Who Am I as a Communicator?

This week, I discovered that it is not all that comfortable to ask others to assess your communication styles.  I don’t mind talking to others about my ability to communicate effectively or ineffectively but I had issues with people taking tests about me. I suppose this comes down to the fact that I had no control over the situation.  I asked my assistant and my husband to take the tests.  What surprised me the most was that all three of us had the same Verbal Aggressiveness score…62.  For me, this is a big deal as I can sometimes be very opinionated and stubborn.  I fully expected my husband to score me in a very different range so I was surprised when he didn’t.  On all three tests, my assistant’s scores were either the same or within a number or two of mine.  I chalk this up to her knowing me so well.  We have worked together for almost three years and she has seen be at my best and worst!

                                      

I have gained several insights pertaining to my own ability to interact with others, personally and professionally.  Most importantly, the exercise we completed for the discussion board reinforced the importance of not making hasty judgments about people.  Making assumptions based upon a picture is very one-dimensional; we really do not know enough to say anything about the individual.  In my mind, this is not much different than making assumptions about someone from across a store, restaurant or street.  It has definitely reminded me not to judge the book by its cover!  A second insight I gained this week is the value of introspection as a learning tool.  It is important to reflect on our own communication styles as a means to professional growth.  We cannot continue to grow if we do not occasionally take a good, honest look at ourselves!