Kayly Miranda

FHS 2450
U3 Essay 1
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Objective:
Analyze your communication style. Are you a good communicator? In what areas are you relatively weak
as a communicator? What is one communication skill would you like to learn better? What steps can you
take to learn this skill?
Answer:
When it comes to effective communication, I feel like my skills are on two different ends of the
spectrum: very strong, or very poor. When it comes to other people communicating with me, I would
consider myself slightly above average. But when it comes to me communicating with others, I am a little
lower down the scale.
Generally speaking, I would like to think that my active listening skills are pretty strong. I have
quite a few people who feel comfortable with confiding in me when they are experiencing difficult times
in their lives. Because of this, it is very important for me to be aware of my body language, facial
expressions, responses, and anything else to show them that they have my attention, and that I am
interested in what they are communicating to me (Crooks and Baur, 2014, pg. 204). The text notes the
importance of making eye contact, providing feedback, and expressing positive regard as also being
important communications skills, which are strengths I feel that I have (Crooks and Baur, 2014, pg. 203204). Of course there is always room for improvement-- especially when it comes to personal disclosure.
As I previously mentioned, I feel as though many people are comfortable in disclosing intimate
details about their life to me. However, I have always been aware that I am hypocritical when it comes
time for me to share my experiences with them. Since I want these people to continue trusting and
confiding in me, I need to work on doing the same for them. I need to learn to give and take. "It is easier
to share feelings about strongly emotional topics when a partner is willing to make similar disclosures"
(Crooks and Baur, 2014, pg. 204). Although this quote is referring to partners in a relationship, I like to
think that this can also apply to any type of close relationship.

Kayly Miranda
FHS 2450
U3 Essay 1
In addition to the communication skills taught in this text, I am also currently taking a
communications class where I can further improve my communication skills. In this class, I have
discovered that the skill that I struggle with the most is dealing with conflict management. More
specifically, I struggle with managing emotions during conflicts. If I become too emotional during an
argument, I have a tendency to respond only with anger and say things impulsively. However, since
taking my Communications class, I have learned new methods to help me better handle these situations.
Being able to manage my emotions during an argument will allow me to think rationally about
the situation and also prevent me from making impulse decisions that I could regret later. According to
Steven and Susan BeeBe, and Mark Redmond, I need to first make myself aware that I am becoming
"angry and emotionally volatile", and understand why I am becoming angry and emotional (Beebe, 2014,
pg. 241). I can do this by paying attention to my increased heart rate, and identifying the specific trigger
that is the source of my anger (Beebe, 2014, pg. 242). I also have to consciously decide whether to
express my anger, set a time to discuss the conflict, and plan what I want to say (Beebe, 2014, pg. 242). I
think the most important of these steps is taking time away from the conflict and setting up a later time to
talk, and recognizing what the trigger was that caused me to become emotional. Taking time away from
the conflict will allow me to calm down, and think rationally and in depth about what is making me angry,
and how I can work with my partner to resolve the conflict.
If I can continue to work on my conflict management skills, express my emotions to others, and
handle my anger better, I believe that my relationships with others will continue to grow stronger. A
strong relationship can only come from strong communication.

Kayly Miranda
FHS 2450
U3 Essay 1
Works Cited
Beebe, Steven A., Susan J. Beebe, and Mark V. Redmond. Interpersonal and Group Interaction: With
Student Handbook by Lance E. Schmeidler and Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Ph.D. 7th ed. New Jersey:
Pearson, Education, 2014. Web.
Crooks, Robert, and Karla Baur. Our Sexuality. 12th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2014. Web.