All of us have started communicating with our friends, families and people we met since infancy. However, the process of communication and sharing information is often not error free. Communication is the lifeline in any relationship. It may talking to my ever-nagging mum or the boss that I am eager to impress in future, communication plays an utmost important part in getting my message across.
Most importantly for me, having effective communication skills prevent misunderstandings; not only with family members but also with people I meet in university or the job market in future. In almost any job available, we spent a large time communicating with our clients and colleagues. Effective communication will come in and prevent any misunderstandings in my messages, which can lead to bad impressions with the boss or bad feelings with my colleagues.
Besides the usual verbal communication, another aspect of effective communication that is important to me would be writing. From filling out the job application form to emailing your colleagues to writing an impressive job report, we all need to deal with some form of writing everyday during work or at home. Brushing up my writing skills allow me to cope my work effective and efficiently.
Also, having effective communication skills would make me more professional in my job. If I wrote an email full of grammatical errors to the client, he may in fact have a bad impression of my abilities or even doubt my abilities in completing the task. Having both effective writing and verbal skills are hence important in portraying a professional image at work.
In this course, I aspire to further develop my communication skills so that I can call them “effective communication skills” proudly.
Most importantly for me, having effective communication skills prevent misunderstandings; not only with family members but also with people I meet in university or the job market in future. In almost any job available, we spent a large time communicating with our clients and colleagues. Effective communication will come in and prevent any misunderstandings in my messages, which can lead to bad impressions with the boss or bad feelings with my colleagues.
Besides the usual verbal communication, another aspect of effective communication that is important to me would be writing. From filling out the job application form to emailing your colleagues to writing an impressive job report, we all need to deal with some form of writing everyday during work or at home. Brushing up my writing skills allow me to cope my work effective and efficiently.
Also, having effective communication skills would make me more professional in my job. If I wrote an email full of grammatical errors to the client, he may in fact have a bad impression of my abilities or even doubt my abilities in completing the task. Having both effective writing and verbal skills are hence important in portraying a professional image at work.
In this course, I aspire to further develop my communication skills so that I can call them “effective communication skills” proudly.
5 comments:
Dear Xin Yu
Personally I also feel that we need to communicate clearly so as to avoid misunderstanding. Speaking with different tone, volume and giving different nonverbal cues will give different meanings. Hence it is indeed important to acquire effective communication skills.
I agree that writing is as important too. Employers first get to know us from our job application. If we do not have the command in writing, the employers will not be impressed and ask for an interview. We also have to write up job report, which is another essential item in workplace, in the future. In order to impress the boss and prevent misunderstanding in the meaning of the report, we need to develop strong writing skill.
Xin Yu, together we, learn as much from this module to improve our communication skills.
Hi Xin Yu,
I agree with you that writing skills are important tools in achieving effective communication, in the way that we have to deal with some form of writing all the time.
I would like to add an addition point that since it is more difficult to convey our actual thoughts and feelings through words as compared to verbally speaking, it is all the more crucial we are able to write well in order to better convey our ideas. Words, afterall, do not carry 'tones'. Hence readers may unknowingly misinterpret the attitudes and intentions of the writer, leading to misunderstandings that could have been avoided.
- Stephany
Hi Xinyu,
More often then not, it is indeed the resumes that will leave the very first impression on employers. I cannot agree more that being equipped with good writing skills, will provide one with an edge over the rest. Not forgetting that effective communication skills also include being able to decipher written messages addressed to us, developing good writing skill would definitely make you more effective at work.
Misunderstandings arise from time to time, due to the lack of conscious effort from parties involved to convey their intended message. I too, believe that the effective communications skills that will be taught to us in this course will help us to reinforce this consciousness in us. Hopefully, ten weeks later, all of us will be able to become better communicators.
Hi Xinyu
I strongly believe that writing contributes to one of the important aspects of writing too. As science students, writing plays an important part because we often have to write lab reports. With so many procedures and fact involved, it is always a big challenge to select those that are relevant to be included in our lab reports since there is always a page limit. When we start working in the future, there is no doubt that our writing skills will be put to test again. This is because almost all the jobs involving some kind of writing. Furthermore face-to-face communication is evanescent. There is no trace of your communication outside of the memories that of the parties involved or those that have overheard the conversation. On the other hand, written messages can be stored or saved. Written messages provide clear evidence of what you have said. Thus, it is important for us to be more cautious when writing to someone. By employing the 7Cs we have learnt through this course (courtesy, correctness, conciseness, clarity, coherence and cohesion, concreteness and completeness), we can write more effectively and not get misunderstood. Then we minimize the chance of getting accused or involved in lawsuits.
Hi xinyu,
I agree very much with you that being able to communicate effectively is an important life skill that everyone needs. However, I think that communication is more closely related to relationship, or rather aptly to be described as “health” of relationship, than being the lifeline of relationship per se. As when a communication breakdown occurs, it is detrimental to the relationship between two individuals and may results in a bad relationship. But it does not “kill” the relationship, or in the other words; relationship will not cease to exist.
On the other hand, I agree that effective written communication is essential. As you mentioned, writings with multiple errors may reflect one’s incompetence. Only equipped with effective writing skills can help us market ourselves to our prospective employers.
Eventually every one of us will graduate with a degree, but what makes us different from our counterparts, or rather what makes us more desirable to employers would most likely be able to communicate effectively to our future colleagues and clients. So let’s work towards being an effective communicator. Cheers!
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