Communicate More Effectively
Understand Communication Elements: The You in Communication
- Learn to understand your own role in the communication process.
- Learn to recognize how personal identity informs your communication approach.
“One’s own self is well hidden from one’s own self; of all mines of treasure, one’s own is the last to be dug up.” —Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
When you are interacting with someone, you are the lead character. That is to say, you can control your own behaviors, the messages you send, and your own reactions to others. The more you understand yourself in a communication exchange, the better you will be able to reach your objective. Recognizing your personality style, habits of thinking, emotions, what gets you stressed as well as understanding how these contribute to how others see you helps you shape the outcome of your communication. Simply put, the better you know yourself and how you interact with others the better able you will be to control your side of how successfully you engage with everyone around you—faculty, colleagues, family and friends.
Self-test
I have control over_____________ in the communication process.
- A. how the other person views me
- B. what and how I communicate
- C. what the other person hears me say
- D. what the other person thinks of what I say
In the CareerWISE Academic Resilience Coach, we view you as the most important component in the communication process. In any given communication interaction, you are the one in control of how you plan your message [see Planning The Message], how you hear what the other person is saying [see Active Listening], how you express yourself [see Expressing Yourself] and how you receive and respond to feedback [see Receiving and Responding to Feedback]. The materials we have created are written to empower you and help you communicate most effectively.
While you can and should take into consideration the perspectives of others and how they might react to you, you only have control over yourself and your own behaviors in these interactions—how you prepare for and approach the communication interaction, what you communicate, and how you react.
The characteristics and experiences that make you unique are complex and overlapping and are often referred to as dimensions of personal identity (Arredondo & Glauner, 1992).
The model illustrated below has been proposed to capture the dimensions of personal identity. “A” dimensions are less malleable and are often ascribed to you through birth or through family, culture, and upbringing. Your personal experiences and your interests—including your work and school interests— comprise the “B” Dimensions. The historical era or your place in time ultimately shapes the “C” Dimensions of your identity. This can include how you think about the world and how you interact with and integrate new trends or technologies into the way you move through your environment.
Generally, elements of all the dimensions contribute to who you are. You, as a STEM woman, have an intersection of identities (Crenshaw, 1991): you are a woman, a student, and a researcher. Perhaps you also have some key identities that pertain to your racial identity, your cultural identity, your role as a partner or caretaker or some other salient identity such as a particular religious or sexual orientation. It is the unique combination of your identity characteristics that work together in a way that makes your experience as a woman in STEM different from other women’s and men’s experiences.
Your identities can also be understood using the ADDRESSING acronym. This model, developed by Pamela Hays (2008), describes salient identities and details about who is considered to be a part of the dominant group in that identity category. The table below provides more information on the ADDRESSING model, and how identities may impact communication.
| Identity | Definition | Communication influences in graduate school |
|---|---|---|
| Age and generational influences | Different age cohorts have different experiences based on the social and historical context in which they grew up. Young adults and middle-aged adults are considered the dominant group, while children and older adults are considered the non-dominant or marginalized group. | If you are a graduate student in STEM, you likely exist in a different age cohort than your advisor or other faculty members. Therefore, you may have been raised to communicate differently than your advisor. See the Academic Generations module for more information. |
| Developmental or other disability | Disability refers to physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments; individuals with disabilities may be excluded from full participation in society due to institutional barriers and inaccessibility. | Some disabilities impact one’s speech and language capabilities. Other disabilities might affect how one processes information, thereby affecting communication. Communication may also be impacted by the social and cultural implications of having a disability. For example, when an able-bodied faculty member communicates with a doctoral student with a disability, false assumptions and a lack of understanding may color interactions. The graduate school environment may also create communication barriers for individuals with disabilities. Individuals with hearing or sight impairments or speech disabilities may require assistive technology that may not be accessible (APA, 2011). |
| Religion and spiritual orientation | Religion refers to a system of faith or worship, typically to a higher power or powers. Spirituality is a broader term that encapsulates a focus on the human spirit, or a sense of connection to a higher power. Individuals who are spiritual may not necessarily adhere to organized religion. In the US, Christians and secular individuals make up the dominant group, whereas individuals who practice Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions are part of the minority group. | For many, religion and spirituality are a lens through which the world is interpreted. When individuals have preconceived notions or hold stereotypes about a particular religion and their beliefs, miscommunications can occur. |
| Ethnic and racial identity | Race is the socially constructed categorization of people based on shared physical traits, such as skin tone. Ethnicity is the characterization of people based on shared culture, history, and ancestry. This culture may include language, food, music, etc. | Ethnocultural socialization, or how someone has been socialized into a particular culture, can impact communication. Languages used, the importance of verbal or nonverbal cues, the meaning of science, etc., are all impacted by ethnic identities (APA, 2019). See the module on Challenges Faced by Women of Color for more. |
| Socioeconomic status | SES is the financial and social standing of a person based on factors such as education, occupation, and income. Upper and middle class individuals are considered the dominant group, while people of lower SES are considered the marginalized group. | Individuals with lower socioeconomic status often come from under-resourced communities. They may have had less educational opportunities or resources, which could impact the way they learned to communicate with others. |
| Sexual orientation | Sexual orientation refers to one’s identity based on the gender(s) they are attracted to. Heterosexuals are considered the dominant group, while members of the LGBTQ community are in the marginalized group. | When a straight faculty member interacts with an LGBTQ student, biases and the power differential may impact communication. |
| Indigenous heritage | Indigenous groups in the US include American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people. | Similarly to the ethnic and racial identity section above, the culture in which someone is raised has a profound impact on the way they communicate with others. |
| National origin | National origin includes the place where a person was born/grew up, as well as the cultural and linguistic characteristics of that nation. In the United States, U.S.-born Americans are considered the dominant group, while immigrants, refugees, and international students are considered the minority group. | When individuals with different national origins are communicating, particularly when they have different first languages, communication challenges may arise. Even if both parties are speaking English, certain facets of their language of origin may get lost in translation, and miscommunications and misunderstandings could ensue. Issues of bias and respect may complicate communication. |
| Gender identity | An individual’s gender identity is one’s personal sense of being a particular gender. | See the Challenges Faced by Sexual and Gender minorities module for more details. |
As you review the ADDRESSING model, think of how each dimension and the variables within each dimension inform your own approach to communication. Learning how your Personality and Preferences and your personal identity influence the way you communicate is an important element in successful communication interactions.
In any given interaction, you play the most essential role in planning the message that you wish to deliver and expressing yourself effectively. You are the communicator in the interaction, and because you are the “star performer” in any dialogue you initiate, you do have some control of the situation, regardless of how difficult the subject matter is or with whom you are discussing it. You may feel shy, intimidated, or even helpless sometimes but it’s pertinent to remember that you do indeed have a source of power and leverage.
American Psychological Association. (2012). Guidelines for assessment of and intervention with persons with disabilities. American Psychologist, 67(1), 43-62. American Psychological Association. (2012). https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025892
American Psychological Association. (2019). Race and ethnicity guidelines in psychology: Promoting responsiveness and equity. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/guidelines-race-ethnicity.pdf
Arredondo, P., & Glauner, T. (1992). Personal dimensions of identity model. Boston, MA: Empowerment Workshops. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000094222005
Crenshaw , K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039
Hays, P. A. (2008). Addressing cultural complexities in practice: Assessment, diagnosis, and therapy (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/11650-000
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An Arizona State University project, supported by the National Science Foundation under grants 0634519, 0910384 and 1761278
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. © 2021 CareerWISE. All rights reserved. Privacy | Legal
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