Problem: Communication Improvement Plan
Communication improvement plans are your opportunity to intentionally develop your communication skills. Using the types of issues or concepts that we have discussed in chapters 1-9 or communication process through conflict in the book.
I. Identify the Problem - Some problems are long, involved, and complex. Narrow the description down to the essential communication behaviors. Describe the main dimensions or features you think impact your communication. What is essential to the understanding of the problem (for you and for the reader)?
II. Describe the Specific Goal - You might ultimately have several goals for dealing with this problem, but you can only work on one at a time. Choose the most important goal, or the FIRST in a series of goals to describe in this section.
III. Outline a Specific Procedure of Reaching the Goal - Think very carefully about the various parts or components of the problem and figure out the steps needed to be accomplished in order to tackle this problem. Please highlight the course concepts that you are featuring in some way: underline them, put them in bold font, or something that is easily identifiable. If you use direct quotes, cite the references in your paper!
i. Make sure the problems are defined in the simplest of terms.
ii. Make sure the problem solution does not rely on the coordination of other people. In other words, this is your problem and your solution. Communication is a shared interaction, but you are in control of your own actions and should not require others to make changes to complete the plan.
iii. Make sure the solution to the problem can be accomplished in the time frame of a term or before the end of this course.
iv. MAKE SURE THE PROBLEMS ARE COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS and not other types of problems such as not having enough money or failing a test.
IV. Devise a Method of Determining WHEN the Goal has been Reached - How will you know if your communication changes have been successful or not? Will it be a change in yourself? A reaction from other people? What behavioral outcomes are you looking for? How will you know when you have achieved those outcomes?