Communication Perception

As I began this week, I thought my communication skills would not surprise me. However, I was wrong. While myself, my mom, and a colleague rated my verbal aggressiveness and listening style in the same manner, each of us rated my anxiety about communication differently. I myself scored in the moderate range, while mom scored me in the mild range, and my co-worker scored me in the low range. I believe this could be because the only place my colleague sees me communicate is at work whereas my mom has seen me communicate in various places. It gives me comfort to know that my colleague has faith in my communication ability on a professional level. My mom, who has seen me in professional and personal situations, knows I will communicate and make my point when necessary. Through this exercise, I have learned that, especially based on the perceptions of others, that I may be more comfortable communicating than I give myself credit for at times. It has also made me more aware of areas in which I hope to improve.