Selecting a Communication Goal

Selecting a Communication Goal

Introduction: Communication Change Challenge (CCC) Part 1 The Course Project is about improving your interpersonal communication skills. For this project, you will select a relevant interpersonal communication behavior to work on, attempt to change your behavior or pattern in the communication area you selected; and evaluate your progress and performance. Click on the following link for project examples:

Click on the following link for project examples:

Link: Project Examples

Problem	Outcome
A 20-something woman recognizes that she appears to frown and/or has a negative facial expression when communicating interpersonally. Others often misread her as a result.	She set the goal of using a positive facial expression when communicating interpersonally. She was more successful at work and received significantly more attention in her personal life as well. She made many new friends and broke off a long-term, unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend as a result of the increased attention.
A 40-something woman with a successful career recognizes that she does not accept criticism well. Generally, she jumped to the defense and never heard, nor considered, the merit of the feedback.	She set the goal of changing her response to receiving criticism. She found that she was able to learn from constructive feedback and was recognized in her review for the positive change in her behavior.
A 30-something man recognizes that he is taken advantage of by his co-workers because he does not know how to say no. He often does the work of several employees and is sometimes even mocked by the co-workers who know that he has this deficit.	He set the goal to clearly evaluate requests from co-workers and say “yes” to those that are appropriate and to say “no” to those that are unreasonable. The co-workers were surprised at first and continued to challenge him for a time, but ultimately he won their respect and improved the working relationships significantly.

 

In Part 1 of the project you will select a communication goal or challenge that is related to interpersonal communication. You will work on this challenge for the duration of the session, so take some time to consider what is worthy of the time.

Note: Later in this course, you will be implementing new communication behaviors to rectify your communication challenge. It is critical that you interact with the person or people identified in Part 1E over the next 8 weeks.

Project Timeline The following is a breakdown of what will be covered in each part of the project:

Part	Description	Due
1	Selecting a communication goal	Week 1
2	Describing communication patterns	Week 2 & 3
3	Establishing behavioral goals: What will it look like when I am doing it well?	Week 3
4	Analyzing the goal	Week 4
5	Covert Rehearsal: Practicing in your imagination	Week 5
6	Behavioral Rehearsal: Practicing your new behavior	Week 5
7	Actual Implementation: Performing your behavior in real-life situations	Week 7
8	Evaluating your progress	Week 8

Instructions Take some time to think about challenges you have communicating with other people. These difficulties may involve strangers and acquaintances, friends, family members, or people at school or work. You may identify situations that involve specific individuals or general circumstances. Some examples include having trouble starting a conversation with someone you have never met, saying “no” when your sister asks to borrow money, or avoiding participation in meetings even when you have a question or contribution to the discussion.

Complete the steps in the following framework to identify a goal. Using the template for this week, detail each of the steps to explain how you chose this one communication problem area you intend to change.

1A. “I Can’t” List  What are your “I can’t” communication behaviors? Address verbal, nonverbal, listening, group communication aspects, and cultural differences. Click on and read the sample responses for this section first:

Link: Sample List

Link: Sample Description

Then, write and submit the following for this part:

· Make a list of 4-8 challenges relating to your interpersonal communication that you feel require attention because you “can’t” seem to do these well.

· Describe each “I can’t” behavior in detail. Provide examples to illustrate why you included each behavior in this list.

· Write a 1-2 paragraph description/example for each behavior.

1B. “I Won’t” List What are your “I won’t” communication behaviors? Now read your list of “I can’t” communication behaviors aloud and consider each one carefully. Go back and read each behavior aloud again, but this time, substitute the word “won’t” for “can’t.” (“I won’t ask my friends for favors when I need their help.”)

Be honest with yourself – were there behaviors on your list for which the word “won’t” seemed more accurate than the word “can’t?” Probably so, because there are very few communication behaviors that people are physically unable to do. “Won’t” suggests that an element of choice is involved.

Write and submit the following for this part:

· A list of any statements that you revised to say, “I won’t”

· Explanation for each why it is more accurate than the original “I can’t” statement

· A narrative describing why you feel each statement belong there instead of the original

Eliminate any “I won’t” statements from consideration for this project.

