Saturday, November 17, 2012

Communicating with Different Groups


Considering the diversity I see in my school colleagues, my neighborhood, workplace, friends and family I certainly communicate/interact with the people from each group differently. The first example I can think of is the name people associate me by. My family, and close friends call me Tara, my nickname. Friends, acquaintances, and school colleagues call me Katara, my name. In the workplace, I am called by my last name Mrs. Walker. My relationships with the people in these different groups are connected to the name they call me. Another example is my language in different contexts. In the workplace, I may use formal language, polite and professional. In my personal relationships I may use slang, nicknames or language familiar with the group. For example, when I greet one of my friends we playfully call each other “big head,” I would not go to work and greet one of my colleagues as “big head.” Understanding context is essential in communicating with people.

Strategies to communicate effectively with others       

·          Be open and willing to share and learn about diverse cultures.

·         When communicating listen to others and actively respond to the messages they are relaying.

·         Avoid prejudging people based on their appearances, perspectives and cultures

2 comments:

  1. Hi Katara,
    I agree with you that the way we communicate is related to how we are addressed by others and the setting that we may be in. We change the way communicate with others without thinking about it and it happens many times throughout the day.

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  2. Hi Katara,
    I see that you are very free and easy to communicate with especially with your friends and close associates. Really our language of communication depends on the context and who we are with, so I agree when you said understanding context is important to any effective communicator. Willingness to share and trying to understand diverse cultures is a real way of training oneself to become a better communicator, I am learning this right now. Thank you for sharing.

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