Diversity in Communication

I have thought about it often. Why does it appear that I switch personalities when I am with different people? I am aware of it, but it somehow seems that I cannot control it. I’m not a religious person, but I am very thoughtful of my language, soft toned, and reserved when I am around colleagues and family members who I know are quite religious. I go out of my way to be friendly to the families that I work with who are of differing cultural backgrounds, making sure that I repeat myself in a calm, slow manner to assure understanding; especially if there is a language barrier. I’ve also found myself agreeing to do things for elderly people that I would not do for younger adults. Yet, when I am with my immediate family or my close friends, I am open, occasionally loud, potentially sarcastic, and my language is generally not “G” rated; unless my daughter is around. I really don’t need her repeating any of those words at school. Perhaps it is manners, an avoidance of confrontation, or ignorance on how I should really act that changes my communication personality, but it does change. I like to think that it changes because I am respectful of differences and I try to be as responsive in my communication efforts as possible.

                I think it is important to understand that within certain contexts or around certain groups it is appropriate to switch personalities. O’Hair & Wiemann (2009) discuss appropriate behavior in their text (pp. 18-20) and make reference to how a student would speak to a professor as opposed to how the student would communicate with his or her friends. Being aware of what behavior is appropriate depending on the individuals involved in the communication is a strategy to use. Another strategy to consider is that one form of communication is not appropriate for all communication contexts. Most people alter their communication styles based on the context of the situation in which they find themselves. A person who is at dinner with friends will act completely different if they are at dinner with a supervisor. SO being aware of your situation context (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2009, p. 27) is also quite important for appropriate communication behaviors.  I also think it is important to really listen when a family of a diverse background is speaking. Going through the “listening process” as you communicate with diverse families is a very helpful communication strategy. Selecting what you need to hear, attending to and focusing your listening on what they are saying, making sure you understand what they are saying by questioning or repeating, remembering what they family member said, and finally responding to the family member (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2009, pp. 134-135) can cut down on miscommunication exponentially. Using these strategies when communicating with diverse cultures outside of my experience will aid my communication process.

Reference

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.