Exercise #1 Personal Communication Goals

Improving Skills in Face-to-Face Communication

1. Read through the entire list marking each item to show whether you think you are doing all right--- should do this behavior more often—or should use this behavior less often. Check each item in the appropriate column.

2. If some goals that are not listed are more important to you than those on the list, write your additional goals on the blank lines.

3. Go back over the whole list and highlight the three or four skills you believe would be most valuable for you to improve at this time.

Expressing information, ideas, and suggestions

Need to doit less

Doing all right

Need to do it more

Being brief and concise-getting to the pointBeing forceful and definite rather than hesitant and apologeticTalking in specifics-giving examples, detailsTalk in generalizations, principles explanationsAdapting my message to my audience-taking gender and culture into accountOther:

Other:

Expressing Responses and Feelings Need to doit less

Doing all right

Need to do it more

Letting others know when I do not understand something they have saidLetting others know I like something they have said or doneLetting others know when I disagree with themLetting others know that I feel hurt or

embarrassed or put down by something they have said or doneLetting others know when I’m irritated or angryLetting other know when I’m stressed

Choosing an appropriate time and place to share my feelingsAccepting responsibility for my feelings and not blaming others for how I feelWaiting to express my feelings until I believe I’m emotionally in controlOther:

Other:

Understanding information, ideas and suggestions of others

Need to doit less

Doing all right

Need to do it more

Listening to understand rather than preparing my next remarkHelping others participate in the discussionBefore agreeing or disagreeing, checking to make sure I do understand what others meanRestating what you perceive are the main points of the conversationAsking questions in ways that get more information than “yes” or “no”Giving advice to others Other:

Other:

Understanding and responding to others’ feelings

Need to doit less

Doing all right

Need to do it more

Checking out with others what I think they are feeling rather than assuming I knowResponding to a person who is angry with me in such a way that I do not ignore his/her feelingsResponding to a person whose feelings are hurt in a such a way that I do not ignore his/her feelingsResponding to a person who is expressing closeness and affection for me in such a way that I do not ignore his feelingsSurveying a group to determine how

much agreement existsOther:

Other:

Nonverbal Communication Need to doit less

Doing all right

Need to do it more

Being aware of the nonverbal messages I am sending to othersMatching my nonverbal behavior (body language) with my language when communicating with others

Responding to a person whose feelings are hurt in a such a way that I do not ignore his/her feelingsAdapting my nonverbal behavior to create a positive rapport with othersConsidering the other person’s culture and gender when interpreting their nonverbal behaviorOther:

Other:

General Need to doit less

Doing all right

Need to do it more

Talking in group discussionsGetting feedback-encouraging others to let me know how my actions affect them.

Being able to stand silence when I’m with othersBeing able to tolerate tension and conflictAccepting help from othersAsking for help from othersOffering to help othersYielding to others—giving in to othersStanding up for myselfBeing protective of othersOther:

Other:

Exercise #2 Self-Monitoring Inventory

These statements concern personal reactions to several situations. No two statements are exactly alike so consider each statement carefully before answering. If a statement is true, or mostly true, as applied to you, highlight the T. If a statement is false, or not usually true, as applied to you, highlight the F.

1. I find it hard to imitate the behavior of other people. T F

2. I guess I put on a show to impress or entertain people. T F

3. I would probably make a good actor. T F

4. I sometimes appear to others to be experiencing deeper emotions than I actually am. T F

5. In a group of people, I am rarely the center of attention T F

6. In different situations and with different people, I oftenact like very different persons T F

7. I can argue only for ideas I already believe in. T F

8. In order to get along and be liked, I tend to be what people expect me to be rather than anything else T F

9. I may deceive people by being friendly when I really dislike them. T F

10. I’m not always the person I appear to be T F

Scoring: Give yourself one point for each of questions 1, 5, and 7 that you answered F. Give yourself one point for each of the remaining questions that you answered T. Add up your points. If you are a good judge of yourself and scored 7 or above, you are

probably a high self-monitoring individual; 3 or below, you are probably a low self-monitoring individual.

Total Score ______

M. Snyder (March 1983) “The Many me’s of the Self-Monitor” Psychology Today, 34.

Answer the following Self Monitoring questions in a paragraph of 150-200 words. Please put concepts, terms, and any quoted material in bold font.

What is self-monitoring and why is it a characteristic of competent communicators? What do you think of your assessment results? Do you think it is an accurate assessment of your self-monitoring abilities? If you have a score is below 7, what can you do to improve your self-monitoring? If your score is 7 or above, how do you think you have used self-monitoring to build personal and work-related relationships?

Exercise #3 Individual Cultural Analysis

First, listen to the Introduction to Culture lecture found in Learning Module 1. Then complete the following questions.

1. Describe your specific co-cultures. For example, what is your race, social class ect? Be sure to complete each co-culture.

Race

Social Class

Gender

Ethnicity

Geographic Region (by area of country such as Northwest or Southern and/or are you urban, suburban, rural influenced?)

Generation (Age)

2. Describe what type of cultural orientations you experience in the following areas: individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, time orientation, being/doing, and power distance

3. How does culture influence your interaction with others? Provide an example where your behavior was accepted or expected by one of your co-cultures but was misunderstood or judge harshly by others.

4. Now that you have a better understanding of the different ways culture influences communication, provide an example of when you have misunderstood others’ behavior or judged it harshly. You may need to revisit the content on cultural orientations (discussed in question #2 ) and identify a time when you interpreted a behavior based on your cultural orientation (i.e. monochoronic time orientation) when the other person was behaving according to a different cultural norm (i.e. polychromic orientation).

Exercise #4 Communication Apprehension

First, listen to the lecture on Communication Apprehension found in Learning Module 1. Then, take the online assessment of your levels of apprehension in a variety of communication in four different types of settings. After you receive your results, copy and paste the scores on to this page and discuss in a fully-developed paragraph what insights you have gained from the information. Please address the some or all of the following questions:

Do you perceive that the assessment is accurate? If not, how do you think you experience apprehension?

What types of approaches for managing communication covered in the lecture might be most helpful to you based on the results you received?

I realize that some people experience more apprehension than others. If you demonstrated relatively low scores in all four categories, what types of situations seem to bring out the unusual occurrence of feeling apprehension? In this case, which of the approaches for managing apprehension may be most helpful?

Exercise #5 Personality Type250-350 words

Put all terms from the lecture in bold font

Listen to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Lectures first before taking the assessment and write down what you predict your four letter results will be. Then, take the following personality assessment:

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/007338514x/student_view0/personality_type_explorer.html

You will need to submit your e-mail address and enter an address for me to receive results. Please enter my campus address: lnudelma@bellevuecollege.edu

After you have received your results, please answer the following questions demonstrating an understanding of the Introduction to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and MBTI Type Dynamics lectures in a paragraph of 250-350 words.

According to the assessment, what is your four letter type? What do you think of the results? Was your self-described personality conducted during the lecture different from the personality identified by the assessment? What types of traits described in the lecture do you demonstrate? What types of traits common to your personality do you not demonstrate? Lastly, how can your knowledge of personality traits influence your communication with others (especially your significant others)? In other words, how do you think you need to adapt your communication style to best match their personality?