So many things affect the way
we communicate with different people. Many aspects of culture have an influence
on how I alter my communication efforts. Communication should be individualized
between the parties who are engaged with each other. This is not to say that I
intend to treat people from different cultural backgrounds differently. More
so, that I try to be aware that every individual has different expectations and
levels of comfort with different aspects of communication. Additionally, I have
my own nuances of communication which I prefer. It is important to remember
that when communicating with others our own culture and communication
preferences come into play.
For example, when communicating
with people with certain political beliefs I tend to shy away from mentioning
certain topics because it makes me uncomfortable to discuss politics when
another person might become angry or offended; in our country, today, this is
all too common. Also, I will change my speech pattern to match that of the
person with whom I am communicating. Perhaps I will slow down when speaking to
a person whose first language is not English or I will monitor my use of certain
slang when talking with an elderly or young person. I do not think that race
and sexual orientation have any influence on my method of communication- at
least none that are obvious to me.
A few strategies to communicate more effectively:
- Consciously identify and recognize the nonverbal behaviors of varying people to match my own nonverbal communication to theirs. I am thinking about things like amount of personal space and whether touch or eye contact are a part of the communication patterns.
- View the communication scenario through the eyes of my communication partner and if there seems to be discomfort, alter the next communication attempt.
- Build relationships with communication partners over time and by being aware of the other person's comfort level in the way the relationship is unfolding. Sometimes building a relationship involves finding commonalities and other times it is simply a matter of being aware of the other person.
References
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for
communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V.
(2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.).
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Hello Wendy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the strategies to communicate more efficiently definitely will help me when I communicate. As you mentioned that you would slow down when speaking to a person whose first language is not English also when I talk to people whose English is their first language I slow down because they do not understand my accents.
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteOne of my strategies was also nonverbal behavior. I tend to use body language (sometimes negative) before my brain sends the message to not react to what is being said. I like your strategy of approaching others when I sense discomfort. Thank you for sharing, I hadn't thought about that strategy.
Yolanda Arellano
Hi Wendy
ReplyDeleteI realize that I must change my way of communicating sometime to help with understanding and awareness. I volunteer with nonverbal intellectual disability individuals and sometimes I still use what I have learned with others when having a conversation. All your strategies are on point thank you, my opinion.
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful suggestions! I try to be very aware of the other's communicating preferences so that I do not put them in a position that makes them uncomfortable. I personally dread the silence in between conversations and try to fill it as quickly as I can. Sometimes I see the silence as a result of a conversation that was not playing on the strengths of the participating member, but I realize that is not always the case and need to shift my intentions.
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I really enjoyed your blog this week. I was intrigued by the point you made about personal nuances in communication. It is true that we often overlook our own culture when communicating with others. While it is important to respect the communication preferences of others; we must do it within a realm of personal comfort within our own culture.Thanks again for sharing.
-Elizabeth
Like you, I also am hesitant to discuss politics when I fear that the conversation may become heated. In addition to avoiding conversations about politics, I also try to avoid discussing religion because it can be equally divisive.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I often have to think long and hard when we discuss politics simply because I want ot respect everyone. I try to remain from giving my opinions to others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with those strategies. I think they will be very helpful in communicating with others. Developing a relationship is important especially when communicating with others. My boyfriend and I communicate all the time and we make sure we know how we are feeling. Communication is not just verbal but non verbal and those actions are just as important.
ReplyDelete