It's great to hear that you want to be more aware of your nonverbal communication, Portia. It sounds like you've got a plan to get yourself started, too. Let me know how it goes for you.
I'm glad you agree Dianne. Yes, face-to-face communication can be important. Tell me, what do you do when you aren't able to meet with someone face-to-face?
I think being aware of my nonverbals is the 1st step to ensure open communication. But I'll be sure to keep an open stance...welcoming arms, consistent eye contact, leaning in toward the student to show I'm really listening and care.
I agree! Face to face is very important!
Portia, that is great awareness and it sounds like you are on the right track. I'm curious, how will you check in with yourself to ensure your nonverbal communications are open and positive?
Nonverbal communication is so important to monitor when interacting with others. I'd like to be sure my nonverbals are consistently open and positive.
Great insight, Amanda. I get the sense that you're most comfortable with your face to face interactions based on your experiences. It's wonderful that you're awared of areas that you'd most like to improve. What are some things that you plan do to help improve your communication by phone or email?
I feel as though my face to face communication skills are good because I have worked with people for about 12 years. I can usually read people and I am very willing to work with them in every possible way to make them comfortable. However, my written communication skills are not good. I struggle with writing and sometimes will joke about things but in this profession, that could be viewed as unprofessional. Even something as little as sending an email to a new inquiry is a little more difficult for me than just calling them and carrying on a conversation. Therefore, in my emails, I encourage them to call me. I also keep my emails very short, sweet and to the point.
Interesting insight Angela. It sounds like you are matching your prospective student where they are and giving them the information that they need without over-explaining.
My communication skills are actually quite good already. However, with the volumne of calls I sometimes receive & students walking in to my office for information, my phone conversations tend to get short & concise, as some people just seem to have one or two short questions and don't want my whole pitch. I am only responding to their tone. When I have tried to go more in depth, they seem to cut me off & want to get off the phone.
Joy, let us know how it goes! We are always interested to hear results.
I will work on face to face communication. I need to be more aware of reflecting the other persons body language in a positive way and also be aware of the body language I am conveying.
My writing method of communicating is what I would like to work on, because at time I find it difficult to express the sense of urgency in an email. The biggest challenge is making my words come to life and speak motivation, support and genuine concern for the student. I have sent out thousands of emails to students and to date I have never received a response,leading me to the conclusion that my emails just are not effective.
That's great insight, Hope. I bet you'll find that when you hone your listening skills your communication will improve. What specifically would you like to develop in your face to face and written communications?
I would like to develop my face to face communication as well as my written. I feel that I do more of the talking than listening which hinders the message that I am trying to get across.
There's no doubt that reading body language correctly can assist your ability to connect with others. What do you look for with body language to help you shift your tone and body language, Kelly?
I understand your desire to eliminate miscommunication in email, Kelly. Have you ever had a student misinterpret your messages that are short and to fthe point? If so, how did you address this with the student?
Pushing yourself to address something that you don't really feel comfortable with is awesome, Kelly. Improving phone skills will definitely help you in your work with students. I'm curious, you mention that you're able to adjust your tone and word choice based on what another persons body language tells you. What miht you listen for in your telephone conversations to help you do the same?
It's great when you have the benefit of the face to face interaction, isn't Jason? Knowing that a great number of conversations with students occur over the phone, what will you try to do the next time you find yourself zoning out on the telephone?
It's great that you have an idea of what you'd like to improve as far as your communication skills go, Ashleigh. Body language can tell you a great deal when you're communicating. What specifically do you plan to do to improve your face to face communications?
