Cassidy Thomas

Myself as a Communicator

As we come to the end of the semester, I would like to reflect on the

communication skills that I have learned in this class and how I can apply them to real
life. Communication skills that I learned include perception and self, verbal
communication, listening, and non-verbal communication.

Perception and Self:

A positive label that has been given to me throughout my life is that I have
determination. I agree with this label and it also gives me a lot of confidence. I have
always been good at doing what I set my mind to and not giving up and people noticing
this about me makes me want to do even better. A label that could be negative is that I
am outspoken, however, I wouldn’t necessarily consider that as negative. I think it
means that I am more shy than others and I don’t like to be a leader which I don’t see
as bad.
I don’t think it is my responsibility to be careful with labels. If someone chooses to
take something in the wrong way, I see that as a fault in them rather than me.
Perception and self are a great skill to keep with you throughout your life because it can
give a lot of confidence and self awareness.

Verbal Communication:

The concept that I found the most valuable when working on improving my verbal
communication was proxemics. Proxemics is the study of human space, and how close
we stand when communicating with one another. I think it is something that people don’t
normally think of but could be very helpful when improving communication skills. I plan
on using this at work, with family, friends, and relationships. It is used differently
depending on the person and your relationship status with them.
I can’t think of an example where someone crossed an ethical line with
communication. I can agree that Hitler did cross a line. He was unbelievably well at
communicating and he used that to his benefit.

Listening:

When it comes to effective listening I think I am a good listener when I want to be

but it definitely doesn’t come naturally to me. I tend to zone out or forget what was said
Cassidy Thomas

because my mind is always going. You can look like you are listening and not really be
listening.
I listen when it matters most and I believe that has played a positive role in all of
my relationships including the workplace, friends and family, and my husband. Being a
good listener is a form of showing that you care about someone which strengthens your
relationships.

Non-verbal Communication

I would say that the non-verbal communication skills that I am best at is body
language and tone of voice. I use my body and hands to speak and it makes the person
talking to you more comfortable. I also am not too loud or too soft when I speak.
I could improve on eye contact. If I am speaking with someone I don’t know as
well, keeping eye contact for too long feels awkward and I also can’t look at both eyes
at once.

This class has been very educational and helpful on communication skills and
how I can use them in my life. Communication is one of the most important skills that
employers look for and also just beneficial to having a good relationship with others.
I have learned what skills I am the best at, and what skills I lack in. For the most
part I think that I am an effective communicator, and I also have a lot of empathy which
people can sense and it makes me more trusting.