COMM 495-002

Senior Seminar
Hilary Rasmussen
4/5/2023

Roles Learning Goal

Communication is a very flexible and unique aspect of our lives. Knowing how to

communicate is essential to getting by in the world—but how do you adjust in different settings?

The department learning goal known as “roles” sets out to teach us just that. As described, this

learning goal encompasses the ability to adapt the way in which you communicate based on

different contexts.

In the world of communication, whether this occurs at the workplace or elsewhere,

having the ability to adapt your communication skills based on your setting or whom you are

communicating to is a necessity. For example, at school I am very quiet and reserved, and don’t

necessarily speak to others unless they speak to me. But it is not because I don’t wish to talk to

people or make friends—it is just how I have adapted to communicate in this type of

environment. When I am at my job as an Assistant Manager at Planet Fitness, I am open,

talkative, loud, and not as afraid to put myself out there because I am comfortable in knowing I

am safe to be this way. Working in a gym, being personable and friendly is our top priority, so I

must lead by example for my staff as well. There are also times where I need to be more

authoritative in my role as a manager, especially when I am training, delegating, or if I need to

have a negative conversation with one of my employees, which can be difficult because I am

non-confrontational in all other roles. I also must act differently when helping members so I can

best assist them as I do represent my club as a manager. I have to bring out different sides to my

personality in different scenarios; if I attend a professional meeting or interview, I am more

poised and make sure I am talkative but that I am not as hyper as I am at work. If I come to
COMM 495-002
Senior Seminar
Hilary Rasmussen
4/5/2023
Planet Fitness as quiet as I am in the classroom, I would not be able to lead my staff every day

because I would be a weak leader and they would lack a sense of organization. Therefore, I work

to find a happy medium where I am personable and professional through my oral and nonverbal

communication, and I adjust my presentation in each setting.

In determining how you should communicate, it is important to consider the context. “A

communications context can be thought of as the environment or human eco system, in which

communication takes place”. (Beach, 2019) This can include historical context, psychological

context, cultural context, social context, and physical context. There are multiple factors to

consider in how you choose to communicate in any given situation. This can be affected by the

mood of the audience, the relationship between the speaker and the audience, where you are

at/what the occasion is, etc., so there are many factors to consider in determining what is

appropriate per the given situation.

Another good example that I have for this learning goal was that I was able tp attend the

Research in the Rotunda event, which was a conference for the UW schools to gather in the

Madison, Wisconsin, state capital rotunda building. This event included state legislators who

would come around and ask to hear about my research. Being that this was no ordinary

presentation, I had to step into a very professional role—I had to be conscious of my posture, my

tone, avoid filler words, and describe my work in the most professional manner possible as I was

representing my University to our state government. This is a good example because this is a

situation where I had to be very conscious of how I communicated versus how I am at school or

work.
COMM 495-002
Senior Seminar
Hilary Rasmussen
4/5/2023
Moving forward, I think knowing how to adjust your communication for different roles is

a skill every person should learn because it will improve your professional and personal

relationships with others, as you will be able to fit into more opportunities and experiences. I will

certainly be working on honing these skills as I pursue work in the professional world because I

will be dealing with many different situations and contexts that I will need to communicate in.
COMM 495-002
Senior Seminar
Hilary Rasmussen
4/5/2023
Resources

Beach, J. (2019, April 3). The Setting Satters. AAC. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://aaccommunity.net/ccc/the-setting-matters/