Communication Competence Methods

Based on the scores from the "Communication Competence Scoring Grid," what are your strengths and weaknesses ? For each of the five competence areas, describe examples of when you have performed competently and incompetently. How does your communication competence affect your ability to negotiate ?

Communication Competence Scoring Grid

Generally speaking, communication competence can be defined as the ability to enact both appropriate and effective messages in any communication setting. Appropriate communication conforms to be expectations and rules of a situation, while effective communication allows parties in an interaction to achieve their goals. Communication competence, then, is a broad construct that refers to the ability to accurately assess situations and other people and respond to them in ways that allow you to get what you want while still complying with social rules and expectations.

• Transfer your rankings from your questionnaire to the corresponding items listed in the boxes below.
• Add up the numbers in each box and write the sum on the total line.

5 Always true of me
4 Often true of me
3 sometimes true of me
2 Rarely true of me
1 Never true of me

Planning Cognitions
Anticipating, rehearsing, and monitoring topics of conversation; anticipate the audience, plan in advance what you are going to say, etc.
Questionnaire Items
3 1. Before a conversation, I think about what people might be talking about.
3 8. When I first enter a new situation, I try to size up the event.
5 12. Before a conversation, I think about what I am going to say.
5 18. Generally, I am aware of people's interest.
___ 1.
___ 8. __16_ Total Score (out of a possible 20).
Reflection Cognitions
Reflecting on you communication performance to improve your self-presentation; what you said, your past performance, what you could have said, etc.

Questionnaire Items
5 2. When I first enter a new situation, I watch who is talking to whom.
4 6. After a conversation, I am aware of when it is time to change the topic.
3 9. Before a conversation, I mentally practice what I am going to say.
5 13. Generally, I study people.

17 Total Score (out of a possible 20).
Presence Cognitions
Being aware of how the other person is reacting to a conversation; knowing when to recognize others' negative reations or resistance, changing the subject, etc.

Questionnaire Items
5 3. During a conversation, I am aware of when a topic is going nowhere.
5 7. During a conversation, I am aware of when it is time to change the topic.
4 15. When I first enter a new situation, I think about what I am going to talk about.
5 17. During a conversation, I pay attention to how others are reacting to what I am saying.
5 22. During a conversation, I know if I have said something rude or inappropriate.

24 Total Score (out of a possible 20).
Consequence Cognitions
Being aware of the consequences of your communication performance; thinking about how others might interpret what you said, understanding the effects of your communication on others, etc.

Questionnaire Items
3 4. After a conversation, I think about what the other person thought of me.
5 10. After a conversation, I think about what I said.
4 16. Generally, I think about how what I say may affect others.
4 20. After a conversation, I think about what I have said in order to improve for the next conversation.

16 Total Score (out of a possible 20).
Modeling Cognitions
Being aware of contextual variables that give information about how to interact with other people; sizing up the environment, paying attention to how other people react and respond, etc.

Questionnaire Items
4 5. Generally, I think about how others might interpret what I say.
5 11. Generally, I think about the consequences of what I say.
5 14. After a conversation, I think about what I could have said.
4 21. Generally, I think about the effects of my communication.

18 Total Score (out of a possible 20).

Adapted by Roy J. Lewicki from R.L. Duran and B.H. Spitzberg, "Toward the Development and Validation of a Measure of Cognitive Communication Competence," Communication Quarterly 43, (1995), pp. 259-75.