Aggressive and Assertive Communication - Assignment Example

Introduction to communication Category 1 Many are the times when people confuse being assertive with aggressive behaviour in interpersonal communication. There is however a big difference that exists between the two when it comes to communication where assertiveness is that trait that is possessed by an individual that aids them in communication with other people as the person has confidence in whatever that they are relaying to the other person (Spitzberg and Changnon, 2009).This is done while maintaining respect to everyone, meaning that there is acknowledgement of the needs of the people surrounding them. Through expression of emotions, assertive communication reaches out to people in a clear way as respect is seen to be the major aspect.When it comes to resolving of any issue, assertive communication does it in a polite way where there is identification of the problem and ways in which such an issue can be resolved as everyone's interest is taken into consideration. Aggressive communication on the other hand is self centered where ideas and decisions are based on a particular individual. In interpersonal communication, this style is not recommended as only one side of the party is considered. The mode of talking is loud and at times rude making the party being communicated to lose confidence in what they are being told (Canary, Cody, and Manusov, 2003). Several differences have been spotted in both aspects of communication where assertiveness in communication is experienced when a person has control of what they are talking about as compared to aggressive communication where there is no control of emotions leading to communication that frustrates the other party. Assertive communication is not self centered unlike in aggressive communication (Deardorff, 2006). This is because it is not centered on one party winning but both. It therefore means that there is care exhibited in such kind of communication as compared to aggressive communication where it is self centered and aims at what a specific individual wants. This further state that aggressive behaviour does not respect any limits while talking to a person which assertive communication does. This means that there is respect in assertive communication and the approach used in communication is constructive and organized. Aggressive communication is always full of demands meaning that no respect is awarded in any conversation hence does not seek for growth in any communication relationship. The kind of communication style that I possess is an assertive kind of communication because each and every day I have to make proposals to people and encounter a lot of social gatherings that have to be persuaded to attain set objectives and aims within the given period of time (Wiseman, 2002). With this kind of style, it shows that I honor and respect the values in me and those of people surrounding me indicating that there is respect in whatever that I am communicating. This kind of communication is helpful to both those that I am addressing and myself as personal needs are met without interfering with the rights of those I am communicating with.Assertive communication as a theory has helped me as an individual to handle different situations as I have the ability to say no where it is required and yes, where it is appropriate. It has helped me become more of a listener and consider others in my decision making process which have helped me improve my body language as I communicate with other people (Canary, Cody, and Manusov, 2003). Category 2 With the increased rate of globalization and interaction with different cultures, there is the need for one to be competent in the way that they communicate. Intercultural communication competence is therefore one of the aspects to be embraced in this changing world. As stated by Johnson, Lenartowicz and Apud (2006), the multiplicity of languages has brought about intercultural communication in personal situations and in the workplace. Taken in the context of intercultural communication, intercultural communication competence is the ability of an individual to communicate in a language that is understood by almost over fifty percent of those that they are addressing. This kind of competence is greatly related to the behavior that is possessed by an individual while relating to other people. Such a style takes much emphasis on patience where one considers diverse perspectives while communicating with people (Hammer, Bennett and Wiseman, 2003). Managers in organizations are held with the responsibility of having intercultural communication competence as it is through them that social interactions are conducted. Intercultural competence helps communication of same objectives and ideas to different cultures and at the same time ensure that no culture has been disrespected in the communication strategies used. Intercultural competence can be created by being able to appreciate different cultures. It is through acknowledging different cultures that we as individuals are able to familiarize ourselves with issues that are highly upheld in these cultures and as a manager, help others in better communication skills among themselves. Intercultural communication competence does not happen instantly but needs time as many people will assume the mode of communication is being understood by everybody(Deardorff, 2006).This brings about unconscious incompetence while in other situations it can be that a person is aware that the language they are using is not being understood by everyone .Though the speaker may know that they are not competent enough ,they are limited in knowledge of how they can improve their communication competency(Greenholtz, 2005). Three strategies that help in improving intercultural competency are : acknowledging the differences that exist among us. It is through this that people first consult on the best language to use before addressing a crowd or even before starting a conversation. It is also through appreciating the differences that respect is earned and personal space is accorded. Another strategy is through the development of intercultural sensitivity(Chen and Starosta, 2006).In a situation of a leader or