Week 1- Communication

        When I think of someone who demonstrates competent communication, I think of my new supervisor, Sandy.  She is a person who speaks in a kind soft voice.  Sandy makes you feel that when she communicates to you about something that was not of good judgment, she communicates it as a learning tool instead of a punishment.  In fact, today, I had a conversation with her about communicating with staff, without them feeling that I am attacking them.  She told me that she reflects on what she said to someone before she claims if it is right or wrong.  Sometimes it is necessary to speak to a staff member immediately, but it should not be punitive.  If the staff member feels it was punitive, then take the time to reflect on how it came across to that person.  Examine the statement by asking questions like was it harsh, belittling, an inappropriate place, or time, or is that person extra sensitive?  She stated that once you have reflected over these questions and they were all no’s then you move on to the next task.  However, if it was all yes’s then you should make sure the person understand the statement in another way where it does not represent cruelty.

      My supervisor is always happy, with a smile, and she uses props to describe what she is saying.  Therefore, Sandy is a high degree of cognitive complexity (Hair & Wiemann, 2009).  I believe that is what makes her an effective communicator.

      I would love to learn to reflect and correct myself on communication to strengthen my communication skills with staff.  Being a supervisor, I have to make sure that my staff understands what I expect of them.  Therefore, the way Sandy reflects on written and verbal communication is the way I hope to be able to do as I grow in my career.

Reference:

Hair, Dan O., Wiemann, Mary.  (2009). Real communication- an introduction.  (pp. 3-28).  New York.  Bedford/St. Martin’s.