1C. “Don’t Know” List Now go back to your remaining “I can’t” communication behaviors and try substituting, “I don’t know how to” for the words “I can’t.” Instead of saying, “I can’t keep my staff focused on the discussion at hand during meetings,” try saying “I don’t know how to keep my staff focused on the discussion at hand during meetings.”

It is important that you do not take the phrase “I don’t know how to” too literally. You may find that you do know how to do some of the things on your list, but you don’t know how to change from your existing poor habit to an improved communication behavior.

Link: Sample Response

Make a list of any statements you revised to say, “I don’t know how to,” and describe for each why this is more accurate than the original “I can’t” statement. If there are any issues that you still feel belong on your “I can’t” list, include a narrative to describe why.

The “I don’t know how to” items on your list are the ones to consider for this project. These are the ones you can expect to change by taking this course. Select one of these problem areas to work on for the remainder of the course and for the purpose of this report. Describe your process for eliminating additional “I don’t know how to” items to narrow your list to the one issue that you finally selected for the project.

Write and submit the following for this part:

· Your list of issues that more accurately fit the “I don’t know how to” category

· A narrative describing why you feel they belong there instead

· Describe why you left certain issues in the “I can’t” category.

1D. Issue Selection Write and submit the following for this part:

· A narrative describing how you eliminated those that remained in the “I don’t know how to” category to decide on the one issue you selected for your project

1E. Project Statement Write and submit the following for this part:

· A clear project statement of the communication behavior you will address with this project and the person or people with whom you will be communicating for this project

Link: Sample Project Statement

Writing Requirements (APA format)

· Length: 2-2.5 pages (not including title page or references page)

· 1-inch margins

· Double spaced

· 12-point Times New Roman font

· Title page

· References page

 

Week 2 Course Project: Part 2 – Describing Communication Patterns

· Link (Word doc): Week 2 CCC Part 2 Template  (Use this template to complete the assignment.)

Introduction: Communication Change Challenge (CCC) In Part 2 of the CCC, your goal is to take an in-depth look at the challenge you selected in Part 1E, which you will work to improve later in the course. It is not time to make any behavior changes yet.

Before you try to repair the problem identified in Part1E, you first need to understand it. Keeping a conversation log for 5-7 days of instances when the communication behavior is most apparent, and reviewing your log for patterns, will lay the foundation for identifying how you will rectify the communication behavior later in the project.

Note: Communication Change Challenge Part 2 is due this week and again next week along with Part 3. This part requires you to observe and analyze your communication patterns and observe the communication behaviors of others for Weeks 2 and 3. It is important that you get started now in order to ensure that you will have sufficient time to observe these patterns and behaviors as they occur. Record daily conversations during these two weeks. You will turn in your work for Part 2 each week. You will have 8 days this week, from Sunday to Sunday, to record your conversations.

Be sure to include specific detailed evidence from your observations that support your identification of a particular pattern for each section. Respond in narrative format for all Behavior Log Review and Evaluation sections.

Project Timeline

Part	Description	Due
1	Selecting a communication goal	Week 1
2	Describing communication patterns	Week 2 & 3
3	Establishing behavioral goals: What will it look like when I am doing it well?	Week 3
4	Analyzing the goal	Week 4
5	Covert Rehearsal: Practicing in your imagination	Week 5
6	Behavioral Rehearsal: Practicing your new behavior	Week 5
7	Actual Implementation: Performing your behavior in real-life situations	Week 7
8	Evaluating your progress	Week 8

2A. Behavior Log Listing List your interpersonal communication goal from Part 1E.

Keep a dated conversation log of specific instances when you exhibited this behavior. Keep this log throughout Weeks 2 and 3.

Think about who, what, where, when, why, and how questions. Record the following:

· To whom you spoke

· What you talked about

· Where you spoke

· When you spoke – the time of the day

· Why you had this conversation

· The circumstances

· How you spoke

Think about your feelings and your nonverbal communication. Did you listen well? Were you delighted, hurried, rude, polite, angry, frustrated, and so forth? Record other important or interesting conversations as well, even if they do not relate to your goal. You need at least 5 entries this week, but you may have many more.

Be sure to include an entry each day from the time you begin monitoring your communication behavior (conversations with others) until the time you conclude 2A. If you do not face your challenge on a particular day, say so. If you face other challenges, perhaps related challenges, on any of these days, include that as well. If you cannot document a conversation about your challenge that day, record another interesting or important conversation. You should have at least one daily entry for your conversation log, and you may have multiple conversations on the same day.

