(NAPSI)—Experts agree that communication is key to success, no matter what your line of work. One of the first steps to becoming a better communicator is being more self-aware so that you can better understand the situation, your audience and your role in the conversation.
That’s the word according to Dr. Annie Shibata, faculty member in Walden University’s B.S. in Communication program. In order to become more conscious of what you are trying to communicate and how you are going about it, Dr. Shibata suggests reflecting on the following questions:
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vm• (92E :D >J 4@>>F?:42E:@? 8@2=nk^DEC@?8m r@?D:56C J@FC D9@CE\ 2?5 =@?8\E6C> 8@2=D 2D H6== 2D H92E 24E:@?[ :?7@C>2E:@? @C 4@>>:E>6?E J@F H2?E 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 J@FC 4@>>F?:42E:@?\\3@E9 ?@H 2?5 :? E96 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vm• p> x 56=:36C2E6 2?5 4@?D4:@FD :? 9@H x 4@>>F?:42E6nk^DEC@?8m q6 4@?D4:@FD @7 3@E9 J@FC @C2= 2?5 HC:EE6? 4@>>F?:42E:@?] #6>6>36C[ H96? DA62<:?8[ :E’D 6DE:>2E65 E92E E96 E@E2= :>A24E @7 2 >6DD286 :D 23@FE f A6C46?E G6C32= WH@C5D @?=JX[ bg A6C46?E G@42= W:?4=F5:?8 E@?6 @7 G@:46[ :?7=64E:@? 2?5 @E96C D@F?5DX 2?5 dd A6C46?E ?@?G6C32=]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vm• s@ x <?@H H9@ >J 2F5:6?46 :Dnk^DEC@?8m %CJ E@ 36 2H2C6 @7 G2C:@FD 724E@CD[ DF49 2D 4F=EFC2= 5:776C6?46D[ E92E >2J 6I:DE H:E9:? J@FC 2F5:6?46 2?5 42? A=2J 2 C@=6 :? 9@H E96 >6DD286 :D C646:G65]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vm• p> x 2H2C6 @7 >J 6>@E:@?D H96? x 4@>>F?:42E6nk^DEC@?8m %9:?< 23@FE J@FC 6>@E:@?D 2?5 9@H 2AAC@AC:2E6 E96J 2C6 7@C E96 D:EF2E:@? E@ 56E6C>:?6 :7 J@F’C6 AC6A2C65] x? D:EF2E:@?D DF49 2D 2D<:?8 7@C 2 C2:D6 7C@> J@FC DFA6CG:D@C[ :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ 36 4=62C 2?5 F?6>@E:@?2= 2?5 7@4FD @? 4@>>F?:42E:?8 H92E J@F’G6 366? 5@:?8 H6==]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vm• (92E ?@?G6C32= >6DD286 2> x 4@>>F?:42E:?8nk^DEC@?8m r@?D:56C 9@H J@F D:E @C DE2?5[ J@FC 724:2= 6IAC6DD:@?D 2?5 9@H J@F’C6 5C6DD65] |@DE @7 E96 >6DD286D H6 D6?5 @E96C A6@A=6 H96? 4@>>F?:42E:?8 2C6 ?@?G6C32=]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vm• p> x 2? 9@?6DE 4@>>F?:42E@Cnk^DEC@?8m s@ J@F DE2E6 J@FC ?665D 2?5 56D:C6D 4=62C=Jn s@ J@F 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 :?E68C:EJn %96 2?DH6C E@ 2== @7 E96D6 D9@F=5 36 “J6D]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=Vm• p> x =:DE6?6C 7@4FD65k^DEC@?8mn s@ J@F @7E6? FD6 D=2?8[ :5:@>D[ 24C@?J>D @C E649?:42= ;2C8@?n $F49 =2?8F286 42? 6I4=F56 D@>6 @C 2== @7 J@FC 2F5:6?46] q6 4=62C 2?5 4@?4:D6 :? J@FC 4@>>F?:42E:@? 2?5 4@?D:56C 9@H E96 =:DE6?6C :D 7@==@H:?8 2?5 F?56CDE2?5:?8 J@FC >6DD286]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 E:AD @? 364@>:?8 2? 67764E:G6 4@>>F?:42E@C[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]H2=56?F]65F^DF446DDQmHHH](2=56?&]65F^DF446DDk^2m]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8 DEJ=6lV>D@\3:5:\7@?E\H6:89Ei?@C>2=VmkDA2? DEJ=6lV7@?E\D:K6i`_]_AEVmk@iAm k^@iAmk^DA2?mk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm~? E96 }6Eik2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]?2AD?6E]4@>Qm}@CE9 p>6C:42? !C64:D $J?5:42E6[ x?4]W}p!$xXk^2mk^Am
