EDUC6165 Communication Evaluation: Insights

            The focus of this week’s assignments was the assessment of my abilities in the areas of communication anxiety, verbal aggressiveness, and listening style.  Three assessments were completed by my husband, my best friend (also a former co-worker) and me. 

            I was quite surprised at how closely my husband and I rated myself on most items except on verbal aggressiveness.  My husband scored me as the most aggressive of all three of us and my friend viewed me as the least aggressive.  We were in agreement that I do not yell and scream when my efforts to influence others do not work and do not enjoy poking fun at others to stimulate their intelligence.  We agreed that I can take criticism from others in good humor and do not retaliate.

            My friend scored me as moderate on the communication anxiety and me and my husband’s scores fell into the mild range only 2 points apart.  We are all aware of my dislike for public speaking and also agreed upon my ability to effectively communicate one-to-one.

            The scores on the listening styles profile placed me in group 1: people-oriented.  The widest range of answer on this test was concerning my impatience with people who ramble during conversations.  I felt I was sometimes, my friend said I never get impatient and my husband said always.  There was also this wide range upon how I focus my attention on the other persons feelings when listening.  I thought sometimes, my friend said always, and my husband responded infrequently.

            Two insights I have gained about communication are that after thirty years of marriage my husband and I seem to have very close to the same thoughts about my ability to communicate and listen.  I also have learned that depending upon my relationship with the person, their view of me is different.  I feel that my closeness and years of experience with my husband allows me to feel more confident in allowing him to see all aspects of myself and perhaps I am more careful of my treatment and of how open I am with my friend in showing some of my more negative communication qualities. 

            The ability to tailor communication efforts to the needs, abilities, and listening style of the audience will be an effective tool in both professional and personal communication.  It is important to be able to assess each communication situation and alter your style as conditions dictate.  One style does not fit all occasions.  Each child, family, and event must be approached as an individual with its own unique needs to be filled.