JQ 1: Self-Assessment of Communication Competence (20 pts.

Purpose

This assignment is designed to assist you with reflecting on the material from Chapter 1 in the
text and from our discussions in class and examining how it applies to your own communication.

Directions:

1. Read the following information as well as the relevant information from Ch. 1 of our textbook
about Communication Competence.
2. Complete the activities on the next page. (2 parts)

Note: JQ's should be typed and written with correct grammar, spelling, sentence structure and so
on. Use a standard 12 pt. font, 1" margins and double space your work. The typical completed
JQ is 1 1/2 - 2 pages long.

Grading Criteria

This assignment is graded based on

 how thoroughly and accurately you follow directions
 how well you convey evidence of giving these activities considered thought prior to
writing your response
 how well you convey your understanding of the material used for the assignment, and
how well you thoughtfully assess your own communication competence in comparison to
the attached information.

Be sure to contact me with any questions you may have about this assignment.

Read the following information before responding to the activities at the bottom of the next page.

Competence": "possession and demonstration of required skill, knowledge, qualification, or

capacity"

Communication Competence from Looking Out/ Looking In (by Adler and Proctor)
"...competent communication involves achieving one's goals in a manner that, in most cases,
maintains or enhances the relationship in which it occurs. Put another way, competence seeks
to be both effective and appropriate." (Italics in original text)
A Competent Communicator demonstrates the following characteristics when interacting with
others:

1. Understand that there is no ideal way to communicate

a. Competence is situational.
b. Competence is relational
c. Competence can be learned.
2. Competent communicators (CCs)
a. choose their actions from a wide range of communication behaviors.
b. choose the most appropriate behavior. "Simply possessing a large range of
communication skills is no guarantee of success. It is also necessary to know which
of these skills work best in a particular situation." (p. 27)
c. are skilled at using a wide range of appropriate communication behaviors.
d. use cognitive complexity: ability to look at a situation or issue from a variety of
perspectives
e. use empathy: the ability to feel and experience another person's situation almost as
the other person does. "This ability is so important that some researchers have
labeled empathy the most important aspect of communication competence". (p. 30)
f. ability to self-monitor one's communication behavior: the ability to reflect on, adapt,
alter, and/ or modify one's own behavior during and/ or after a communication
exchange.
g. make a commitment to the quality of communication and to the relationship: care
about the other person, the message, and the process.
h. are motivated to continuously improve and expand their communication
competence
i. have genuine interest in and open-mindedness regarding ambiguity and
unfamiliarity: unfamiliar people, cultures, perspectives, situations

With this specific information in mind, respond to the following:

1. Think of someone that you think is an example of a competent communicator. Identify the
person and describe what the person does that conveys communication competence as described
on this handout, in the text and discussed in class. (The person does not need to be someone you
know personally.)

2. Using the information on this handout and the information in the text, assess your own
communication competence. Identify your communication strengths and the areas you would
like to improve.