Why are communication skills important to me?
Firstly, from a pragmatic perspective, they can help me to develop or improve my interview skills. What should I talk about during the interview? What should not be mentioned during the interview? What kind of tone and what kind of body language should I use during the interview? To answer these questions, I think a good mastery of communication skills will be beneficial. Besides, effective communication skills will help me to better deal with colleague relationship and even the relationship with customers. It is very essential for me to utilize different communication methods when I am faced with different situations.
Secondly, from my personal interest, I am always intrigued by the topic of communication. As mentioned in class, communication is an art. Indeed, due to different cultural backgrounds or education levels, the ways people communicate can vary dramatically. I also find it very fascinating that some people can talk with diverse people without any barriers, even though they have such a large gap between them. Just like the example I mentioned in class, I really want to know how to communicate with my grandparents, finding the common topics between us.
It is impossible for me to perfectly solve these problems right after taking this class. However, I hope I can really learn some techniques or theories in communication skills and put them into practice. That is my essential goal for this class.
Hi Ji Lu,
ReplyDeletePerhaps the very reason that you think there is a large gap with another person, could lead there to be a large gap - just like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe the social butterflies have learnt to look past first impressions (or any other reason that would bring about a barrier/gap), and engage fully with the diverse individuals with topics that both individuals can relate too. I guess it's sometimes easier to just blame the gap, than to take this extra effort - which i am guilty of doing as well.
- keerthani
Hi Ji Lu,
ReplyDeleteI empathise that you have been trying hard each time to relate to your grandparents when you visit them.In fact,I am also facing the same situation as you but personally, I enjoy the kind of accompaniment with my grandmother even though our conversational topics every time are similar.Our presence for each other actually speaks louder than words that we care and treasure each other. This form of accompaniment is not appreciated by me when I was still young but as I grow up to be a teenager and young adult then do I start to be more sensitive and aware that action speaks louder than words and the importance of just been there for each other.
My shih tzu dog actually knows about the importance of accompaniment as it is always around by my side wherever I am at home as we enjoy each other presence.
Cheers,
Serene
Hi JiLu!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that cultural differences could greatly have an impact on how we should communicate especially in these times where our environment is increasingly global and we meet many foreign counterparts along the way. I think that any seemingly existent gaps between people can be bridged if one makes the efforts to. I share your sentiments on how hard it is to communicate with your grandparents and it is really heartening to learn about your efforts in wanting to make it possible. However, I feel that sometimes conversations need not be lengthy, I guess it depends on what you want to communicate and who are you communicating with. Between your grandparents and you, I feel that you actually want to communicate your love and concern for them and in my opinion, though the conversation might not be in-depth, little questions that you ask do have their impact because your grandparents would probably be able to sense and feel your efforts which stems from your care and concern for them.
:)Germaine
Hey Ji Lu, I guess we are all offering tips on strengthening your communication with your grandparents. I'm just giving you my two cent's worth on the matter. My grandparents are also no different from yours probably but I had a breakthrough with them when I started asking them about their own personal lives. How they met each other, got married, what the world war was like (they lived through WWII in Singapore). They had a lifetime of stories that could be turned into movies! There was so much to know and so much to learn I felt that I didnt need to say much about what I was doing with my life. Occasionally I simplify things and explain out my life in a nutshell but other than that I prefer asking them their experiences. That is when I see them perk up and get all animated and it fosters a much closer bond. Even if they cannot understand what I do fully, the fact that they have scratched the surface suffices for me. I'd rather much hear them talk (:
ReplyDeleteHi Jilu,
ReplyDeleteI believe that you must be a very good and filial grandson as you really put your effort when communicating with your grandparents.
I think that,they (your grandparents)would be very interested about your life here, so maybe you can talk to them something like places in interest in Singapore, how you adapted your life in Singapore,etc...This maybe a better topics to talk to them instead of some academic stuffs...
I believe that you can communicate with them and make them happy since you are sincere and you have made the effort....
May your grandparents be well and happy....
Jia You!!!
Xian Rui
Thanks, Jilu, for this clear, concise post. I understand from it that you have very specific objectives, including those for this course and others that should transcend this semester and be relevant for your work and home life.
ReplyDeleteLike I've mentioned to Varjeet (see her post), I would hesitate to simplify communication and say it is simply an art. In fact, in many ways the study of effective communication is very much a science. What might lead Chambers to call it an art is its personalized nature and the fact that for each of us much of our success with comm skills is related to EQ rather than IQ.
That being said, there are so many aspects of communication that can (and have been) studied, assessed, quantified and described that we would be very wrong to say that it is not a worthy field of scientific investigation.
So yes indeed, theories exist. Guidelines are plentiful. Courses in comm skills abound.
What you take away from this course, however, depends to a large degree on your own input (and the questions you pursue). What I've seen so far impresses me. Keep up the good work!