ACTIVITY #1: THE COMMUNICATION CONTINUUM
Purpose: To consider your own communication to better understand your levels of interpersonal communication with others.
Instructions:
1. Reflect on your relationships with THREE people you have interacted with in the last week.
2. Describe these relationships by using the communication continuum as a guide.
3. Mark each person’s location on the communication continuum with an ‘X.’
4. Describe how satisfied are you with each of the relationships.
5. Discuss changes that need to be made and ways you can implement these changes through effective communication.
PERSON 1 _____________________________
I-It----------------------I-You-----------------------I-Thou
RESPONSES:
a. Description of this relationship:
b. Describe the level of satisfaction:
c. Describe any changes that need to be made:
d. Describe how to implement these changes:
PERSON 2 _____________________________
I-It----------------------I-You-----------------------I-Thou
RESPONSES:
a. Description of this relationship:
b. Describe the level of satisfaction:
c. Describe any changes that need to be made:
d. Describe how to implement these changes:
PERSON 3 _____________________________
I-It----------------------I-You-----------------------I-Thou
RESPONSES:
a. Description of this relationship:
b. Describe the level of satisfaction:
c. Describe any changes that need to be made:
d. Describe how to implement these changes:
RESPONSE:
a. What did you learn about your relationships as a result of this activity?
ACTIVITY #2: EXPANDING YOUR COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS
Purpose:
1. To help you broaden your repertoire of effective communication behaviours and your skills in performing them.
2. To help you identify the most appropriate communication behaviours in important situations.
Instructions:
1. Use the space below to identify TWO areas in which you would like to communicate more effectively.
2. For EACH area, identify a person you have observed who communicated in a way that you think would improve your effectiveness. Describe this person’s communication behaviour.
3. Describe how you could adapt these behaviours to your own life.
Example:
a. Area in which you would like to communicate more effectively:Making conversation with people I’ve just met in a group setting.
b. Reasons why you want to improve this interpersonal skill: I always feel high anxiety in situations where I don't know people well. My job requires that I speak with people regularly and I would like to be better able to manage my emotions and nervousness. I would like to demonstrate confidence, clarity and poise when in these group settings to make a good impression of not only myself but of my business.
c. Model who communicates effectively in this area:My friend, Kai.
d. Description of the model’s behaviour: She asks sincere questions of people she’s just met, compliments them enthusiastically and smiles a lot. She is an attentive listener and provides positive verbal and nonverbal feedback to others. Her facial expressions are friendly, enthusiastic and approachable. She makes others feel at ease. Kai asks probing questions and brings up topics of interest that he feels comfortable and knowledgeable about. She asks these questions in order to find common ground with the other person in order to keep the conversation flowing naturally. By finding out what she has in common, whether it be a hobby or interest, she appears confident and engaged in the conversation.
e. Describe how you could apply these behaviors: I can spend more time thinking about people I’ve just met and less time thinking self-consciously about my own nervousness. Then I can focus on parts of these new people that interest me and let the other person know I’m interested. The key seems to be sincerity; I have to really mean what I say and not use questions and compliments as tricks. My speaking about topics that I’m interested in and asking questions it will certainly help find common ground more quickly and open the door to further communication. I can take more time and care with what I say and not feel that I have to feel silence with words. It's a nervous habit - if I concentrate more on the other person, rather than myself, I can get past some of my communication apprehension.
AREA #1
a. Area in which you would like to communicate more effectively:
b. Reasons why you want to improve this interpersonal skill:
c. Model who communicates effectively in this area:
d. Description of the model’s behaviour:
e. Describe how you could apply these behaviors:
AREA #2
a. Area in which you would like to communicate more effectively:
b. Reasons why you want to improve this interpersonal skill:
c. Model who communicates effectively in this area:
d. Description of the model’s behaviour:
e. Describe how you could apply these behaviors:
RESPONSE:
a. What did you learn about your interpersonal strengths and weaknesses as a result of this activity?