June 5, 2014

          When I took the communication skills survey I was uncomfortable with questions seven, eight, and fifteen, to which I was equally satisfied and dissatisfied with my probable action. Each of the questions put me in a situation where I had to express my feelings in a negative way, or in a way the person may have interpreted my message negatively. I don’t like telling people something they do not want to hear because they may feel that I’m attacking them personally. Whether it was criticizing someone’s poor writing, confronting a bothersome individual, or not wanting to get to know another person, I felt that there was a good chance that each individual would take what I said the wrong way. Although I do my best to offer criticism in the most respectful and kind way possible, I’m constantly afraid that an individual will take what I say and retaliate. The high potential for harming a given relationship I have with another person, or their perception of me, creates a fear that deters me from engaging in said situations. Even if a person understood that I was offering constructive criticism and gladly accepted it, delivering negative messages to other people makes me feel bad and awkward. The best example of this was question fifteen, where I took it as though a female wanted to get to know me better on a deeper level (i.e. a romantic relationship). I know what it is like to be rejected by someone you are interested in romantically, and quite frankly, it feels like a dagger piercing your heart. With that, I always do whatever I can to avoid situations where I may have to reject someone because I know how bad it feels. Hopefully by studying interpersonal communication concepts during my time in this course I will become more confident in my ability to communicate effectively in situations I was previously uncomfortable with.

           One of my biggest strengths when communicating is that I always make the effort to understand why people feel the way they do in certain situations. This type of circumstance arose in question two when a person I was in a political discussion with asked me to understand why he/she felt the way they did, to which I was completely satisfied with my probable action. Whenever I’m presented with such a situation I try to put myself in the other person’s shoes, which allows me to better understand their feelings and beliefs. As a result, I’m able to communicate with that person more thoughtfully, respectfully, and effectively by staying open-minded. Another strength of mine is that I strive to be an ethical communicator. I try to be truthful and honest when I communicate by not deceiving others, while also acting with integrity by maintaining consistency between what I say and do. Furthermore, I behave fairly and impartially, demonstrate respect, act responsibly, and acknowledge the feelings of others through my empathy (Verderber & Verderber 17-18). The biggest benefit of being an ethical communicator is that people have a great amount of trust in me. According to Inter-Act: Interpersonal Communication Concepts, Skills, and Contexts, by Kathleen S. and Rudolph F. Verderber, “Trust is the extent to which partners in a relationship rely on, depend on, and have faith that their partner will not intentionally do anything to harm them” (Verderber & Verderber 16). My dream is to become a doctor, so it is of the utmost importance that potential patients trust that I will not harm them while providing a safe and honest service. It is clear from such a fact that ethical communication is an area that I must continue to practice and strive to perfect.

Works Cited

Verderber, Kathleen S. & Rudolph F. Verderber. Inter-Act: Interpersonal Communication             Concepts, Skills, and Contexts. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.