Watching in Silence

The show that I watched is "Two and a Half Men." This is a show that I usually do not watch. At first, I watch an Episode without the sound. I could pick up a lot of the jokes do to body language or facial expressions. However, I also got confused at times because what was happening and the nonverbal signs seemed to be in conflict with each other. When I watched the show with the sound I found that I missed some of the jokes since they were in the verbal communication rather than the facial expressions. However, for most of the show, I was able to follow the storyline without a problem by just watching the context and reading the nonverbal signs.
The assignment showed me that we can learn as much from nonverbal communication as we can from the verbal conversations. However, I found that when I watched with the sound, I could anticipate some of the verbal jokes because I was more attuned to the body language and facial expressions. It made me more aware of how important it is to watch nonverbal signs as well as the verbal signs.

Communications between cultural groups

I definitely communicate differently amongst different groups and cultures. For example, I come from a culture in which swearing is not a big deal. Most people in Germany swear on a regular basis it is even condoned on TV or the radio. However, when I came to the US, I found that it is looked down upon to swear and people usually do not swear in public. I adjusted my form of communication changed. When I talk with others in the US, I do not use swear words. Yet, when I talk with my family or friends, I find using certain swear words without thinking about it.
I also adjust my talk depending on whether I talk with a coworker, someone who is superior or families. Every time I meet someone new, I try to judge how they would like to be treated to make sure I do not offend them and shut down communication. I find myself closely observing other and letting them talk before I respond. I am very careful with how I phrase opinions to make sure I take their needs into consideration.
It can be difficult at times to adjust how you communicate with different groups because you may not know much about their culture. It is important for us to keep in mind that different culture may have different tradition when they communicate with others. We have to adjust to the situation to keep communication going.

Communicating and Collaborating

The person I choose for this assignment is my former boss. She is a great communicator because she listens carefully to you and is an active listener. Before answering any question or addressing any concern, she repeats carefully what she believes you said to ensure she understood you correctly. Then, she takes a short pause to think over her answer. Whenever she does answer, she words her thoughts carefully to make sure misunderstandings are kept to a minimum. Yet, she is firm when she talks to you and she always gets her point across without being disrespectful. I would adapt many of her communication skills to guarantee that I become an eTh qually skilled communicator. One of the most important skills she taught me was to become an active listener. I always rephrase what others say to ensure that I understood them correctly or I ask for clarification.