manager, effective control will only be achieved if all members in a team do not allow culture to be a hindrance towards goal achievement. Thorough mixing of positive cultural aspects, intercultural communication competence will work towards success in the team or organization. Focusing on individual behavior rather than emotions in an individual is another strategy (Bruneau, 2002). Communication is a process that includes everyone and in order to achieve intercultural communication competence, everyone should fell part and a contributor towards any communication. By recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each culture through the conducting of social events, individuals are able to achieve intercultural competence in the communication that they undertake (Wiseman, 2002). Category 3 Public relation is a field of knowledge that deals with image that employees in an organisation potray to the outside world.This kind of profession requires much exposure of different cultures as it aims at achieving a balance in all cultures working in an organisation.Intercultural communication is one of the demands in this kind of profession where there has to be an understanding of different behaviours in different employees.In such kind of profession,I am supposed to have the ability to reduce any levels of uncertainity in any communication taking place in the organisation(Tubbs, Moss and Papastefanou, 2008).To achieve this, it is my responsibility to encourage all members of the organization to appreciate different cultures and inform them to look at the organizational goal achievement instead of looking at weaknesses portrayed in different cultures.To achieve this obligation, I have to apply flexibility in communication and through this I become a competent communicator. In my field, I saw the need to learn more than one foreign language and through this, I have been able to interact with a variety of employers and employees. Through that, I am able to decode any verbal and nonverbal cues making communication easier on everyone. It is through familiarizing myself with other foreign languages that I am able to understand the behavioral patterns in different employees (Berry, 1990). This helps to identify the challenges faced by each culture and helps me to better manage elements that might hinder effective organizational performance. By having self awareness in intercultural communication places me to be an effective communicator as I am able to familiarize myself with any difficulties that might be facing the employees hence look for strategies that I can apply to bring forth competent intercultural communication. Public relations and media liaison is a field that needs a lot of communication taking place. Two roles in communication involves directing and controlling. While directing, there should be proper communication with the media to the public. This means that the presentation of news should be in accordance to public expectations and have community interest at heart. In a media station, directing requires much patience as news has to be collected from different parts of the world and relayed at the same time. Discipline has to be key while communicating which editor is to go where to collect news(Matveev and Nelson, 2004).The media act as a link between different events and the world hence it is expected that there will be special meetings where one will meet different people belonging to different cultures a.As a media liason,it is my work to direct which reporter interviews who and at what time.Through communication,this makes my work easier to delegate the staff I have.Control comes in when I am to choose which news is to be aired and at what time.I have to be in control of what will be presented as it has to be done in a fair way. I also have to be in control of the quality of news to be broadcasted and the angle the news is going to take in terms of attracting viewers. Control takes the better part of me when delegating duties to staff hence I am required to have communication skills that will promote reliable action in obtaining and delivering news. References Berry, J.W. (1990): Psychology of acculturation. In: Berman, J.J. (Ed.): Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Bruneau, T. (2002). Intercultural communication competence: A critique. Human Communication: A Journal of the Pacific and Asian Communication Association. 5, (1), 1-14. Canary, D. J., Cody, M. J., & Manusov, V. L. (2003). Interpersonal communication: A goals-based approach. (3rd Ed.). Boston: Bedford/St.Martin’s. Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (2006). Intercultural Awareness. In L. Samovar & R. Porter (Eds.), Intercultural communication a reader (11th Ed., pp. 357-366). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Deardorff, D. K. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of studies in international education, 10 (3), 241-266. Greenholtz, J. F. (2005). Does intercultural sensitivity cross cultures? Validity issues in porting instruments across languages and cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 73-89. Hammer, M. R., Bennett, M. J., Wiseman, R. L. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The Intercultural Development Inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Development, 27, 421-443. Johnson, J. P., Lenartowicz, T., & Apud, S. (2006). Cross-cultural competence in international business: Toward a definition and a model. Journal of International Business Studies, 525-543. Matveev, A. V., & Nelson, P. E. (2004). Cross cultural competence and multicultural team performance – Perceptions of American and Russian Managers. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 253-270. Spitzberg, B. H., & Changnon, G. (2009). Conceptualizing intercultural competence. The Sage handbook of intercultural competence, 2-52. Tubbs, S. L., Moss, S., & Papastefanou, N. (2008). Human communication: principles and contexts. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Wiseman, R. L. (2002). Intercultural communication competence. In W. B. Gudykunst & B. Mody (Eds.), Handbook of international and intercultural communication (2nd Ed., pp. 207-224). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Read More