Who Am I as a Communicator?

This week I learned that in most situations I am perceived as a moderate to elevated anxious communicator which is the way I also see myself. I am also seen as a people-oriented person who is empathetic and concerned with the emotions of others. I would have to agree with this because this is how I have been my whole life. In the area of verbal aggression I was rated as moderate by a coworker and significant by my husband. I agree with my coworkers response because that is typically how I am.

The rating by my husband is what surprised me the most because I did not know that he perceived me as significantly aggressive most of the time. I would have to blame this partly on the fact that we have been married for 29 years and people just get comfortable with each other as well as let annoyances get the best of us. Plus, children, stress, and no time complicate things and sometimes our spouse gets the brunt of our frustrations.

Two insights that I have gained is that the "Platinum Rule" works better than the "Golden rule" by allowing us to consider others instead of only our needs. The other one is that I need to be more aware of my non-verbal cues as well as my verbal cues. These skills can both have just as much of an impact on my communication both personally and professionally when interacting with family members or community members.