Cultural diversity is all around us; sometimes we see it at home,
on our jobs, at school, in church, and even in the communities to which we
belong. Over the years, America has become more diverse in age, gender, sexual
orientation, and religion. In my experience, I have seen many types of diverse
individuals including abilities, gender, religion, and status. Getting to know
the children and families I serve has allowed me to improve my communication
skills to become a more effective communicator.
When communicating with others from diverse backgrounds, usually I
remain open and outgoing; however, if an individual is from another race, one
who has a different social status, and an alternative sexual lifestyle, I
usually communicate differently with these individuals. One might say that I am
bias for choosing to communicate differently; I say, I am communicating this
way because each of these situations calls for a different approach. According
to Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond (2011), “Each of our differences have an effect on
how we perceive others and interact with them” (p. 87); for example, I would
not communicate with a politician, judge, or a wealthy person the same way I
communicate with my family and friends. Sometimes I speak slang, or I may say
something that is not so nice; this is where it is important to vary one’s
communication skills. Usually when I interact with individuals from varied
backgrounds, cultures, or groups, I am talkative and engaged; because I know
there is something I can learn from them and I know it is something they can
learn from me.
Some ways my communication varies is, I remove slang from my
speech, I a more aware not to say inappropriate words, and I tailor my
conversations to the intended audience. If I am talking to children, I place
myself in their shoes, if I am speaking to an elderly person, I watch my tone
of voice, and if I am speaking with a high ranking official, I use my
educational speech. This is known as accommodating, when I use different
approaches to serve each individual (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012).
I have learned so many things to help me to become a better
communicator, below I will share three strategies I could use to help me
communicate more effectively with people or groups.
Based on what I have learned this week, I have defined three strategies
I will use to help me communicate more effectively with others; first, I will
always be respectful of others, their culture, and beliefs. Respect goes a long
way and people feel comfortable when they are respected. Secondly, I will be
open to what someone has to say; they could very well be teaching me something.
Third, I will try to be more empathetic towards others; it is hard to be empathetic
when you know someone is sabotaging him or herself. If I work at all three of
these strategies, I will become more effective in my interpersonal
communication with others.
References
Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication:
Relating to others (6th ed.).
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction.
New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.
