"What will they think of me?" must be put aside for bliss.”
- Joseph Campbell
This particular assignment was a bit intimidating for me; in my mind I struggled with whom to ask to provide an assessment on my communication skills. It was as if I was looking for those individuals who would perhaps have positive things to say about me. The innate need to be liked was a bit surprising as I feel confidant in who I am. The difficulty is not only recognizing your own weaknesses, but being willing to hear that others are aware of those weaknesses as well.
I spend the better part of my day communicating and for some time now I have worked on how I communicate, especially how I listen to others. I have also spent a great deal of time editing the words that originate in my brain and head towards my mouth, being more thoughtful when I speak as well a giving the words some wait time in my brain before sharing them. My reality is that I don’t take words lightly and it is important to me to hear others so as to get their full meaning because that is the value I want others to place on my words.
The process of editing one’s words I feel can enhance my communication in all aspects of my life. The message I will be giving others is that I am thoughtful and open to ideas sharing. This technique will also be most helpful when extreme emotion is involved in a conversation, a parent who is upset, a teacher who is not able to work with a team member or my own personal convictions that are different from someone else. Conflict can alter one’s perception of another and must be looked at from a neutral place. The most important message I remind myself of is state the facts, and accept that at times the facts I present may not match the facts of the other side.
Georgia,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post. You brought out a lot of points that was inspirational to me. We don't always recognize our own weakness because we don't always see them so we should be willing to hear them from others that way we can work on them to be a better person. Thanks for sharing these insights.
Georgia-
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your candor at the beginning when you talk about feeling intimidated about who to ask to assess you. I felt some of that as well. I ended up choosing a colleague that I do not work as closely with and a male friend to see what kind of results I would gain. There were some surpises, but some of the findings were predictable. I also like what you say about editing the words in your brain before they come out of your mouth. That is a really good insight and something that I struggle with sometimes:)!
Thanks!
Katherine
Georgia, I also felt a little intimidated about this assignment. I had to rethink something just to assess myself. This assignment brought me to a new level.
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