Haylee Wilkey

Dr. Haslam

English 1010

8/29/2019

Myself as a Communicator- Part Two

For the first part of this assignment, I took several self-assessments to see how I do with

each of the communication characteristics. For this part of the assignment, I interviewed three

people about how they think I do with each of the six characteristics of communication. The

three people that I interviewed were my mom, my dad, and my friend. It was interesting to see

what they had to say because they said some things that contradicted the self-assessments that I

took for the last part.

Articulating Needs, Opinions, Views, Concerns

My friend said that I am pretty straightforward with what I have to say, but I also hold

back a little. She said that I sometimes don’t say things because I try to avoid hurting people’s

feelings. She further expressed that I share my opinions in a polite way and that I respect other

people’s opinions. This was interesting that she said this because at home I sometimes lash out at

people who have contradicting opinions with me.

My mom said that I am very good at articulating. She said that she doesn’t have to

wonder what I am thinking. She said that I always let her know how I feel. I thought this was

interesting because I feel like I sometimes avoid telling her about how I’m really feeling and how

I feel about certain things.

 My dad said that I am good at articulating. He said that I have a good vocab so it is easy

for me to get my point across. He also pointed out that I am not afraid to express how I feel about

things and how I personally feel.

Listening

My friend said that sometimes I look away and look around while I am listening. She also

said that sometimes I’m not completely focused and that I get distracted. She did say, however,

that I give good feedback and advice after.

My mom said that for the most part, I am good at listening. She also said there are times.

when I would rather have my opinion heard that listen to other opinions.

My dad said that I am not easily distracted and that I am focused. I found this interesting

because it contradicts what my friend said. I agree with both of them, however. There are times

when I am completely focused, but there are also times when I am easily distracted.

Nonverbal Communication

My friend said that I need to improve my eye contact. She suggested that I could also use

more hand gestures to get my point across. She also said that I have good posture when I

communicate and that my hands aren’t distracting.

My mom said that I am good at giving clues to how I’m feeling without having to use

words. She said that sometimes I rely on my parents to read my mind instead of just saying how I

feel.

My dad said that I give cues that are true to how I’m feeling. He said that he can tell what

kind of mood I am in based on how I act. I found this interesting because I feel the same way. I

feel like I give off hints as to how I’m feeling so that I don’t have to actually say it.
Communication Strengths

My friend said that I am good at responding and I am good at nodding to show that I am

engaged. She also said that I am good at understanding her and what she has to say.

My mom said that I am mature in being able to communicate with others. She also said

that I effectively articulate my concerns and needs. I agree with her because I try to not act

immature about things so that I can be trusted to be told more things.

My dad said that I have a good vocabulary and that I am good at mixing up conversations

so we don’t talk about the same thing over and over again. He also said that I am comfortable

talking with people from all different age ranges. He said that I can effectively communicate

with toddlers as well as adults.

Communication Weaknesses

My friend gave me lots of helpful suggestions to improve my communication. She said

that I don’t make eye contact and that I could definitely improve on that. She also said that I

interrupt sometimes and I don’t let her finish what she has to say. She also said that sometimes I

am a little distracted and I focus on other things.

My mom said that sometimes my need to be right outweighs the need to understand. She

said that sometimes I refuse to let things go and that I overreact about things that don’t even

matter. I agree with this because sometimes I feel like I have to be right and that it doesn’t matter

what the other person says.

My dad said that I don’t know when to stop. Like my mom, he said that I don’t let things

go easily and that I make things a bigger ordeal than they need to be.

Having a Conversation With me

 My friend said that she loves talking to me. She said that it is a lot of fun when I am focus

and completely engaged. She also said that she feels like she can tell me anything because I don’t

judge. She also expressed that I am easy to talk to. For example, she said that I keep the

conversation going instead of just giving one word answers. She said that I invite her to say

more.

My mom said that conversation with me is mostly enjoyable when I am in a good mood

and when I’m not distracted. She also said that it is nice when I open up and be completely

vulnerable with her because it shows that I trust her.

My dad said having a conversation with me is pleasant and fun. When we talk about

things we both like, such as sports, we are focused and we give each other our full attention. We

don’t interrupt and we give each other opportunities to explain ourselves.

Summary

Overall, I learned a lot of things about myself that I never really thought of. For example,

I didn’t know that I had a good vocabulary and that I was good at keeping the conversation

going. This assignment impacted me because it gave me the chance to see how I was good at

communicating and also the opportunity to learn about things I could improve on. In the future, I

am going to try to have more eye contact and not be so easily distracted in a conversation. My

friend emphasized this a lot and I want to be able to show her that I care about what she has to

say. I also want to be able to let unimportant things go and just move on. My mom and dad both

expressed this so I know that this is truly something I can work on. I need to show them that I

don’t always have to be right and that I can understand where they are coming from, too.