Read Chapter 3 Intro and
Section 3.1: Self-understanding is fundamental to communication, in Saylor Academy (Ed.) 2012. Business Communication for Success. (See page(s) 77 - 89 in PDF version.). (Don't worry about any of the exercises in the text at this stage!)
The central concept in these readings is that knowing your audience involves understanding other people's perspectives, in order to assess how they may understand your messages and frames of reference. By paying attention to contexts, and genuinely trying to understand the worldviews of other people, we can often find common ground to communicate more effectively. However, we need to know ourselves first to productively explore ways to know others.
Knowing ourselves involves critical reflection on the values, beliefs, and attitudes that shape our self-concepts, and how self-fulfilling prophecies can influence our decisions. Knowing ourselves provides the foundation for authentic communication, which is a theme in many perspectives presented in this course.
