Dyad Assessment and Feedback

Olivia Cozzetto
HSP 303
February 19, 2014

The communication within this dyadic partnership project has become the perfect
practice of interpersonal communication. Kara and I became dyad partners to fulfill a
community need and to expand and develop our interpersonal communication skills. John
Stewart, author of Bridges Not Walls states that interpersonal communication is between two
people who talk and listen in ways that will maximize the presence of personal (37). Through
interactions, emails, group activities and the planning process of this project, I have been able
to identify Karas overall communication skills and techniques within her interpersonal
communication to provide her feedback about her strengths and areas where improvement is
needed.
Before this project, Kara and I didnt know each other beyond classmates. Our first
interpersonal interaction was after we were assigned as dyad partners, which has influenced
our communication pattern and relationship. I feel we did not engage in self-disclosure within
our relationship but kept it at a professional/classmate level. We began our project trying to
build a common, relatable relationship between our personalities while trying to find a project
to fill a community need. This group project is different than other class projects because of the
interpersonal communication factor. Through this project, Kara and I as partners were trying to
practice professional, efficient and respectable interpersonal communication skills.
Kara has a very peaceful, warm and even-tempered demeanor. Overall Karas
communication skills match her character. Shes able to carry on a meaningful conversation, in
which shes able to provide an authentic view and opinion. Her verbal communication was
effective. She communicated her thoughts respectively through listening and considering my

ideas and suggestions. Through verbal communication, Kara was able to justify her actions and
thoughts. An example of this was when Kara and I were working on separate computers, Kara
used open and descriptive communication to inform me of her dedication to the project by
keeping me updated about the work she was doing. Through her open communication, I felt
connected to the work she was doing and able to focus on other aspects of the project.
Kara had efficient nonverbal skills which she used to express and share her feelings and
thoughts. Her nonverbal skills included eye contact, tone and voice as well as distance and
space. I felt comfortable around Kara and through the use of nonverbal communication such as
posture, space and eye contact I think Kara did as well. When working together, we sat at a
close proximity to each other. We didnt act awkward when sitting or being close. One aspect
that Kara might not notice about her nonverbal communication is her tendency to lack eye
contact during interactions. Eye contact which is a primary nonverbal cue is important to rely
and monitor feedback, and to keep the conversation going from speaker to listener (Stewart,
150). I noticed while interacting with Kara, she gives little eye contact during conversations. This
makes me question if she is listening and on the same page. The amount of eye contact is one
aspect in Karas nonverbal communication that she could improve.
Karas listening skills were valuable in our dyad communication. Through her listening
skills, I felt like I was able to express myself while communicating. She displayed mindful
listening as a listener in our dyadic partnership. Her mindful listening was portrayed when I was
communicating with her, she would give me her attention as well as concentrate on words that

I was saying, when she would communicate efficiently back to respond to what I was saying
earlier. Her use of paraphrasing created clear communicating between Kara and I.
Because of the nature of our project and our lack of planning, I felt sometimes there was
a disconnect between Kara and I. I felt we werent always on the same page for the project,
which is understandable because we changed our project ideas many times. I felt I was leading
the project in one direction and wasnt sure if Kara was onboard with it. I often would ask if she
was okay with where the project was heading or ask for her opinion. She responded in
agreement and rarely took the opportunity to add input. One area of improvement within
Karas communication is to be more direct and honest when communicating. Because of Karas
lack of straightforwardness, I felt I didnt know her true feelings about the project. Kara was
more direct through text message than in person. Kara texted me that she thought a booklet
was a better idea than a pamphlet, which was a critical aspect of our project. We had spent
class time discussing this idea, but she wasnt able to be direct and share her option in person.
Direct communication can help send a clear and concise message, leading to open
communication. Kara needs to be more direct and assertive when communicating her feelings
and ideas.
Through the journey of working on this project, we had little conflict. Kara and I had
very little conflict because of our use of effective communication to handle potential conflict.
Karas skills to handle conflict consisted of keeping a judgment free attitude and keeping hurtful
messages out of her speech. A situation that could have led to conflict was when I misread an
email from the director of YWCA and we missed an important meeting. The whole situation was

my fault, yet Kara understood the complexity of the situation and did not initiate conflict. She
did not act passive aggressive or blame me for missing the meeting. Kara handled potential
conflicts with understanding and forgiveness.
One situation that stood out to me was during an important conversation between Kara
and myself. This situation shows how Kara handles conflict and how she could improve her skills
to handling conflict. We were outside standing up, discussing our idea of the format and look of
our project. I noticed that there was an abnormally large space between us as we stood. The
conversation didnt escalate to a conflict but it was a sensitive conversation where we were
both trying to sharing our ideas and figure out what the project should look like. Kara stood
with arms crossed at a far distance from me. I mirrored Karas stance. Karas nonverbal
communication was tense and closed off. Being aware of nonverbal communication such as
distance and body language could improve Karas conflict management skills.
Kara was very dependable as a partner. She communicated through email and text in a
timely manner and always showed up on time for meetings and plans. Even though she voiced
her concern of having a busy schedule and worrying about having time for meetings, she was
able to keep every planned meeting we scheduled. Kara would let me know if she was running
late or going to be late when we met up. Kara was consistence with her contributions to the
project. For example,
This quarter as dyad partners we had some high points and some lower points
throughout the process of working and completing a project to meet a community need. A high
point was at the beginning stage of the project, when we were trying to come up with a project.

We were interacting actively and in a creative way to come up with ideas for our project, which
for me is a fun process. Another highpoint and defining moment for me was interacting with
the ladies living at the YWCA. We went a movie night at the YWCA and before the movie
started we spent some time talking and getting to know the ladies. This moment helped me
clearly define why a book of empowerment is needed in Bellingham. They had remarkable
stories that showed self- reliance and courage. We have another activity planned on Friday at
the YWCA to attend.
One low point in our journey for this project is the feeling that things arent being done
in a timely manner. I felt we waited too long to decide on a project and for that reason I am
feeling pressured to finish the project on time.
Overall, this project has made me think more critically about group projects and become
more aware of my own interpersonal communication in the process of identifying Karas overall
communication. I am thankful for my partner, Kara and for her hard work and ability to keep a
level and calm head.