Imagine an entire day without any form of communication with anyone. Alright fine, I cannot even bring myself to imagine that situation occurring for half a day!
Communication is part and parcel of everyone's daily life. An eye contact, a nod of acknowledgement, a smile, a frown, a simple greeting and the list goes on. These are all forms of communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Different communication channels have also become so integrated into our lives that, at many times, i feel uncomfortable and insecure without them. SMS (short message service), electronic mail, online messaging, telephone and face-to-face interaction are some of the communication channels that I cannot live without. Take my mobile phone away from me for a day and I will feel so cut-off from the world. Remove the Internet connection in my house and I will feel lost the entire time I am home.
In fact, we were enrolled into the 'communication course' since the day we were born. We started off with our first cry, then picking up the ability to listen and understand simple words and gestures and followed by learning to speak through imitating and repeating. Subsequently, we were being taught the skills of reading and writing. Yet, the issue is not about how much we learn to communicate, but about whether we learn to communicate effectively or not.
Communication is part and parcel of everyone's daily life. An eye contact, a nod of acknowledgement, a smile, a frown, a simple greeting and the list goes on. These are all forms of communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Different communication channels have also become so integrated into our lives that, at many times, i feel uncomfortable and insecure without them. SMS (short message service), electronic mail, online messaging, telephone and face-to-face interaction are some of the communication channels that I cannot live without. Take my mobile phone away from me for a day and I will feel so cut-off from the world. Remove the Internet connection in my house and I will feel lost the entire time I am home.
In fact, we were enrolled into the 'communication course' since the day we were born. We started off with our first cry, then picking up the ability to listen and understand simple words and gestures and followed by learning to speak through imitating and repeating. Subsequently, we were being taught the skills of reading and writing. Yet, the issue is not about how much we learn to communicate, but about whether we learn to communicate effectively or not.
If equipped with effective communication skills, strong family ties may be forged. Common issues such as generation gap may be bridged by successfully overcoming barriers like language differences between the grandmother and the granddaughter (use of dialect and English respectively). At the same time, our communication networks of friends, schoolmates and teachers may aid us in our growth as an individual, our schoolwork, as well as in our future endeavors. In one year's time as I graduate and enter the workforce, written skills such as resume writing can serve to leave a positive first impression, hence increasing the chances of attaining the job.
Quoting from Anthony Robbins, "To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others". Notice the mention of two parties in the quote. Effective communication takes the effort of both parties. In order for the message to be brought across from the speaker to the receiver without misinterpretation, the speaker would have to use the right words in the right tone, while the receiver would have to play an active listening role. Hence, in effective communication, it is not just about talking and not listening. Active listening is an essential component which many of us overlook, including me.
Without active listening, miscommunications may arise between family or friends, causing strains in relationships; instructions passed down by the laboratory teaching assistant may be missed out or misinterpreted, resulting in laboratory accidents; jobs allocated by the boss could be done in an undesired manner, leading to a possible demotion, etc. In short, active listening affects every phase and aspect of our lives. This hence explains the importance of effective communication as well.
That's all for my post #1! I hope I have managed to communicate effectively in one way or another. Do feel free to comment or clarify if I have failed to convey the message clearly. (:
Laters!
*jiahwa
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4 comments:
Hi Jiahwa, i think you have brought up an interesting point that we have been learning to communicate ever since we are born. Through trial and error, we learnt to manipulate sounds to get what we want when we were babies. A simple "blahh" might mean that we want our toys and crying might indicate that we are hungry. In time, all this practice turns into more fluid conversations. But now, as adults, effective communication takes on a higher meaning. Not only that we will have to speak well, we will also have to learn to write and listen just as good. If we are not adequately skilled in these aspects, as you also mentioned, we might cause misunderstandings to happen and result in serious consequences.
Cheers,
Chong Guan
Hey Jiahwa,I think you are right to say that we are enrolled into the communication course throughout our life journey.A baby crying tells the parents that the he is uncomfortable it can be due to hunger,time to change diapers,etc.When we go to school,we learn to communicate with friends and teachers.Therefore,gradually building up our communication skills.Besides being able to communicate in terms of words,we must also be equipped with writing and listening skills too.This is to avoid any misunderstandings.Hey,I like your blogpost.Keep it up!You did a great job!
You mentioned about how crippled it can be to not having the internet or your mobile phone with you and I can relate to that. To a great extent, these 2 platforms have become significant communication channels for me.
It is interesting to note how communication platforms and channels have evolved in our generation. Back in secondary school, we used public phones to call up our friends' houses when they are late. We relay CCA information by having a communication chain where each person after receiving the information calls up another person's house.
The wide use of SMS and emails now facilitates much ease in communication. However, it doesn't mean it is more effective. Miscommunication and generation gap in families are still present and this shows that communication is more than just about technological advancements.
With so much noise, spam and information overloading, it makes active listening so much more valuable.
To answer your question, I think you have definitely communicated across to us your thoughts on the topic. In fact as Chong Guan and Gary have commented, you brought out a good point about "being enrolled into the 'communication course' since the day we were born". Interesting!
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