Why Effective Communication?

As I grew and matured over the years, I became more aware of myself and my surroundings. I started to take heed of my own actions and tone of speech towards others. At the same time, I observed many differing responses from people, both verbal and non-verbal, to the way I interacted with them. As I asked for reasons why some have reacted irksomely or felt uncomfortable being around me, it dawned on me that positivity and sensitivity are two important aspects of good communication.

No one likes being around dull and pessimistic people, neither do they enjoy the company of a person who often speaks negative words to put people down. As such, I have learnt to make use of positive facial expressions and tone to make a conversation more friendly and engaging. Smiling, adopting a positive posture and making eye-contact are some of the non-verbal communication techniques that I have picked up. Little did I know these skills span from a wider and more holistic approach to effective communication which I will discover in ES2007S.

Being sensitive in speech is important. After all, I speak (or type) from conviction that it is not what you say, but how you say it that matters. Being sensitive also means being an active listener in conversations. Learning to communicate effectively increases my conscious capacity to understand others first before putting across my ideas and opinions, thereby helping me to be a better leader and teacher in the future.

I am definitely looking forward to more lessons in Professional Communication! ;)

Comic relief drawn by a friend of mine who speaks in animal language and calls me flamingo :p