Me, as a Communicator

This week I evaluated myself as a communicator.  I took three assessments.  One assessed my perspective of public speaking, the other evaluated my listening skills, and the final one measured how aggressive I am when I communicate with others.  I chose to compare my results to what my teenage daughter and one of my close girlfriend's thought about how I communicate with them.

My daughter thinks I'm a very direct and effective communicator.  She thinks I listens for the purpose of solving problems.  Which is understandable from parent's perspective.  She's not around me when I have to engage in meetings or public speaking, but based on family engagements, she is able to share her insight on how well I interact and speak out with them.  On rare occasions, she has witnessed an aggressive conversation of me arguing my point, especially in heated debates about politics, education, and religious beliefs.  

My friend felt like I am passive.  I listen more than I talk.  I only answer questions I'm asked.  She feels like she has called me over the years to vent and I didn't seem to be annoyed by it.  She doesn't think I get frustrated when people call me for my advice but choose not to take it.  She's only seen me on a few times in a public speaking setting.  I didn't appear to be nervous to her.  She thought I did well with explaining the requirements to new hires.  She commented that I've always been able to just talk to anyone, whereas she prefers to communicate with people she know and is comfortable with.  

Listening to others share how they perceive and accept me was very interesting.  I know I can come across strong, especially if I am adamant about my point of view.  I also know that I take others, feelings, into consideration before I respond or react.  I'm shocked that she felt like I was passive.  I think I am very vocal.  Professionally, I take other factors into consideration when working with young children and their families.  I definitely have to create solutions, once I voice my concerns or problems that I see regarding their child.  One of my duties is to educate the families I encounter.  I enjoy helping other achieve their goals and having effective communication skills are important in order for me to do so.