Jesse Carpenter

Comm 1010
June 1, 2019
Myself as a Communicator-Part 3
I began the communicator assignments by evaluating my own communication skills. I

have been able to identify some strengths and weaknesses in my communication skills. Now the

next step is to ask other people about my communication skills and then come to some

conclusions about ways I can improve these skills. I chose to interview my dad, my girlfriend,

and my supervisor at work to help me get their views of how I communicate. This project will

allow me to share my interview findings and summarize how I can build on my communication

skills.

Articulating needs, opinions, views or concerns

First my dad stated, “Jesse does well communicating his opinions, views and concerns.

He is open minded to other people's opinions and views, even if he doesn't agree with them.

However, Jesse can lack confidence, and therefore sometimes does not articulate his needs. For

example, if he needs help, or has questions, he can be embarrassed, and is hesitant to ask for

help.”

My girlfriend was straight to the point and said that I am good at voicing my opinion,

concerns and needs.

My co-worker says that I am good at voicing my concerns for others, but I tend to not

voice my own needs. She also said that I listen to other people’s opinions, but I do not push my

opinion on others.
Listening

My dad states, “Jesse is a great listener. He acts genuinely interested in the person that he

is listening to by using body language and paraphrasing. When Jesse asks a question such as

"how was your day?" he acts interested in the person's response, and asks follow-up questions.”

My girlfriend says that I am a very good listener. I listen and then respond. “It doesn’t

matter if it is stupid or serious, he will listen.”

My co-worker says that I am a great listener for customers and for other staff members.

She says that customers have complimented me for listening to their needs and helping them

locate items in the store.

Non Verbal Communication

My dad states, “Jesse has some effective nonverbal behaviors. For example, Jesse leans

slightly forward, maintains eye contact, and keeping his arms relaxed rather than crossing his

arms. In a professional setting, Jesse will shake hands with customers, employees, and managers

in order to demonstrate respect. One thing Jesse can improve on with nonverbal communication

is using his hands for gestures during conversation. Jesse can sometimes use his hands too much,

so he can be more aware of using his hands to accentuate verbal communication.”

My girlfriend says that if I am communicating with a person I don’t like or even sounds

uneducated I will roll his eyes and laugh. If it is a person I like I will lean into the conversation, I

will laugh and voice my opinion. Something that can be improved is my nonverbal skills around

people I do not necessarily like.

 My co-worker says that my nonverbal skills are very strong. I maintain eye contact, smile

and use open body language when dealing with customers and other employees.

Communication Strengths

My dad states, “Jesse appropriately demonstrates respect when communicating with

others. He uses open body language. One thing I think Jesse does really well is that he only gives

his opinions when he is asked. Sometimes people just like to vent, or to talk to someone. Jesse

doesn't push his opinion on others.”

My girlfriend says that I listen, I am not afraid of speaking my mind. I care about people.

My co-worker says that I use excellent non verbal communication skills and I work well

with other employees. She also says that customers are comfortable approaching me with

questions and concerns.

Communication Weaknesses

My dad states, “Jesse is shy around strangers, or people that he is not comfortable around.

Therefore he tends to be quieter, and does not engage in conversations as much as when he is

more comfortable around friends or family.

My girlfriend says that I can speak harsh about others when I get angry, but this is normal

for people to do.

My co-worker says that my weakness is not taking care of my own needs. I tend to take

care of everyone else.

Having a Conversation with Me

My dad says, “Jesse is actively engaged when having a conversation. He is not distracted,

such as playing on his phone. Instead, he is fully attentive and genuinely seems to care about

what others have to say. He is supportive, and reiterates what others are saying to demonstrate

that he is listening.”

My girlfriend says, “It is really fun, informative and interesting talking with him, because

we will just talk about random stuff and share information, and laugh at each other for how silly

it sounds. I’ve learned so many things from our conversations that I never knew before, such as

guns, movies, and marvel.”

My co-worker says, “Jesse is interesting and easy to talk too. I enjoy having every day

conversations with Jesse as much as talking about work situations.”

Summary

Overall I feel like my communication skills are good with my dad and at work. I need to

focus on communicating my own needs and interacting with strangers or people I do not

particularly care for, which was stated by my girlfriend. I do tend to focus on other’s needs more

than my own. This is where my bias comes in for my girlfriend. There are some family members

who do not treat her kindly and I have a bias towards them that prevents me from listening and

communicating well with them. I need to acknowledge this bias and make my decisions using

this knowledge. (Edwards, Edwards, Wahl, & Myers, 1965) I found this assignment to be

interesting in learning how others see my communication skills. I will make a few changes, but

mostly I communicate with others very effectively.

 References

Edwards, Autumn, Edwards, Chad, Wahl, Shawn T. & Myers, Scott A. (1965). Elements of

Effective Communication (Custom ed.). Salt Lake Community College.