Description:

First we reviewed several of the video clips posted for this week's homework. There were many great examples, but these demonstrated miscommunication in different ways and I want to share them with you.

Isa – Shrek video Onions

Daniel and Hieu -video of emotions getting in the way of communicationInside out Video

Ryan -Video of dad not speaking in a way that Kelso understood 70's show video

Great job on all the videos submitted!

Starting a Conversation

4 steps for conversation

Think about the other person
Establish a physical presence
Make eye contact
Use language to communicate

Social thinking and perspective taking are critical to communication
Ask someone about themselves then remember the information for future conversations
Think about how the other person might feel about the things you are saying or asking

Who your communication partner is will determine what you will talk about: You talk to your boss differently than how you would talk to your friends or family.

The type of personal content to share
The quantity & content of humor
The topic of conversation

When starting conversations, focus on the other person:

If you ask about them, they may talk for a while. People love to talk about themselves!
Remember to think about the person with whom you want to communicate-perspective taking
Face-to-face communication starts with looking at the other person and considering what they might be thinking
- What do you know about them?
- What does their expression say?

Questions

We will start with looking at two types of questions. Open questions and Closed questions.

Closed Questions

Expected answer is yes or no

- Do you have a dog?
- Is that your sandwich?
- Are you in my class?
Closed questions are okay for gathering information but don’t invite conversation

Open Questions

Typically begin with words such as why, how, what
- What did you think of our quiz last week?
- How do you like the class?
Open-ended questions encourage a full meaningful answer
Help us learn more about a topic or someone else’s opinion
5 W’s: Who, What, When, Where, Why (How is also a good choice)

We separated into groups and came up with open ended questions that we could use to start a conversation when starting a new job. Here is the list we developed:

How did you hear about this job?
Where did you grow up?
Do you enjoy working here?
Do you have any siblings?
Where did you go to high school or college?
What do you like to do?
What is your favorite hobby?
What is your favorite food?
What is your name?
What is your favorite animal?
How are you doing?
What is your favorite music to listen to?
Why do you want to take this class?
What do you hope to do in the future?
What is your team dynamic?
Will I be working with anyone specifically?
Who is in charge?
Any advice on how to make a good first impression?

Purpose:

Asking questions is a great way to gain information and share information with others. You need to know how to ask questions appropriately in conversation while you are at work or meeting new people.

What to gain:

It is important to know the difference between open and closed questions. You have a brief quiz due next week that covers open versus closed questions. (Remember that closed questions can always be answered with a Yes/No response. )

Upcoming activities:

For your homework assignment due 9/24:

Attend office hours with me and ask me at least three questions.
Questions need to be appropriate to ask an instructor/boss (asking about my personal life is not appropriate)
At least two of the questions need to be open ended questions
It might be a good idea to write your questions down before coming to office hours