Communication is key

I thought this week's lesson was very helpful in the sense that it made us realize how valuable communication is when working with others. However, verbal communication isn't the only form as we saw this week. Each person interprets things in their own ways and therefore things can often be misunderstood - simply put, emotions can easily be an issue when communication isn't used properly. 

I don't really understand what the top 5 methods for communicating are but I guess mine would be:
1. Verbal
2. Emotional
3. Using other objects
4. Using electronics
5. Using symbols and metaphors 

I would recommend that when trying to communicate with others, make things as clear as possible - have them repeat it back to you in a different way to make sure you are on the same page. Don't be afraid to ask or have others ask questions. 

It is definitely possible that my form of communication doesn't necessarily line up with others. For example, my dad has a hard time communicating his emotions to me. Instead of telling me that he's frustrated about something going on in his day, he would often just get mad at me for little things that weren't my fault. Although it took me a while to understand this, I realized that rather than vocally telling me that he was having a rough time, his actions said it all - after spending so much time with him, I knew when something was wrong. Although this can be frustrating to not have verbal communication, it has taught me that there are other ways to read people.