I do communicate differently with people of different groups. I think that we all do. For example: I talk to the pastor differently than I would talk to my family or friends. Even though I might joke and play I am careful to make sure that my words are positive and godly. I also talk to my boss differently than I talk to my co-workers. My co-teachers and I play, discuss things that are bothering us at work, etc but my boss can’t always relate to the conversation so it is hard to share those experiences with her.
I feel that three strategies that I would use to communicate differently would be:
-Listen (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011). (I need to listen and make sure that I understand what is being stated before I respond. I need to be mindful that whoever is talking to me is trying to express their feelings and thoughts so I need to take the time to understand before I start to share my feelings.)
-Use the “Platinum Rule” (O’Hair, & Wiemann, 2009). (I need to respond to people in a way that makes them feel that I am trying to respect and understand their thoughts and feelings even if I disagree. I need to show concern for others regardless of their situation or backgrounds).
-I need to be open minded (Vuckovic, 2008). (I need to make sure that I am not making judgments on people because of race, religion, gender, situations, etc. I need to make sure that I am looking at the situation for what it is and not for who is in it).
References:
Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Retrieved: July 10, 2012. Interpersonal c communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston , MA
O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Retrieved: July 10, 2012. Real communication: An introduction.
Vuckovic, A. (2008). Retrieved: July 10, 2012. Inter-cultural communication: A foundation of communicative action. Multicultural Education and Technology Journal, 2(1), 47–59.
DeWana,
ReplyDeleteI agree that we communicate differently with different people. I also think that we communicate with these same people in different situations. Listening,sensitivity, and being accepting and openmindness in communication are so important. Thank you for your post.
DeWana,
ReplyDeleteGreat points you made about communication and how you see that being down with different groups of people. I agree too, we all do. I guess we needed to really see it to admit it.
Thanks for your comments!
Dewanna,
ReplyDeleteI love your strategy marked, 'Listen'. My grandmother always taught me that a good leader is a good listener. Great Post!
DeWana,
ReplyDeleteI think that you made excellent points about ways to better communicate. I know that I communicate differently with different groups as well as different people within those groups. I like that you mentioned listening as one of the ways to communicate more effectively; often times I think that listening is the forgotten part of communication.
Thank you for sharing!
Jamie