2B. Behavior Log Review and Evaluation – Most Effective Review your log and document patterns of your most effective communication skills. Answer the following questions:

· At what time and under what circumstances did I perform this behavior mosteffectively?

· In what places?

· With whom?

· Under what conditions?

2C. Behavior Log Review and Evaluation – Least Effective Review your log and document patterns of your most effective communication skills your least effective communication skills. Answer the following questions:

· At what time and under what circumstances did I perform this behavior least effectively?

· In what places?

· With whom?

· Under what conditions?

2D. Behavior Log Review and Evaluation – Recurring Communication Review your log and document patterns of your other recurring communication behaviors. Answer the following question:

· What other recurring communication behaviors did I exhibit when I did or did not perform this behavior?

2E. Behavior Log Review and Evaluation – Most Pressing Behavior Review your log and document patterns of your most pressing behavioral pattern. Answer the following questions:

· Is your greatest communication problem the same one you listed in your goal for CCC Part 1 E at the top of your page?

· Do you need to modify your goal for this project? If so, state your new goal by revisiting Part 1E in Week 1.

Remember, you should identify these patterns from the log you have recorded over the entire week. When you make a statement about an observed pattern, be sure to document it with specific data/examples from your log. You may find at the end of logging your communication behavior that your challenge is not what you first thought it was. As a result, it is possible that you may ultimately modify CCC Part 1E at this point in the project.

Writing Requirements (APA format)

· Length: 2-3 pages (not including title page or references page)

· 1-inch margins

· Double spaced

· 12-point Times New Roman font

· Title page

· References page (as needed)

Week 3 Course Project: Parts 2 & 3 – Establishing Behavioral Goals

Required Resources Read/review the following resources for this activity:

· Link (Word doc): Week 3 CCC Parts 2 & 3 Template  (Use this template to complete the assignment.)

Introduction: Communication Change Challenge (CCC) Parts 2 and 3 This week, you were to continue your observation log (Part 2) from Week 2 Course Project. In Part 3, you are to observe the communication behavior of others who share your challenge and others who perform better in similar situations. Part 3 will help you to identify positive changes related to your challenge that you might make to your communication behavior. This will also help ensure that you don’t fall into the trap of adopting alternative communication behaviors that do not improve your communication outcomes. For this assignment, make sure to observe and write about an individualand a group. You can choose which conversations will be for the positive models and negative models (e.g., positive – group and negative – individual OR positive – individual and negative – group).

Reminder: You are still observing; you should not be making changes to your communication behaviors yet.

Project Timeline

Part	Description	Due
1	Selecting a communication goal	Week 1
2	Describing communication patterns	Week 2 & 3
3	Establishing behavioral goals: What will it look like when I am doing it well?	Week 3
4	Analyzing the goal	Week 4
5	Covert Rehearsal: Practicing in your imagination	Week 5
6	Behavioral Rehearsal: Practicing your new behavior	Week 5
7	Actual Implementation: Performing your behavior in real-life situations	Week 7
8	Evaluating your progress	Week 8

3A. Positive Models Find positive models. Choose a person or several people who perform your interpersonal communication skill well. Observe and record specific aspects of their verbal and nonverbal behaviors and listening skills as they relate to your chosen issue.

· What do they say?

· How do they say it?

· How did listening help you to understand the positive model?

· What behaviors would be useful to incorporate into your own repertoire?

Provide 4 conversation model examples of effective application of this communication skill by others, i.e., positive modeling. Examples should be specific and based on your observations of others. Label each example: 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, and 3A4, and so forth if you have more.

3B. Negative Models  Find negative models. Identify people who perform verbal, nonverbal, and listening skills ineffectively. Watching these can be very useful, too.

· What makes them ineffective verbally?

· What makes them ineffective nonverbally?

· How did listening make this a negative model?

· What behavior do these people exhibit that you would like to avoid?

Provide 4 conversation model examples of ineffective application of this communication skill by others, i.e., negative modeling. Again, your examples should be specific and based on your observations of others. Label each example: 3B1, 3B2, 3B3, and 3B4, and so forth if you have more.

Reminder: Go back to Week 2 Part 2. Provide the new daily conversations, and submit Part 2 for this week as well.

