Personal Communication Plan-Section 1

Personal Communication Plan—Section 1
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Remember, in each section you will add another portion of the template to your plan.
Welcome to your Personal Communication Plan!

We’ve designed this plan to help you explore your inclusive communication approach,
where your strengths are, and where you want to focus your efforts. Consider this part
of the course as time and space to reflect on how the content applies to your own life.
Using guided questions and discussion insights from the community, you will develop
and refine your plan and work toward developing your ability to communicate effectively
and inclusively.
Think of this plan as a “work in progress.” Answer the questions as fully as you
can you will have additional opportunities to review and refine each section. The
plan is designed to grow with you both during and after the course.
Note: You will not be required to share this plan at the end of the course. There will be
opportunities to voluntarily share parts of it on the discussion board.
Instructions:
• Go to File and Save As. Save this document to your own files.
• Read the introduction and answer the following questions.
Let’s get started!

Section 1: Communicating Effectively With Empowerment
SELF-REFLECTION EFFECTIVE AND EMPOWERED COMMUNICATION
Let’s start by taking a look at your communication skills. The essentials of effective and
empowered communication are described below. Rate each according to how often you
engage in the behavior. What are your strengths? What are your areas of growth?
Table 1. Understanding Your Audience, Including Cultural Differences

Empowering communication behavior
Usually
Sometimes
Rarely
When communicating with someone who is different from me, I pay attention to cultural
differences that can affect our interaction (e.g., differences in language, time zones,
expression of emotion).
I make a determined effort to understand the experiences and needs of the people I am
communicating with.
I try to find the best form of communication with others (e.g., email, social media, group
conversation, one-on-one dialogue), considering the pros and cons of each form, as
well as the goals of the interaction.
Totals
Table 2. Paying Attention to Non-Verbal Communication

Usually
Sometimes
Rarely
I am attentive to my non-verbal communication (e.g., facial expressions, body
language), not just my words.
I create space for others to participate in a conversation, and I am not afraid of silence.
When interacting with others in person, I face them directly and make eye contact as
culturally appropriate.
Totals
Table 3. Engaging in Learning and Self-Reflection

Usually
Sometimes
Rarely
In difficult conversations, I seek to understand before being understood.
I invite and encourage feedback to learn about how my way of communicating affects
others.
In social media interactions, I pause before I press send.
Totals
Table 4. Allowing Others to Feel Included, Heard, and Valued

Usually
Sometimes
Rarely
When confronted with different opinions, I accept that being understood does not
require being agreed with.
I listen to others with an open mind to ensure they feel heard and appreciated.
When someone comes to me with a problem, I encourage them to find a solution that
works best for their situation (and I resist telling them what to do).
Totals
Identifying Your Areas of Growth

In which of the above empowering communication behaviors did you most often
score “Rarely”?
__ Understanding your audience, including cultural differences
__ Paying attention to non-verbal communication
__ Engaging in learning and self-reflection
__ Allowing others to feel included, heard, and valued
Identifying Your Areas of Strength
In which of the above empowering communication behaviors did you most often
score “Usually”?
__ Understanding your audience, including cultural differences
__ Paying attention to non-verbal communication
__ Engaging in learning and self-reflection
__ Allowing others to feel included, heard, and valued
Congratulations! These are your Areas of Growth and Areas of Strength.
EMPOWERMENT IN EVERYDAY LIFE: STARTING YOUR COMMUNICATION PLAN

Select two areas that you most want to work on.
• What will effective communication look like to you in these areas?
Where are you successful? Where are you falling short?
• What is another area of growth or strength not captured in the self-

reflection exercise that you would like to work on to enhance your communication
skills?
• Why did you choose these areas of growth?
• How does this form of communication help people in an area your

life (family, friends, community, or workplace) feel empowered? Can you improve
upon that?
[Next section, paste the Section 2 Personal Communication Plan template here.]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

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Reviewed/updated: November 28, 2016

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Personal Communication Plan—Section 1

Save this template now to your own files!

Welcome to your Personal Communication Plan!

Let’s get started!

Table 1. Understanding Your Audience, Including Cultural Differences

Table 2. Paying Attention to Non-Verbal Communication

Table 3. Engaging in Learning and Self-Reflection

In social media interactions, I pause before I press send.

Table 4. Allowing Others to Feel Included, Heard, and Valued

Identifying Your Areas of Growth

Congratulations! These are your Areas of Growth and Areas of Strength.

EMPOWERMENT IN EVERYDAY LIFE: STARTING YOUR COMMUNICATION PLAN

• What is another area of growth or strength not captured in the self-

• Why did you choose these areas of growth?

• How does this form of communication help people in an area your

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Reviewed/updated: November 28, 2016

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