Effective communication is definitely vital in our daily lives as we interact with people every day. Usually when it comes to communication, people will think that it's about us being able to speak well, and be heard. But we also have to acknowledge the fact that we have to be good listeners to have effective communication.
This is probably the area in which I need to improve on - being a good listener. There are many instances in which I didn't understand what my friends were saying, and it will end up being a joke among the group. Well, I don't mind the fun among friends, but when in the working world, consequences of not being a good listener could be serious! So, this is one major reason why I need to pick up professional communication before I graduate. (:
Of course, I need to be a good communicator as well. We have to express ourselves differently when we are a leader and when we are not. I lead a small group of youths in my church. There are times we have fun but there are times when I want to tell them something serious, but I wasn't taking seriously. This annoys me quite a bit, and I know I need to be equipped with the right skills of communication to be a good leader, be it in school, church or workplace in future.
All in all, being a better communicator is what I aim to achieve by the end of this course, and I know we definitely will!
Hey seewan! Ya i concur that it is difficult to be a little stern to people you already have a good personall relationship with. I never couldn't find the best way, or tone. I have a friend who just seems so natural at it. He has a way of being super fun at times, and when he need, he will be able to exert the authority and people would know he means what he says. See ya soon!
ReplyDeleteHello seewann, I see that you are very keen to improve on your communications! That's good!! Give yourself a pat on your shoulders! Way to go! Yes, I do find myself lagged behind among friends' conversations. So I can understand how it feels to be laughed at. I'm sure we will apply the skills we learnt in this course and apply them more often so that we can speak effectively in a group.
ReplyDeleteOh man.. you mentioned another cold hard truth!! It feels pretty bad not be heard from friends or colleagues. Imagine you have some fantastic idea that you want to share, but because you don't know how to speak up to or couldn't find the right time to speak, you are literally lost in the sea of noises. Right? I find it quite irritating. But come to think about it.. It's also our weakness that prevented us from speaking up. So I guess I will be able to speak assertively and confidently after finishing this course! A goal made by me! Deal? =]
I agree with what you said. I understand the feeling of not being taken seriously,especially when you are the leader. This is the time when effective communication comes in. Sometimes we tend to choose the wrong word when we are dealing with some serious matter. Therefore, people might just misunderstood us. Therefore, we need to be firm when it comes to such times. Besides using the right word, it also depends on how we say it out.
ReplyDeleteyes! Especially when we need to be take seriously, all the signals we are sending should be firm and clear. Both verbal and nonverbal signals plays a big part! (: I think I sometimes try not to sound too stern when I say something serious, which is sending conflicting messages to the receiver, and hence, resulting in not being taken seriously. I need to learn from my mistakes. (:
ReplyDeleteHi! Can empathize with you on the leadership bit. I used to teach at a kid's gym, and it was quite difficult for me to control my charges. Despite trying to take a firm tone and scolding them, the kids rarely listened to me. A possible way to circumvent this is to offer rewards instead of trying to maintain a harsh tone (carrot instead of stick). Not sure if its applicable to your situation, but all the best!
ReplyDeletehello See Wan!
ReplyDeleteI could empathize with you on that last bit, as teaching rowdy kids are often like that. There needs to be a balance with building rapport with them yet you have to be strict otherwise they won't listen to you. I agree it's a really really hard job. =)
Perhaps this could be something we would learn how to control, apart from communicating professionally in the working world, and I look forward to learning it with you too!