Writing Requirements (APA format)

· Length: 4-5 pages (not including title page or references page)

· 1-inch margins

· Double spaced

· 12-point Times New Roman font

· Title page

· References page

Week 4 Course Project: Part 4 – Goal Analysis

· Link (Word doc): Week 4 CCC Part 4 Template  (Use this template to complete the assignment.)

Introduction: Communication Change Challenge (CCC) Part 4 In Part 4, you are setting a goal for this project based on the outcome that you want to achieve. Knowing what you want the end result of this project to look like will help you to identify and implement the behaviors necessary to achieve that goal. Second, you are identifying a set of communication behaviors (in 4E) that will lead you to your goal. Be specific and very detailed. What will you do or say that is different?

Reminder: It is not time to implement new behaviors yet. This week you are setting a goal and identifying the new communication behaviors that will help you to achieve that goal.

Project Timeline

Part	Description	Due
1	Selecting a communication goal	Week 1
2	Describing communication patterns	Week 2 & 3
3	Establishing behavioral goals: What will it look like when I am doing it well?	Week 3
4	Analyzing the goal	Week 4
5	Covert Rehearsal: Practicing in your imagination	Week 5
6	Behavioral Rehearsal: Practicing your new behavior	Week 5
7	Actual Implementation: Performing your behavior in real-life situations	Week 7
8	Evaluating your progress	Week 8

Instructions The interpersonal communication skill you selected earlier in this project is not yet stated in specific behavioral terms. For example, “I want to overcome shyness and meet new people,” gives you little direction. Some questions you might ask yourself for that behavior goal include the following:

· What new people?

· Where will I meet them?

· When will I meet them?

· How many do I want to meet?

· How often?

· What will I say when I meet them?

· What do I typically do in these situations that I want to avoid?

Provide a detailed outline of your movement through these 4 steps: 4A through 4D.

4A. Goal Reflection and Revision Think about your original goal from CCC Part 1E. Review your Week 1 statements: “I can’t” and “I won’t.” Read over your journal analysis of the CCC Part 2, and the positive models you want to emulate from CCC Part 3. Do you think your goal as written in Part 1E needs to be modified or changed? Address and submit the following:

· Your original goal from CCC Part 1E.

· What do you think your updated goal for this project should be now? It may be the same, slightly modified, or totally different from Part 1E.

· Why is your goal the same as CCC Part 1E, or why did it need to be changed?

Link: Example

4B. Behaviors Brainstorm Jot down some communication behaviors that you associate with your goal. To arrive at this list, address and submit the following:

· What must a person be saying and/or doing for me to say that he/she has achieved the goal?

· Given a room full of people, what is the basis on which I will separate them into two classes: those who have achieved the goal and those who have not?

· How will I recognize and measure goal achievement when I see it?

4C. Behavior Description Describe each behavior. Do this in a statement that identifies the manner (or extent) of the behavior that is required to achieve the goal.

Link: Examples

Repeat this statement for each behavior on your list. This step helps you to establish the criteria by which you will measure your success in reaching the goal.

State your goal in specific behavioral terms, considering these example questions again.

· What new people?

· Where will I meet them?

· When will I meet them?

· How many do I want to meet?

· How often?

· What will I say when I meet them?

· What do I typically do in these situations that I want to avoid?

Use the following format:

· 4C1. Behavior 1: In order for me to achieve my goal of …, I will . . .

· 4C2. Behavior 1: In order for me to achieve my goal of …, I will . . .

· 4C3. Behavior 1: In order for me to achieve my goal of …, I will . . .

Do this at least 3 times for each behavior.

4D. Description Revision Now, look at your behaviors again. Consider this: If someone else performed the behaviors you have outlined, would you be willing to say that person has achieved your goal? Can you answer “yes” to this question for each of the behaviors you listed above in Part 4C? If not, modify the descriptions of the behaviors until you can say, “YES.” The answer to Part 4D is YES or NO.

Do this over until you can state YES as the answer for each of the behaviors you have listed in 4C above.

In your description, explain why these behaviors would exemplify the attainment of your goal.

4E. Final Behavior List Conclude with a clearly identified statement of the communication behaviors you intend to implement to achieve your interpersonal communication goal. Be specific.

Revisit these questions to help finalize the list:

· What new people?

