Semester after semester; the email (ah, a medium of communication) introducing ES2007S never failed to capture my attention, prompting me to check my already-packed schedule... Finally, at the last semester of my term here at NUS, I was able to bid and take ES2007S.
Communication happens everyday in every form imaginable, where information is delivered and received. Be it spoken, written or even through body language; ideas, information and knowledge is disseminated, derived and (hopefully) clearly understood and agreed upon between two or more persons. As such, it is often taken for granted. Afterall, it is the basis of human nature to communicate isn't it?
It is by this precise point why the key word EFFECTIVE comes into the picture. Anyone and everyone can communicate (albeit in their own ways). However, whether the ideas, views and information can be accurately disseminated across to the target audience (and vice versa) requires a whole new level of communication skills altogether. Simple misinterpretation is not only is a waste of effort; it can lead to undesirable effects such as confusion amongst those involved, and even cause chaos in the event that one's subordinates carried out instructions wrongly. Communication involves more factors than meets the eye... one person can be an active listener (message receiver) and message sender at the same time!
As it is the final 4+ months before I leave the comforts of the education system and go into the workforce, I believe that effective communication will be a useful tool to obtain. It is important for me to be able to communicate my views clearly across to my collegues, receive information from them accurately, and will obviously come handy when I need to persuade my supervisors/mentors about anything. It is through good communication (in both ways: sending and receiving) will there be improved workplace effectiveness.
Of course, the most immediate hurdle will be my Final Year Project presentation. My previous presentation to my supervisors seemed to have proven the fact that I need more practice before I present again. I believe I may have confused them with all the numbers and results with the lack of clarity. Let's see how far ES2007S can take us...I really need to find out what my personal style of communication is!
Hi Jacinth! :)
ReplyDeleteYour entry has definitely shed some light to another aspect of communications, especially that regarding the dizzying numbers and results. Numerical figures and graphs are not just confined to Engineering and Science, but often also applied in many other disciplines. I so agree with you that to explain them well and effectively could be a challenge. The skills in our communication classes might inspire us with new insights for our future presentations!
Hi blogging buddy!
ReplyDeleteIt is impressive how you managed to seperate effective communication into two entities, 'effective' and 'communication'. It is true that it is the basis of human nature to communicate. As for being effective, the methods and styles of communicating can differ from one form to the other.
An interesting point of view is that sometimes, speaking 'Singlish' to an old singaporean uncle is more effective than using profound English!
It is good to have a personal style of communication, but we have to keep in mind that we have to adapt and change our style in different types of situations as well when the need arises. =)
Caifang: Yes, I agree that results and figures etc do not confine themselves to Science and Engineering. I think, in the workforce, it is very essential to capture your audience in the first 5 minutes (or less) before you lose their interest... Maybe there is a way that we can present such complexed and technical stuff efficiently and effectively?
ReplyDeleteBuddy: Singlish is a very interesting topic to discuss about. I think it all depends on the context no? Then we can decide on what forms of communication we choose to peruse (eg singlish to an old singaporean uncle). Yes, adaptation is an essential keypoint! Thanks for the add on!
Hello there!
ReplyDeleteI like how you emphasize the "effective" in the communication. It's important to communicate, but it's even more important to be able to deliver our messages accurately such that the listener understands what we are trying to say. Effective communication is indeed going to be crucial if we all want an enjoyable work experience with our colleagues in the future, since this is going to help us avoid unwanted confusion and misunderstandings.
Nevertheless, I hope you get to learn something useful in this module to help you have an edge on your FYP!
-yini
Actually Jacinth, you've already got some of the problems figured out. Presneting numbers and graphs can be tedious to both the presenter and the audience. To keep their interest it's best not to overload them with nitty-gritty , but rather, stick to the bare essentials ans always relate everything back to the key purpose of your presentation so that the figures contribute towards the big picture and not stand in isolation. That's very important to do all along the way.
ReplyDelete