Masihullah Ahmadzai

COMM 1010

Teisha Vest

Spring 2024

Communication Skills Journal

When I initially started my Communication 1010 journey, I couldn't help but think back

on my own communication proficiency. It was interesting to assess my own abilities and

determine my position in terms of effective communication. During the course, I realized that

communication competence is more than just knowing how to speak well; it's also about being

aware of the context, familiarizing yourself with different situations, and being a thoughtful

communicator. Seeing how much I still needed to work on in a number of areas, including active

listening, empathy, and non-verbal cues, was eye-opening.

I learned more about how our own perceptions affect the way we communicate.

Examining how our experiences, prejudices, and self-concept affect how we understand and

respond to messages from other people was fascinating. Gaining awareness of these elements

and developing coping mechanisms has been essential to developing into a more skillful and

sympathetic communicator. Whether we were talking about interpersonal communication

impacting our relationships, practicing listening skills, or discussing ethical communication, I

looked forward to each new topic as the course went on. I was able to reflect on each topic and

gain useful insights that I could use in my everyday interactions as well as in class to evaluate

my own progress
1. Communication Competence

A. Based on the assessment, my strengths as a communicator include being involved in

group discussions, expressing opinions at a meeting whether in front of friends or strangers, and

being relaxed when called upon to give a speech whether it is in a small or large group of people.

Both assessments include many questions regarding feeling comfortable when giving speeches

or being involved in discussions and after completing each assessment, I realized that I feel

comfortable doing them and performing in front of people.

B. Based on the assessment, my weaknesses include having a fear of giving speeches,

feeling tense or rigid while giving a speech, or having confidence while giving a speech. What I

can do to start improving my communication competence is to start practicing giving speeches in

public as much as I can, so my fear of public speaking gets better, and I feel more confident.

After reading Chapter One of Communication in the Real World, I realized I feel confident when

being involved in group communication but not as much in public communication, where one

conveys information to an audience. For example, when I am involved in a group discussion in

my class, I enjoy sharing my thoughts and opinions. I once had to give a public speech in high

school in front of a large audience and I realized I don’t enjoy it as much. The fear of public

speaking is still there. I have found some strategies such as preparing in advance and practicing

in front of a group of friends before delivering a speech to an audience help with feeling more

confident.

2. Perception & Self

A. There are many factors that affect our perceptions of someone, including the situation,

individual characteristics, our personality traits, and our past experiences. I think personally, my

family has most impacted my perception of myself and others. As mentioned in our book,
“Parents and peers shape our self-perceptions in positive and negative ways. The feedback that

we get from significant others, which includes close family, can lead to positive views of self,”

(Communication in the Real World, 2013). The family environment plays a large role in shaping

the identity of children as they grow into adolescence and become adults. The way family

members relate to one another and work together as a social group can shape a child's self-

esteem, socialization, and cultural identity. The experiences you had when growing up and your

current relationships with family members can all impact your self-esteem. For example, I

mostly grew up looking up to my parents and their opinions and thoughts mattered to me. How I

acted, what I said, and what I thought were mostly shaped around how I was brought up and

what I have learned from those around me, my family.

B. One concept I plan to improve on moving forward is attribution, especially Internal

attributions, where we connect the cause of behaviors to personal aspects such as personality

traits. Many times, I think of someone’s character based on their actions. For example, if

someone is being rude to me, I judge their personality based on their actions. One concept that

I plan to improve is self-efficacy, my belief in my ability to complete a task or achieve a goal. As

mentioned in our book, “Judgments about our self-efficacy influence our self-esteem, which

influences our self-concept,” (Communication in the Real World, 2013). I believe if I work on

this concept, I will be more confident in my decisions, and this will also boost my self-esteem. In

order to improve self-efficacy, I will focus more on setting achievable goals, reflecting on past

successes, and seeking constructive feedback.

3. Verbal & Nonverbal Messages

A. One can adapt verbal and nonverbal messages for effectiveness while also not crossing

the ethical line by using nonverbal communication such as agreeing while listening but then
using verbal communication. For example, when communicating with a person, you shake your

head to agree with what the person is saying. Ethics is a standard and everyone should follow it.

B. I believe in equality and that everyone is equal and because of that we should all be

held to the same standard of ethics. For instance, when speaking of race and ethics, it wouldn’t

be fair if cops weren’t held to the same standard. To explain this further, if an African American

cop makes a mistake during work as a Caucasian cop, then they should be receiving the same

treatment. If one person could cross the line, the other person could as well. This should not

depend on the person, but rather on his/her ethical misconduct.

4. Listening Skills

A. After taking the listening self-assessment I scored 23. I believe that I am an effective

listener, in my work, it is important to be an effective listener. I work as an Uber driver and most

of the time I meet people with different nationalities and accents. One of the experiences I had

was I picked a gentleman who was from New York, and he had a strong accent. He was telling

me to take a certain road so could see the city, I listened to his words carefully and made sure

that I understood what he was trying to say.

B. Listening and empathy played a positive role in my relationships with others and my

wife because I listened to them, and analyzed what they tried to tell me so I could respond to

them appropriately, especially with my wife when she comes from work. As the textbook states,

"Empathic listening also requires demonstrating support, caring and warmth. To do it well, the

listener should put aside judgments of what is shared." (Edwards, P. 116). Listening to my wife

when she needs me, I always try to listen and give her emotional support.

5. Interpersonal Communication
 A. Self-disclosure is the act of sharing private details, ideas, and emotions with another

person. This should be the Final Summary entry. Remember to look back at the milestone

feedback for revision advice before submitting the final journal assessment. My friend and I have

practiced self-disclosure and it has deepened our bond. We've gained a deep understanding of

one another by being honest with each other about our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This

idea has altered my view of relationships by highlighting the significance of vulnerability and

trust. It has taught me the importance of self-disclosure and genuine communication in

establishing and preserving strong relationships.

B. When it comes to resolving conflicts in our friendship, we usually take a collaborative

approach. We communicate honestly and openly to comprehend one another's viewpoints and

cooperate to come up with solutions that both of us can agree on. After reading Chapter 7's

discussion of conflict styles, I've come to the conclusion that, in certain situations, changing my

style to be more assertive and confrontational could facilitate the resolution of conflicts. knowing

assertive communication strategies and conflict styles will improve my ability to interact with

people.

Final Summary

As this Communication 1010 course comes to an end, I'm thinking back on the things I've

learned most about how I communicate and the adjustments I want to make going forward. First

of all, I've learned that clear communication goals, self-disclosure, and active listening are all

essential components of effective communication, which is a complex skill that goes beyond

words. Understanding the significance of these elements has shown me that developing and

preserving relationships, both personally and professionally, depends on my capacity for mature

and thoughtful communication.

 Second, I now recognize the importance of professional attire in creating a good first

impression in speeches and interviews. It's clear to me now that dressing professionally

demonstrates competence and respect rather than just style. This realization will definitely affect

how I dress for different occasions and work environments in the future. Looking forward, I

want to keep improving my communication abilities, engage in self-disclosure, listen intently,

and set specific objectives for my interactions with other people.

 Reference Page

Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies. (2013). . M

Libraries Publishing .