Take some time to think about challenges you have communicating with other people. These difficulties may involve strangers or acquaintances; consider communication aspects with friends, family members, or people at school or work. You may identify situations that involve specific individuals or general circumstances. Some examples include having trouble starting a conversation with someone you have never met, saying “no” when your sister asks to borrow money, or avoiding participation in meetings even when you have a question or contribution to the discussion. Complete the steps in the following framework to identify a goal. Using the template for this week, detail each of the steps to explain how you chose this one communication problem area you intend to change. What are your “I can’t” communication behaviors? Address verbal, nonverbal, listening, group communication aspects, and cultural differences. Click on and read the sample responses for this section first. Then, write and submit the following for this part: What are your “I won’t” communication behaviors? Once you have read your list of “I can’t” communication behaviors aloud and consider each one carefully. Go back and read each behavior aloud again, but this time, substitute the word “won’t” for “can’t.” (“I won’t ask my friends for favors when I need their help.”) Be honest with yourself – were there behaviors on your list for which the word “won’t” seemed more accurate than the word “can’t”? Probably so, because there are very few communication behaviors that people are physically unable to do. “Won’t” suggests that an element of choice is involved. Write and submit the following for this part: Eliminate any “I won’t” statements from consideration for this project because the “I won’t” aspect indicates your unwillingness to actually make a change. Now go back to your remaining “I can’t” communication behaviors and try substituting, “I don’t know how to” for the words “I can’t.” Instead of saying, “I can’t keep my
staff focused on the discussion at hand during meetings,” try saying “I don’t know how to keep my staff focused on the discussion at hand during meetings.” It is important that you do not take the phrase “I don’t know how to” too literally. You may find that you do know how to do some of the things on your list, but you don’t know how to change from your existing poor habit to an improved communication behavior. Make a list of any statements you revised to say, “I don’t know how to,” and describe for each why this is more accurate than the original “I can’t” statement. If there are any issues that you still feel belong on your “I can’t” list, include a narrative to describe why. The “I don’t know how to” items on your list are the ones to consider for this project. These are the ones you can expect to change by taking this course. Select one of these problem areas to work on for the remainder of the course and for the purpose of this report. Describe your process for eliminating additional “I don’t know how to” items to narrow your list to the one issue that you finally selected for the project. Write and submit the following for this part: Write and submit the following for this part: Write and submit the following for this part: Title Page (Six things you want to change, but you find it difficult to do so, then write two paragraphs under each item) Challenge 1: Description: Example: Challenge 2: Description: Example: (Continue pattern for all six items) (You don’t want to make any changes) Challenge #: (Make it an “I won’t”) Explanation: Challenge #: (Make it an “I won’t”) Explanation: (Continue pattern as needed) (You struggle with how to make the changes) Challenge #: (Make it an “I don’t know…” Description: Challenge #: (Make it an “I don’t know…” Description: (Continue pattern as needed) (Narrative on the process of elimination) (One sentence that clearly states the one issue from your list you will be working on for this project) Title: Summary: (Paragraph) Insight: (Paragraph) Reference