· Where will I meet them?

· When will I meet them?

· How many do I want to meet?

· How often?

· What will I say when I meet them?

· What do I typically do in these situations that I want to avoid?

Copy your goal from 4A and then add all your specific behaviors from 4C. Conclude with a clearly identified statement of the communication behaviors you intend to implement to achieve your interpersonal communication goal. Be specific and detailed.

Writing Requirements (APA format)

· Length: 1.5-2 pages (not including title page or references page)

· 1-inch margins

· Double spaced

· 12-point Times New Roman font

· Title page

· References page

Week 5 Course Project: Parts 5 & 6 – Rehearsal

· Link (Word doc): Week 5 CCC Parts 5 & 6 Template  (Use this template to complete the assignment.)

Introduction: Communication Change Challenge (CCC) Part 5 & 6 In Part 5, you will imagine implementing the new behaviors you identified in 4E. In Part 6, you will practice your new behavior by role-playing with a family member or close friend who is not directly involved in your goal. It is still not time to actually implement your new behaviors, as Parts 5 and 6 will help you to iron out the wrinkles.

Note: Submit both CCC Part 5 and CCC Part 6 in one document, but start a new page for CCC Part 6.

Project Timeline

Part	Description	Due
1	Selecting a communication goal	Week 1
2	Describing communication patterns	Week 2 & 3
3	Establishing behavioral goals: What will it look like when I am doing it well?	Week 3
4	Analyzing the goal	Week 4
5	Covert Rehearsal: Practicing in your imagination	Week 5
6	Behavioral Rehearsal: Practicing your new behavior	Week 5
7	Actual Implementation: Performing your behavior in real-life situations	Week 7
8	Evaluating your progress	Week 8

Instructions: Part 5

5A. Covert Rehearsal  Covert Rehearsal is an effective way of trying out new communication behaviors. Think about a time that you were daydreaming, or dreaming at night. You can use your imagination to think about an experience or situation that is not really happening at that time or in that place. You can do the same type of simulation on purpose to think about a time and place that will allow you to practice your new interpersonal communication skill to meet your goal as outlined in your new behaviors listed in CCC Part 4E.

By covertly rehearsing, you make it much more likely that you will be actually performing the behavior comfortably and effectively in real life situations. This surprising effect of covert rehearsal has been shown in numerous studies. What makes covert rehearsal particularly useful is that you can carry it around and do it anywhere – in the shower, cleaning, cooking, and so forth. The more you vary covertly rehearsing a particular episode, the more likely you will be able to perform well in the actual situation. For example, if you are planning to initiate and maintain a conversation with your neighbor, you should think through a number of possible topics and questions before finally choosing what you perceive to be the best options. In other words, think before you speak. Plan what you will say and do in a particular situation where you can practice your goal.

Covert rehearsal can be used both to prepare for an upcoming communication event, and to evaluate and revise an event that has already occurred – as in instant replay. This is done all the time for sports teams. Each player watches the game again and decides how he or she could do it better next time. Both planning ahead before a conversation and reflecting after a conversation will increase the probability that you will perform your new skill effectively the next time you use it.

Note that some people initially find it difficult to imagine specific conversations with others. Keep with it if you have difficulty. You will eventually succeed with practice, and when you do, you will be amazed at the effect. If you are having a hard time talking to people in your mind, speak to yourself out loud or speak to your reflection in the mirror. Think about the following:

· Identify the situation you would like to practice; do you want to plan a new conversation, or replay a past situation but change the outcome?

· Where will you have this conversation – in the kitchen, on the bus, in the cafeteria at lunch, at school in a classroom, in the board room, in your manager’s office, or at a friend’s house?

· Provide a detailed narrative that identifies your selected communication event.

· Write a description of your surroundings – date, time, location, specific room, physical surroundings and so forth, and the people who will participate in this communication event.

· Name the people involved, what you will talk about, where it takes place, when it takes place, how it should occur, and why you need to plan for a better conversation next time.

· How will your physical surroundings affect your rehearsal?

