WHO AM I AS A COMMUNICATOR?

This portrait is called, "The Confident Woman". My desire is to be as confident as the woman in the this portrait.
As I reflect on myself as a Communicator, I see a woman who is a strong communicator. Although, I tend to get very anxious before speaking in public, the adrenaline really kicks in when I speak. I have been told that I have a really unique way of delivering messages. I am very much a people person and I enjoy talking with others while having a good time in the process.

My husband was one of the people I asked to evaluate me as a communicator. His evaluation was very similar to mine in many areas which of course is no surprise to me. However, on the Communications Anxiety Inventory, his perception of me is that I do not experience any anxiety when asked to speak in public. My mentor was the other person I asked to evaluate me as a communicator. Her perception of me as a communicator is that I experience mild anxiety. After giving that perception some thought, she was correct because I share those thoughts with her as my mentor because of the context of our relationship whereas I tend to shut down communication with my husband.

I gained insight about my listening style as a communicator being that I tend to show empathy towards those I communicate with which could possibly cloud my judgment in some ways. This is an area that I feel I need to work on the most. I feel that empathy is necessary in most areas of communication when used in the appropriate context. However, we must be careful not to allow it to cloud our judgment especially when tough decisions need to be made as educators and administrators.