I wasn’t sure the most effective means to begin this blog post on using communication skills to enact change so I chose to look up quotes about communication. I found two that relate to the conversations in the blog post this week. First, from Walt Disney, “Of all our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.” Many colleagues chose to use You Tube and Facebook forms of social media to influence policy issues as you would be able to put faces and actions of children to use to promote the policy. Pictures can also cut across language barriers.
The second quote by Margaret Chase Smith, “My basic rule is to speak slowly and simply so that my audience has an opportunity to follow and think about what I am saying.” relates directly to the 7 Cs of Communication distributed by Mind Tools (n.d.). The first 3 Cs are clear, concise, and concrete which I view as equivalent to slowly and simply. When a policy is presented with a clear message, which is brief and includes vivid details the listener can follow and think about what is said. The remaining Cs include correct or creditable, coherent, complete and courteous. Another option for a C is creative. I like creative as it lets the communicator know the importance of painting a picture with words.
Two communication skills that early childhood professionals should embody include listening and non-verbal communication. Good listening includes paying full attention to the speaker and being respectful by avoiding interrupting and being judgmental (Helpguide.org, n.d.). A good listener would be able to paraphrase what is said and in relation to policy change would gather the information necessary to promote or question the policy. The second skill, non-verbal communication relates to Walt Disney’s quote about pictures being a universally understood language. The speaker portrays a “picture” of themselves which the listener is observing. Is the picture you present when speaking one of acceptance with an open body language matching the context of the words to the image portrayed? When communicating a policy or speaking with parents, early childhood professionals need to remember the audience and adjust accordingly. If the audience is a parent, educators need to be aware of and avoid using “educationese” that terminology used by educators but maybe not by others.
The “Communication Anxiety” self-assessment inventory showed that I have a mild level of anxiety. The description for my score states I feel a bit uneasy in some situations and confident in others is quite accurate. I feel more comfortable in work related communications. Over the years, I have lead workshops, mentored teachers, spoken with parents and the list goes on so I have built confidence in this area of communication whether it be one on one, small group or large group. My weakness is in social situations. I am not one to go up to someone I do not know and carry on a conversation. I am courteous and introduce myself but that is about it and I believe that is why I am not an avid social media fan.
Reference:
Helpguide.org. (n.d.). Effective Communication. Retrieved May 26, 2014, from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm
Mind Tools. (n.d.). The 7 Cs of communication: A checklist for clear communication. Retrieved May 26, 2014, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_85.htm
