The
person that came to mind as a competent communicator is my father. My father has always been big on communication. He used communication when he served in the
US marines and fellow service members. When
my sisters and I would communicate with my father he was big on everyone making
eye contact to ensure we were listening.
My dad was good at listening to what we had to say whenever we came to
talk to him. My dad also provided great
advice on how to handle challenges that involved communicating with
others.
As I entered adulthood and discussed with my father
some challenges I faced as an administrator and teacher working in early
childhood he would stress the saying “always remember, silence is consent.” This stuck with me when I discussed
challenges while working with a person who was not pulling their weight. According to O’Hair,
Wiemann, Mullin and Teven (2015) “In communication, an outcome has to do with
the product of an interchange” (p. 13).
I was stressing myself out to do the job of two people. When my dad said “silence is consent” it made
me realize that I had communicated that it was ok for me to do all the work. In my
current position as a trainer I have the opportunity to communicate with
teachers, children, families, admin and other support staff members. I follow what I learned growing up about
making good eye contact, listening to others and ensuring I communicate at all
times instead of remaining quiet whenever there is a challenge.
Reference
O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J.
(2015). Real communication (3rd. ed). New York:
Bedford/St. Martin's
I really like that quote from your dad. I wish I used that advice a few hundred times in my past career as a Center Director. I definitely will be writing this down and remembering it for the future. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I totally agree with your father views. Eye contact is very important when talking to anyone. Eye contact shows respect and that you are listening to that person. Communication is way more then verbal, it also speak through body language and attitudes.
ReplyDeleteHi Daphine:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post about the real life lessons you learned about communication from your dad, great story!!
Dear Daphine
ReplyDeleteI think your father must be a man with wisdom. Listening is the cornerstone for interactive communication. When we have critical or serious or arguable communication, we always want to keep talking so that we can express all our view points. Silence is helpful for us to pace and think and calm ourselves. It will give spaces for both parties and encourage positive communication.
thankyou
stella