Communication Breakdown Essay



Communication Breakdown Essay

Objective: Consider a time of misunderstanding you experienced and analyze it in terms of what caused the communication breakdown and how it could have been prevented.

Paragraph 1 will include a brief story-example of a time where the message wasn’t effective. Examples may be arguing with someone or misunderstanding directions.

Paragraph 2 will include your analysis of where in the communication model the breakdown occurred. Was it in the way you encoded the message? What it caused by some kind of interference? Explain using chapter 2 terms from the communication model.

Paragraph 3 will explain how this breakdown in communication could have been prevented.

|  |Exceeds |Secure |Developing |Beginning |

|Skill 1: Understanding|Demonstrates insight or |Shows thorough understanding of |Correctly uses most applicable |Uses some applicable communication|

|of Cx Theory |extension of understanding of|communication principle. |communication vocabulary. |vocabulary. Application is |

| |communication principles. |Correctly uses all communication |Application connects to scenario or|inaccurate or needs stronger |

| | |vocabulary. Accurate application |purpose. |connection to scenario or purpose.|

| | |to scenerio/purpose. | | |

|Skill 7: |Impressive display of |Effectively controls intentional |Works to control intentional and |Intentional and unintentional |

|Professionalism |professionalism through |and unintentional communication |unintentional communication through|communication distracts. Multiple|

|(Written / Visual) |written, visual, or |through professional presentation|attempts at professional |or major errors in formatting, |

| |verbally-delivered work |of written, visual, or |presentation. Minor errors in |spelling, mechanics distract. |

| | |verbally-delivered work. Content |mechanics, spelling, or format are |Content is clear. |

| | |is appropriate for audience and |present. Thoughts are fluid. | |

| | |purpose. |Content is mostly appropriate for | |

| | | |audience and purpose. | |

Communication Breakdown Essay

Objective: Consider a time of misunderstanding you experienced and analyze it in terms of what caused the communication breakdown and how it could have been prevented.

Paragraph 1 will include a brief story-example of a time where the message wasn’t effective. Examples may be arguing with someone or misunderstanding directions.

Paragraph 2 will include your analysis of where in the communication model the breakdown occurred. Was it in the way you encoded the message? What it caused by some kind of interference? Explain using chapter 2 terms from the communication model.

Paragraph 3 will explain how this breakdown in communication could have been prevented.

|  |Exceeds |Secure |Developing |Beginning |

|Skill 1: Understanding|Demonstrates insight or |Shows thorough understanding of |Correctly uses most applicable |Uses some applicable communication|

|of Cx Theory |extension of understanding of|communication principle. |communication vocabulary. |vocabulary. Application is |

| |communication principles. |Correctly uses all communication |Application connects to scenario or|inaccurate or needs stronger |

| | |vocabulary. Accurate application |purpose. |connection to scenario or purpose.|

| | |to scenerio/purpose. | | |

|Skill 7: |Impressive display of |Effectively controls intentional |Works to control intentional and |Intentional and unintentional |

|Professionalism |professionalism through |and unintentional communication |unintentional communication through|communication distracts. Multiple|

|(Written / Visual) |written, visual, or |through professional presentation|attempts at professional |or major errors in formatting, |

| |verbally-delivered work |of written, visual, or |presentation. Minor errors in |spelling, mechanics distract. |

| | |verbally-delivered work. Content |mechanics, spelling, or format are |Content is clear. |

| | |is appropriate for audience and |present. Thoughts are fluid. | |

| | |purpose. |Content is mostly appropriate for | |

| | | |audience and purpose. | |

Angela Youngers

Mrs. Youngers

Speech I

November 3, 2015

Communication Breakdown Equals Embarrassment for All

Swimming has always been one of my favorite summertime activities, but along with the enjoyable memories comes one of my most embarrassing. As a child, I would spend my summers in Niagara Falls, New York where my dad and step-mom lived. They had an aboveground pool in their fenced-in lot. I spent most of my days in the pool because I loved it and I wasn’t allowed to sit in the house and watch television unless it was raining. There was one important rule that my step-mom enforced: do not come inside if dripping wet. This was usually an acceptable rule, but one day when I was about nine years old, I had the sudden urge to use the restroom and I had forgotten a towel. I quickly rushed up the ladder and out of the pool, planting myself directly in front of the front door, which was next to the open kitchen window where my step-mom sat, talking on the phone. As a child, I didn’t listen to the specifics of her phone call; I do recall it was related to one of her many elusive businesses and she seemed to be upset with the person on the other side. All I was focused on was yelling for her to get me a towel. I remained outside, whining and enacting the “potty dance,” until the inevitable happened: I peed my swimsuit. Too little too late, my step-mom came to the door with a towel. I walked in defeated and cowering, as she stopped me in the kitchen and asked what was wrong with me. Just then, my super cool twenty-something step-brother who at the time had long hair and listened to heavy metal walked in to grab a drink from the refrigerator. I froze before telling Shellie I had peed my suit; I didn’t want Louie to know. Instead, I said quietly, “I don’t want him to hear.” Shellie lost it. She’s always been sensitive about her son and my family’s acceptance of him. She immediately hollered for my dad and accosted him immediately asking, “Do you know what your daughter just told me?” He, being the intimidating father-figure, demanded an answer, so I started bawling and rushed through my explanation. “I didn’t have a towel, and I tried to ask for a towel, but Shellie didn’t hear me. So I peed my suit, but I didn’t want Louie to know.” A heavy pause hung in the kitchen as all adults stared at me, then burst into laughter. They were amused at Shellie’s misunderstanding of my wording, but I was forever scarred by this entire encounter. I was further distraught when I found out there was a toilet in the basement that I could have used while dripping wet.

There were quite a few breakdowns in the communication model that affected this outcome. To begin with, there was my lack of knowledge about the basement bathroom. That lack of knowledge was interference in terms of my understanding the message about where I could use the bathroom. This could have been furthered by my temporary residence and limited knowledge of the house. An external interference kept Shellie, the receiver, from hearing my message about needing a towel while she was on the phone. She was focused on the conversation, and perhaps my voice didn’t carry up to the window well enough. In terms of the misunderstanding of the words “hear” and “here,” Shellie let internal interference distort my answer, her residual anger from her heated conversation causing her to jump to negative conclusions. Her sensitivity towards her son also propelled her that way. However, my voice may have been too quiet to completely understand when encoding the message, so that would also be external interference, which caused the breakdown to occur in the feedback that Shellie returned to me in the form of anger.

There are many ways this breakdown could have been prevented. I could have prepared previously by knowing about the basement toilet and bringing out a towel. These would have been prior messages that my parents could have aided me with before I went swimming, but they probably just wanted me out of their hair. I will make sure to always explain the amenities and requirements before a summer activity. Another prevention could have been in how I used my voice. I could have spoken louder, moved directly under the kitchen window to get my message through, spoken more clearly both in terms of word choice and paralanguage when I said I didn’t want Louie to hear my embarrassing tale. The biggest prevention lies on Shellie’s shoulders. She could have taken more time to decode, not allowed her emotions to take over, and asked for clarification before rushing to the conclusion that I was a brat who needed discipline from my father. I couldn’t have done anything about that, but it certainly provides character evidence for why I am not speaking to my step-mother and father currently. Unfortunately, this was an influential experience that made me less secure around my dad and step-mom. With careful communication on all parts, this could have been avoided. I often think of this example when I consider my interactions with students and my future children. In that sense, I guess there was a slight positive outcome. At least I still love to swim, but I ALWAYS remember a towel.

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