The theory of effective communication, in my opinion, is something that is easy to grasp but difficult to achieve. Before I took on this course, my father, being a businessman, had repeatedly told me how important it is to master the art of effective communication in this world. I do agree with him because as I grew older and took on more responsibilities, I began to understand that one doesn’t live alone. In order for one to be an effective and successful person, one has to be an effective communicator.
For example, I took on the challenging role of being the Freshmen Orientation Projects Assistant Chairperson (FOPAC) in the Science Faculty executive committee last year. My role was to assist my boss in overseeing the 5 Freshmen Orientation Projects such as Science Camp etc. and to be in charge of NUS and Science Open House and matriculation fair. From my personal experience, I had a number of conflicts with my boss due to misunderstanding during our communication through our favourite communication channels: emails and handphones. I admit that I was afraid of face-to-face talking, or even calling, because I did not want to handle any consequences or negative reactions from her. Using of ineffective communication channels resulted in her messages not been passed down to me clearly and this had an impact on me when my planning of NUS open house did not meet her expectations.
From this experience, I realized that good communication among individuals is needed for any projects to run smoothly and attain high standards. I hope that I can hone my communication skills from this course and be able to apply these skills in my future endeavours so as to become a more effective person. All in all, I hope to reap more than what I sow.
UCS1001 S21 Tri1 2024-25
3 weeks ago
Hello Sarah. I do agree with you that concepts on effective communication are easier said than done. I tried reading up on self-motivation books that help in effective communication, however the effects were minimal. I also agree on the point that perhaps, upon embarking into adulthood, one has to shoulder and carry out more responsibilities in life. Personally, I do understand how you felt when you had conflicts with your superior due to my personal experience. However, besides more face-to-face communication opportunities, perhaps you can try to find out or ask for your superior’s expectations. I understand that probably due to academic dedications, you and your superior might not have many chances to meet up face to face. Even though the events are over, this is indeed a good lesson learnt and a great experience to share with the rest of the class. I believe that you will get to blossom into the effective communicator that you aim to be.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Ivan
Your post makes me realise that ES2007S is just a checkpoint in attaining effective communication skills. It takes time and pratice to reinforce the knowledge. We can all learn from you by leading active CCA lives, so as to be in the thick of action and translate what we have learnt in the module into practical use!
ReplyDeleteHope you follow your father's footsteps and become a successful business woman. =P
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI too have the fear of communicating with people, especially those that we are not familiar with.
With the Assistant Chairman post, i am sure you are constantly facing these issues. Do you feel more comfortable communicating with people after your project?
Cheers,
Chee Siang
This is a clear, concise and fluent post, Sarah. You relate a fairly basic but instructive story: bad work relationship shows the value of effective skills.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're clear-headed about it and have confidence in your ability to build on past experience.
I look forward to hearing more from you this term!
p.s. Is the picture from Tioman?
Cheers>>>
Hi Sarah. I guess we take away something from each experience, good or bad. In this case, i suppose you came away with a better understanding of effective communication and that would be the silver lining in the cloud.
ReplyDeleteHowever, i believe that poor communication is a result of both parties. Maybe it would've been better if the chairperson had taken a more proactive role to engage you in more meetings and spelling out her intentions/expectations more clearly to you also? Thats my take after reading through your post.
cheers,
aldrich
Ivan/XiangMing/Aldrich: Thanks for your comments! =)
ReplyDeleteBrad: This picture was taken in Bali!
Chee Siang: After my project, I would not dare say I feel more comforatable with talking to people since then but I realise my shortcomings and have tried to improve on them. I guess we need setbacks in life to grow!
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI have some friends who were involved in orientation camps and they felt pretty much in the same situation as you did. The worst experience they had was a face-to-face talk that did not resolve the conflicts. The discussion gone in the wrong direction and caused relationships to turn sour.
I feel that communication should be comfortable for both parties. If you are afraid of face-to-face talking with your boss, perhaps speaking on the phone is the best option. You could regularly keep in touch with her and try to bring the plannings to her expectations.
At least you understand your problems in interpersonal communication. Brad is going to help you achieve the skills you need!
-evonne-
Sarah, I understand what you went through with your boss. I also had a misunderstanding with my department head. As we had used emails to communicate, on several instances, the receiver read the information at too late a time, after the event had already passed. This caused a lot of frustration for both of us.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both you and Ivan that communicating effectively is difficult to do. I have read many self-help books and signed up for various workshops about this subject. From what I have learnt, you have to make a conscious effort to apply the theories and practice them regularly, even in your everyday lives.
All the best to you.
-Abigail