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
“I don’t know how to say no when my brother asks to borrow money.” It is critical that you will have interaction with this person or these people identified in 1E over the next 8 weeks.

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