For this section, you are to select a communication event, related to your goal, for which you will prepare covertly. Choose one or more behaviors to work on that are listed in CCC Part 4E. Choose a communication event that you would like to prepare for privately or secretly – covertly. As you imagine yourself practicing your new skill, focus hard on specific interactions. Actually, think about an interpersonal communication exchange – what you say, and how the other person responds. Don’t just go through the motions. Really see yourself asking specific questions, making specific comments, and hearing the other person replying. As you imagine the sequence, practice precisely what you want to say and how you want to say it. Experiment with what feels to be the most effective and comfortable way for you to implement your new behaviors.

Submit a detailed narrative that identifies your selected communication event and include the following:

· Description of your surroundings – date, time, location, specific room, physical surroundings and so forth

· Explanation of how your physical surroundings will affect your rehearsal

· Description of the people who will participate in this communication event

· What you will talk about

· How it should occur

· Why you need to plan for a better conversation next time

5B. Covert Practice In a quiet place, begin thinking about the conversation event from Part 5A, as you would like to see it evolve. When you hit rough spots, try a variety of options until you find a response that pleases you. If you are having trouble with this, pretend you are an author planning to write the dialogue for a reality TV episode, or you are composing lines for characters in a play or movie or book. Use the mirror technique and take turns role-playing both people in the conversation. You can also use puppets, stuffed animals, socks on your hands, or different hats or coats to take the parts of two people having a conversation.

What can you see in the background? The scenery department needs to know how to create the setting for the play, movie, or reality TV show. The illustrator needs to know what to draw or paint for the book you are writing. You need to know exactly what type of situation you are dealing with before you can write the dialogue for the characters.

When you are satisfied with your imagined scene, write it out so you can see how it looks and read it aloud so you can hear how it sounds. If you are writing a one-act play, you can plan and add stage directions.

Enter left: The wife enters the kitchen to angrily scream at the dawdling children who won’t eat their supper.

Then, write her exact words down so your actor will know what to do and say. Identify each speaker and use quotation marks for their exact words.

Wife, using a loud and angry voice: “Aren’t you children finished eating your supper yet?”

Plan and write down your nonverbal and verbal behaviors and responses, including your own behaviors and responses and the reactions of the other person in the communication event.

5C. Reflection Reflect on this experience. Address your observations and reactions to the private covert rehearsal experience. (1-2 paragraphs)

· How did you feel at first as you prepared for your private covert rehearsal?

· How did you feel after you finished it?

· What behaviors or patterns did you use from Part 4E?

· Did you notice any new behaviors or patterns that you have not noted previously?

Instructions: Part 6  In Part 6, you will take your rehearsal a step further by role-playing with someone who is willing to lend you a hand. Practicing implementation of the new behaviors you identified in 4E will give you insight into how another person might react in a real-life situation, preparing you to respond or adapt when necessary.

6A. Shared Behavior Rehearsal  Shared behavior rehearsal is also known as “role-playing.” Rehearsing communication behavior is useful both before and after an event. Practicing before an event allows you to enter a communication situation in your most prepared state. Rehearsing a disappointing situation after it occurs gives you a chance to discover and remedy aspects of your own behavior that were less than satisfactory.

Like covert rehearsal, practicing the new communication behaviors that you identified in CCC Part 4E through role-play increases the likelihood that you will be successful in Part 7 when you actually implement the changes in real-life situations. Again, it may feel silly at first, but if you take the role-playing seriously, you will be amazed at what you will take away from it. Role-play your imagined scene for your conversation event with a friend or family member who is not directly involved in your communication problem. Say your lines as you planned them. Your practice partner may not really say what you thought he or she would say. Then, show him or her the written script, and have him or her read or act out the scenario. You can practice this a few times both with and without the script.

Write a detailed narrative of what happened in the behavior rehearsal.

· What did you do?

· How were your behaviors received?

· How satisfied were you with your performance of the behaviors in your goal from Part 4E?

6B. Reflection on Observations and Reactions Address your observations and reactions to the shared behavior rehearsal experience of role-playing with a friend or family member who is not directly involved in your communication problem. (1-2 paragraphs)

· How did you choose your shared behavior rehearsal partner?

· Does he or she know about the person or situation being focused on for your CCC goal?

· Does he or she normally offer guidance and advice in a trustworthy manner already in your established relationship with this person?

6C. Reflection on Planning Write your observations and reactions to the shared behavior rehearsal experience as far as planning is concerned. (1-2 paragraphs)

· Did your shared behavioral rehearsal go as planned, or was it totally different than you imagined it would be?

