COMM 277 Week 1 Part 1-Selecting a Communication Goal

Name

Chamberlain University

COMM-277 Interpersonal Communication

Prof. Name

Date

Part 1

1A “I Can’t” List

Challenge 1: Difficulty Saying “No”

I find it challenging to assertively say “no” when I’m offered additional work or responsibilities, particularly when my current workload is already overwhelming. This issue is a significant communication barrier for me, largely stemming from my concern about how others perceive me in a professional setting. I aspire to be viewed as a reliable team member, which sometimes leads me to overcommit. The fear of disappointing colleagues or managers by declining additional tasks contributes to my stress and may negatively impact my job performance. This issue also extends into my personal life, where I struggle to refuse extra social engagements, ultimately affecting my wellbeing and leading to burnout. Overall, my inability to decline new responsibilities has profound implications for both my professional and personal life, highlighting a critical area for improvement in my communication skills.

Example: Recently, my manager asked me to take on an extra project while I was already busy with multiple assignments. I accepted, knowing it would strain my work-life balance, and hesitated to voice my concerns about the additional workload.

Challenge 2: Fear of Negative Reactions

Another significant communication challenge I face is the fear of negative reactions when I express my limitations or decline additional tasks. This fear is deeply rooted in my desire to maintain positive relationships with coworkers, friends, and acquaintances. While I recognize that taking on too many responsibilities can lead to burnout and decreased performance, I often find myself saying “yes” out of concern for how others will react. During team meetings or social situations, I sometimes hesitate to decline new commitments, fearing that it may disappoint others. This anxiety often leads to overcommitment, which can be detrimental to my health and effectiveness.

Example: In a recent team meeting, my manager suggested I take on a new project due to my expertise. Despite my existing commitments, I was reluctant to say no because I was concerned about how my colleagues would perceive me.

Challenge 3: Fear of Speaking Out During Meetings

I struggle with a significant fear of speaking in front of groups, which makes me anxious and uncomfortable, especially during work presentations. This fear manifests in various ways: I often stumble over my words, my voice shakes when I’m nervous, and I experience “butterflies” in my stomach, which distracts me from my message. This longstanding fear hampers my participation in meetings and prevents me from sharing valuable ideas, negatively impacting my self-confidence and professional growth.

Example: I often hold back my thoughts during meetings, even when I have important contributions to make, which hinders both my professional development and the team’s ability to engage in productive discussions.

Challenge 4: Communication Across Cultures

Effective communication with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds is another area where I face challenges. While I appreciate and respect cultural diversity, I sometimes struggle to adapt to different communication styles and social norms. This difficulty can lead to misunderstandings and impede effective cross-cultural interactions. I am motivated to improve my skills in this area to foster better relationships and collaboration.

Example: While working on a project with a multicultural team, I noticed differences in communication styles and decision-making processes that complicated our collaboration.

Challenge 5: Overthinking Before Responding

I tend to overthink my responses during conversations, which creates a significant barrier to effective communication. While thoughtful consideration can be beneficial, my tendency to overanalyze often slows my responses and leaves me feeling uncertain about my communication abilities. This habit extends to written communication as well, where I may rewrite messages multiple times before sending them.

Example: When a coworker presented a challenging idea and my manager asked for input, I found myself hesitating and overthinking my response, despite having valuable insights to share.

Challenge 6: Difficulty Expressing Emotions

I often struggle to express my emotions openly, which complicates my communication. My fear of negative consequences, such as strained relationships, leads me to keep my feelings to myself. This inability to express emotions can result in misunderstandings and hinder emotional connections with others. Moreover, withholding negative feelings can lead to frustration and outbursts later on.

Example: My reluctance to communicate my emotions has occasionally led to tension in my relationships, as I struggle to voice my feelings about a coworker’s approach to a project.

1B “I Won’t” List

Challenge 1: I Won’t Say “No”

I recognize my capability to decline additional tasks, but I often refrain from doing so due to fears about job security and how others perceive me.

Challenge 2: I Won’t Change My Fear of Negative Reactions

I acknowledge that I can work on overcoming my fear of negative reactions, but I choose not to address this challenge at this time.

1C “I Don’t Know” List

Challenge 3: I Don’t Know How to Overcome My Fear of Speaking Out During Meetings

I am uncertain about how to manage my fear of speaking in public or during meetings. This anxiety is compounded by my fear of judgment and stumbling over my words.

Challenge 4: I Don’t Know How to Communicate Across Cultures

I lack effective strategies for communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds, making it difficult for me to navigate diverse communication norms.

Challenge 5: I Don’t Know How to Stop Overthinking Before Responding

I struggle to control my tendency to overthink responses, which hinders my ability to engage in conversations and express myself clearly.

Challenge 6: I Don’t Know How to Express My Feelings

I find it challenging to communicate my emotions clearly, leading to misunderstandings and difficulty connecting with others.

1D Issue Selection

In choosing my project focus for the Communication Change Challenge (CCC), I evaluated the challenges outlined in 1C that pertain to my communication difficulties. While each challenge highlighted areas for improvement, I decided against focusing on “Communication Across Cultures,” as I believe I have made significant progress in that area through previous experiences. Instead, I opted to tackle “Difficulty in Expressing Emotions,” as this challenge has a considerable impact on my interpersonal relationships. My struggle with expressing emotions has led to misunderstandings and hindered my ability to form meaningful connections, both personally and professionally. Therefore, I believe that addressing this challenge will not only be fulfilling but will also enhance my overall communication skills and wellbeing.

1E Project Statement

For my project goal, I have chosen to focus on “Difficulty in Expressing My Emotions.” I will work on this communication challenge during Weeks Two and Three.

Part 2

Title: Emotions and Communication

Summary:

The healthiest way to manage emotions is not by denying their existence. Consider emotions as a balloon: with every suppressed feeling, the balloon fills until it eventually bursts. Similarly, when we hold back our emotions, we may react strongly in harmful ways, impacting our relationships. Research indicates that managing negative emotions during conflicts, especially by women, can lead to quicker resolutions (Bloch, Haase, & Levenson, 2014).

Insight:

Emotions are an inherent part of being human, yet societal norms often portray them as negative. Phrases like “Don’t feel that way” dismiss the legitimacy of feelings. Emotions define our perceptions and experiences. Although we can be influenced by our surroundings, we ultimately control our emotional responses. Everyone has the capacity to change their emotional states, and expressing emotions is essential for understanding and managing them effectively.

References

Bloch, L., Haase, C. M., & Levenson, R. W. (2014). Emotion regulation predicts marital satisfaction: More than a wives’ tale. Emotion, 14(1), 130–144. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034272