Note of Thanks

I would like to send a personal thanks to all of my fellow scholars who have contributed to my blog.  I have enjoyed working with you and sharing information.  Please feel free to continue to follow and post to my blog.

Tammie Bolden

Adjournment

I have had positive and negative team experiences.  In the positive experience, the adjournment consisted of a party and unofficial ceremony.   The group had a good time and achieved its goals.  During the adjournment, the group was happy and members wanted to continue working together.  In the negative experience, the adjournment was abrupt. The group members had a lot of conflict and when the project was over, people simply left.  There were unresolved issues in the groups, and members did  not get along well.  As a result, the group members did not have any type of  adjournment ceremony.  Therefore, the adjournment phase is affected by the group experience.

Conflict in Communication

Conflict management and conflict resolution strategies can be improved with nonviolent communication and the three R's.  The best strategies to resolve conflict is to use compromise for both parties to resolve their issues.  I have had conflicts with my fellow teachers and I have always tried to use compromising or mediators to resolve the conflict.  Communication is also a key element of conflict resolution.  When people use nonviolent communication, the conflict is less likely to escalate.  The three R's can also show others that you are willing to respect their opinions and views and allow them to present their side of the story.  Therefore, these concepts can help improve conflict resolution.

Communication Assessment

After taking the Communication Anxiety Inventory, Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, and Listening Styles Profile, I learned a lot about my communication skills.  I scored fairly well on these assessments.  As a result, I learned that I need to work on my aggressiveness in communication and my listening skills.  This information has helped me become a better communicator in my school.  I work with a diverse group of teachers and parents.  Therefore, I need to be more aware in my communication to ensure that I do not offend others.  I also learned this week that schemas can affect my perceptions in communication.

Cultural Diversity in Communication

I work with children, parents, and other educators.  As a result, I realize that I communicate differently with different groups.  I tend to be more standardized when I communicate with educators.  I use one strategy and try to be professional at all times.  When I communicate with families, I tend to treat all families the same if they share the same culture.  However, different families have diverse needs even when they are from similar cultures.

To improve my communication, I will apply the Platinum Rule.  This rule helps me to communicate with people the way they would like to.  I also plan to start using other orientation with my communication.  My final change would be to avoid cultural myopia in communication.

Character evaluation and communication

This week, I watched my favorite show, "Dallas", with the sound off and on.  The first time I watched show, I watched it with the sound off.  I could tell by the actions of the characters that they were upset or having fun.  After watching the show, I rewinded it and played it with the sound on.  I was correct in assuming that the characters were upset based on their facial expressions.  However, what I thought was fun was actually a scheme to stop JR from drilling oil on South Fork. 

Based on what I have learned, I realize that nonverbal communication is not always straight forward.  People can smile when they are scheming or happy.  Frowns and hard looks are typically associated with anger or mistrust; however, not all emotions are communicated through nonverbal communication.  Therefore, I have learned to pay attention to facial expressions, distance, and character behavior, and I understand the importance of nonverbal communication.

Competent Communicator

One of my favorite communicators is the director of my agency.  Mrs. Lloyd is a competent communicator because she addresses all members of the organization.  Mrs. Lloyd uses inclusive language to ensure that no one is excluded.  She also provides information that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.   There is a range of diversity in the organization; however, Mrs. Lloyd manages to communicate with everyone.  I also like her open door policy.  If anyone has trouble understanding information, Mrs. Lloyd takes the time to explain further.  Therefore, she is my role model as a competent and effective communicator.