Effective Communication and Influence

Evaluate the factors that influence the effectiveness of each interaction.

Group interaction

In the interaction, I was speaking over other individuals. I spoke over my peers a couple of times and interrupted them. This happened because we did not plan the interaction and was just giving our opinions. I did not plan so, I was talking over others. I should have let the individual take her time and finish her point. This made the group interaction short because I was in a rush and wanted to get everything out of the way, especially when I was reading the scenario.

In the future, I will need to plan my interaction and be more organized.

I asked Tianni "What is a personal alarm?" when I did I realized, only at that time I was mumbling, unclear, and said it fast. However, Tianni managed to understand me, because she was sitting next to me but others may have not heard me. I should always try to speak clear and slow, I can do this by counting on my fingers of how long I take to finish a sentence.

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Also, next time I would ask more questions rather than only answering questions.

It was difficult for me to communicate with Tianni and Bianca, I found it hard to constantly turn my face and body towards them and I did not make a lot of eye contact with them. I felt Tianni was too close; I should have sat a bit back and have enough space between us.

I did the interaction in the classroom, there were people outside waiting to go to their classes. There was a noise of laughter and talking outside, which was loud. I think we should have carried out the group interaction at another place and there may be minimal or no noise. The noise made it difficult for me to concentrate and listen to my group, as I was constantly staring at the door and at what is happening outside.

The biggest barrier was space; we were told to set up according to our wish and I set the tables with the group. The tables were small and each table was the size enough for an individual. We set up the four small tables and there were six people in the group. I had to sit on the table for the interaction. Tianni sat on the side of the table where I was sitting and I think there should have been distance. This meant that I could not always turn my full body around when talking to her. I could not maintain eye contact with her and I could not concentrate on her and her spoken language.

I think Janay and Tianni had a different accent and I sometimes struggled to understand the message. This was a problem for me because they spoke most of the time. For example, if Janay was saying "Long" it sounded like "Lung". This meant that I did not understand everything they said. I was losing concentration or not bothered to listen to them further. However, I tried to listen by leaning forward to grasp information.

I did not make a lot of eye contact with Tianni, but when I did I was focused on her smiler piercing. The smiler is seen whenever she speaks; i was distracted when having effective communication.

Positives

I read the scenario, which was "Girls as young as 11 have been lured from their families to be drugged, beaten and raped in an epidemic that, say, victims, is still ongoing. As many as 1,000 children have suffered at the merciless hands of perverts and torturers in Telford since the 1980s." By reading the scenario I encouraged myself and individuals to talk further.

We had a group value, which was to respect each other. I respected everyone in the group, even if I disagreed with their opinion. I made eye contact, which showed respect. I used simple terminology because I was communicating with my peers. I was not using slang or jargon. I did this by showing respect and having clear spoken language. I was clear by not mumbling and talking fast. While I was communicating my tone was normal, not too soft or too harsh. I tried to speak clearly as possible, as mentioned before.

I had a positive posture, by having opened arms, to show I am interested in the topic and I am comfortable while speaking. Moreover, I had a positive posture or body language by leaning to show that I am listening to the person carefully, being attentive and that I care about the conversation and my peers. My facial expressions were positive but I did show empathy. I was calm, was interested in the topic, and strongly felt about the topic. My arms were not crossed, I was using hand gestures, made eye contact, was slowing down my speech when remembered to, and was leaning. This showed that I had respect, value my peers, and am interested in the topic.

I used reflective listening, which is hearing the message and understanding the information. I listened to my peers and understood their point of view.

Overall, I was clear and speaking at a normal pace. I was paying attention by leaning to show, that I am listening. I was nodding and replying with a "Yes". In the group interaction, i had to use my skills, not to be rude or offensive, because this is an emotional and sensitive topic about young girls being raped. I had to watch what I was about to say, how would my peers be affected, positively, or negatively. This showed empathy and assertive behavior, which build effective communication.

One- to- one interaction

Negatives

When we finished the interaction Jacqui said to us to continue the interaction because it was short. We had to think on the spot and continue the interaction, I encouraged my partner to talk. So, I continued by asking Louise more questions. I did plan the one-to-one interaction, but I finished my dialogues in a quick time. To plan effectively I should have written more to say; I should have recorded the time of the interaction when I was practicing with others. We were asked to continue the interaction, this meant that I had to think on the spot and say more, which was good in a way because it shows that our brains work fast and we can think on the spot. Next time, I should plan more so, I have more to say.

The one-to-one interaction took place in a classroom and there were people outside, who were talking. There was a lot of background noise and I could not concentrate because I was thinking about the noise outside. I was constantly looking outside and getting distracted. I might have missed important information, which was discussed during the conversation.

I and Jay- lei was sitting next to each other whereas, Louise was sitting across and there was a big gap between me and Louise. This affected the communication because Louise spoke quite low and there was a lot of space between us. I could not hear her effectively and had to lean, as mentioned before so, I can hear her. Louise was speaking fast with a low volume at the same time, which was difficult for me to understand her and insert the information in my brain. The talking from outside made it worse to focus and I got distracted.

The government representative was using a lot of hand gestures when communicating; I could not see her facial expressions properly. This affected communication because I could not see her non- verbal communication. I wanted to see her non-verbal communication because I wanted to see if it matched with her spoken language. It was difficult for the professional to maintain eye contact between me and Jay- lei. I could not see Jay- lei and make eye contact with her, because we were sitting next to each other and I couldn't turn myself around a lot of the time. I think we should have set the tables and should have got a circular table. So, everyone could sit around, closer, and could communicate effectively.

Positives

I communicated at a normal pace and tone. I was formal with the government professional. I did this by greeting, asking questions, and using my manners; this shows that I respected, valued the professional, and was formal.

I supported Jay- lei on the day because she was ill. I explained her dialogues and the plan to her briefly because she was ill and had not practiced the interaction with us. I used the correct body language. I did not cross my arms and look down, as this will show I am not interested in the conversation. I made a lot of eye contact with Louise the professional and tried to maintain it between her and Jay- lei. This showed I had an interest in the meeting, I am concerned, appreciate, and respect the individuals.

I was asking questions, which shows that I was listening and checking my understanding of the conversation. Furthermore, I was leaning across the table so, I could hear better and pay attention. To show I was listening, I repeated information and asked open questions such as "What is a joint enterprise?" and "How can I keep my child safe?"

Overall, I think I acted in a calm and respectful way. I did not lash out at the government representative, was positive, and used my assertive skills such as respect and being calm. I communicated with Louise and Jay- lei in a positive and formal way.