· How did you feel at first as you prepared for your shared behavioral rehearsal?

· How did you feel after you finished it? What behaviors or patterns did you use from Part 4E?

· Did you notice any new behaviors or patterns that you have not noted previously?

Writing Requirements (APA format)

· Length: 4-5 pages (not including title page or references page)

· 1-inch margins

· Double spaced

· 12-point Times New Roman font

· Title page

· References page

Week 6 Course Project: Introduction to Part 7 (Due in Week 7)

· Link (Word doc): Week 6-7 CCC Part 7 Template  (Use this template to complete the assignment.)

Introduction: Communication Change Challenge (CCC) Part 7 No part of the Course Project is due this week; however, Part 7 is a 2-week journal assignment in which you will start implementing both your planned and unplanned conversation and keep a detailed dated journal log. You will complete and submit your dated journal summary in Week 7.

Without actually implementing your new skill in real-life situations, this entire project is nothing more than a theoretical exercise. You should be satisfied with nothing less than real change in real situations, which means that you will need to choose and plan specific situations in which you will use your new skill.

For Part 7 of the project, you will do the following:

· Plan a minimum of 3 situations in which you will implement your new communication behavior over a time span of 2 weeks (during Weeks 6 and 7).

· Maintain a dated journal narrative to describe what happened in both planned and unplanned circumstances, including your thoughts on how well you performed the behavior.

Plan particular times, places, and people with whom to try your new behavior. Of course, when an unplanned opportunity arises, you obviously should use it as well. The important thing is for you to get into the pattern of planning your communication behavior.

Almost any behavior can be planned: compliments, questions, agreement statements, or requests. The more frequently you plan communication behavior, the more skilled you will become at managing what you do and at having an impact on the interpersonal communication situations in which you participate.

Review the full instruction for Part 7 (located in Week 7 CCC Project instructions) and begin working on it this week.

Project Timeline

Part	Description	Due
1	Selecting a communication goal	Week 1
2	Describing communication patterns	Week 2 & 3
3	Establishing behavioral goals: What will it look like when I am doing it well?	Week 3
4	Analyzing the goal	Week 4
5	Covert Rehearsal: Practicing in your imagination	Week 5
6	Behavioral Rehearsal: Practicing your new behavior	Week 5
7	Actual Implementation: Performing your behavior in real-life situations	Week 7
8	Evaluating your progress	Week 8

Due Date: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday of Week 7

 

Week 7 Course Project: Part 7 – Actual Implementation

· Link (Word doc): Weeks 6 & 7 CCC Part 7 Template  (Use this template to complete the assignment.)

Introduction: Communication Change Challenge (CCC) Part 7 In Part 7, you will finally try out your new communication behaviors in both planned and unplanned situations.

 

Part 7 requires up to a 2-week window of time to complete because it requires you to implement your new behaviors and to observe, record, and analyze the impact. As a result, this part was assigned during Week 6, so you need to use all conversations from Week 6 and Week 7.

 

For Part 7 of the project, you will do the following:

· Plan a minimum of 3 situations in which you will implement your new communication behavior over a time span of 2 weeks (during Weeks 6 and 7).

· Maintain a dated journal narrative to describe what happened in both planned and unplanned circumstances, including your thoughts on how well you performed the behavior.

Project Timeline

Part	Description	Due
1	Selecting a communication goal	Week 1
2	Describing communication patterns	Week 2 & 3
3	Establishing behavioral goals: What will it look like when I am doing it well?	Week 3
4	Analyzing the goal	Week 4
5	Covert Rehearsal: Practicing in your imagination	Week 5
6	Behavioral Rehearsal: Practicing your new behavior	Week 5
7	Actual Implementation: Performing your behavior in real-life situations	Week 7
8	Evaluating your progress	Week 8

Instructions Include the following items in Part 7 of your report:

7A. Planning Create a list of at least 3 specific planned situations in which you will implement your new behaviors over a time span of 2 weeks, from Week 6 and Week 7. Note: You should also implement your new behaviors in any unplanned situations when you have the opportunity to do so.

· 7A1. 1st planned conversation

· 7A2. 2nd planned conversation

· 7A3. 3rd planned conversation

7B. Evaluation of Planned Conversations Evaluate your performance each time you attempt your new behavior in new planned situations. As you proceed with this phase of the project, be prepared for potential problems.

