyes which to me says in some cases that they were not being honest about what they was saying and they kept looking down. 

Their tone of voice with each other showed enthusiasm because they caught what they thought was the person guilty of committing that horrible crime. That enthusiasm soon turned into anger when the criminal denied committing the crime. I watched the show again (I taped it) and my assumptions about the characters was correct. The only thing that was incorrect was the constant blinking of the eye by one of the criminals. The blinking is a result of a medical condition. If I had been watching a show I know a more well it is a possibility that my assumptions would have been more correct. It’s hard to say, one never knows for sure.

One thing I learned is that my assumptions regarding communication may not always be what I think it is. For example, the eye contact can be considered as intimidating or confrontational so again you can’t assume it could be totally different. With that being said I need to look for other cues. What this showed me is that nonverbal signals can be misread. It is important that I pay careful attention to verbal as well as nonverbal communication with others. This will help me improve my communication skills and make them more effective. We can always learn something new.

Competent Communication

All Communication must be Effective

The one person that I feel demonstrates competent communication is my instructor who conducts training at our center for the staff. Her communication skills in my book are very effective as well as professional. When conducting trainings she maintains eye contact with all in the class and she is open minded. I like that fact that when you want to speak she listens and is focused on every word that is coming from your mouth. Even if she doesn’t agree with what you are saying her response shows that she appreciates and respects what you are saying. I have learned a great deal from her as a result. For one thing I have learned how to demonstrate empathy from her by trying to understand a situations from someone else’s perspective. She has the ability to connect and understand others and I want to be able to do the same. In one of the training classes two teachers had conflicting views on how to communicate with a parent whose child displays behavior that is very challenging. To be honest with you they both were wrong in how to communicate the information to the parent. Rather than say no you’re both wrong or judging them she turned that situation into a learning experience. She demonstrated how to effectively communicate the information to the parent. The entire class was blown away because they saw how it could be done and done in a way that is effective as well as professional. The demonstration itself was done in a way where the parent would not feel upset or discouraged. We all know that parents do not want to hear that their child has behavior issues. I know her very well and I see how she manages her feelings and this is another thing I have learned from her.

The ability to communicate effectively can help us in attracting new client in the facility, forge new relationships with parents and teachers. We work with children each and every day so as educators we need to be effective in our communication with children. Having effective communication skills means more than just knowing how to talk. Children often need guidance in learning how to interact with one another when speaking. Just like she used role playing we too can use role-playing to teach children how to communicate with peers and adults. It's a fun and engaging way for children to learn. Caregivers have the important role of helping people with a multitude of tasks. Being able to communicate well with each person to whom you provide care is critical for ensuring that they get the care that they need. As a caregiver be sure to find out whether there are any special communication needs for each of your families. Professionalism should be a top of our list as we strive to provide great communication with each and every parent.

 Communication with children must be effective.