· You may reach periodic plateaus in which you are not changing as dramatically as you would like.

· You may discover that your goal statement is not accurate and that you were trying to increase the wrong behaviors.

· You may also find that by merely monitoring the frequency of your goal behavior, your problem disappears.

In any case, remain flexible and keep working. If necessary, revise your goal statement, change your target behavior, and promise yourself a reward for reaching some goal. The goal is communication behavior change, and there are many avenues for achieving and maintaining that change.

Write a dated narrative journal evaluation that describes in detail what occurred upon implementation of your new communication behaviors in planned circumstances. Address the 3 or more planned opportunities as you described them in 7A. Be sure to address the following questions in your evaluation for each conversation:

· 7B1. What seemed to work for you?

· 7B2. What did not seem to work?

· 7B3. In what situations were you most successful?

· 7B4. What behaviors would you like to perform again?

· 7B5. What will you do differently the next time?

7C. Evaluation of Unplanned Conversations Evaluate your performance each time you attempt your new behavior in new unplanned situations. Write a dated narrative journal evaluation that describes in detail what occurred upon implementation of your new communication behaviors in unplanned circumstances. Aim to explain 2 or 3 unplanned conversations. Be sure to address the following questions in your evaluation for each conversation:

· 7C1. What seemed to work for you?

· 7C2. What did not seem to work?

· 7C3. In what situations were you most successful?

· 7C4. What behaviors would you like to perform again?

· 7C5. What will you do differently the next time?

Writing Requirements (APA format)

· Length: 2-3 pages (not including title page or references page)

· 1-inch margins

· Double spaced

· 12-point Times New Roman font

· Title page

Week 8 Course Project: Part 8 – Evaluating Your Progress

Required Resources Read/review the following resources for this activity:

· Link (Word doc): Week 8 CCC Part 8 Template  (Use this template to complete the assignment.)

· Minimum of 4 scholarly sources (This can include all course materials and your previous research.)

Introduction: Communication Change Challenge (CCC) Part 8  Part 8 is where you will evaluate the impact of the project as it relates to interpersonal communication and the course objectives (COs). It is important here that you clearly demonstrate your understanding of many of the course concepts through application to your course project.

Instructions Remember that your patterns for communicating interpersonally have been developed over many years. Therefore, you should be neither surprised nor discouraged to find that changing your interpersonal communication behavior takes time. In order for you to take this project to its fullest potential, you may need to continue to modify, implement, and reinforce these new behaviors for far longer than the duration of the project. It is possible, however, to modify the way you communicate, and because the payoff is improvement to our communication and relationship outcomes, changing interpersonal communication is worth the effort. You have now implemented your target behaviors for about two weeks, write a final evaluation addressing the following:

8A. Topic Selection Reflection What was the course material that suggests that this particular communication behavior was an appropriate target for change?

8B. Implementation Analysis: Satisfaction Consider the implementation of your new behaviors in Part 7, and address the following:

· Which of your behaviors particularly please you?

· What was the course material that suggests that this new communication behavior is a positive change?

8C. Implementation Analysis: Dissatisfaction Consider the implementation of your new behaviors in Part 7, and address the following:

· Were there any situations in which you were dissatisfied with your approach to improving your interpersonal communication?

· What was the course material that suggests that this particular communication behavior continues to be less than ideal?

· If you were not dissatisfied with your approach, why do you think this happened?

8D. Implementation Analysis: Additional Changes Consider the implementation of your new behaviors in Part 7, and address the following:

· What changes would you still like to make?

· What was the course material that suggests that this modification would complement or enhance your communication outcomes?

8E. Project Reflection Consider the entire course project, and address the following:

· How have your interpersonal relationships changed as a result of this project?

· What is the course material that suggests that these particular relationship changes are positive or negative?

Note: For each question, be detailed and specific. You need to use several course materials from different chapters, course outcomes, videos, assessments, articles, etc.

Your course project evaluation will be graded for comprehensive content, analysis evaluation, application of the course material, organization, and so forth. Please consider its weight when you place value on its importance to your final course grade.

Writing Requirements (APA format)

· Length: 2-3 pages (not including title page or references page)

· 1-inch margins

· Double spaced

· 12-point Times New Roman font

· Title page

· References page (minimum of 4 scholarly sources)