Back when Homo Erectus and Neanderthals roamed the earth, none had the luxury of modern inventions like the telephones or email. There was no long distance interaction to speak of. Communications were largely confined to the limited spaces of the air around them. Language use was probably rudimentary and primitive. However, with the passing of time, coupled with the enormous brain of our ancient ancestors, the modern human beings have evolved. Lo and behold, people are communicating more than ever.
Simple as it may be, communications is an essential part of our daily lives. The moment we speak, whatever we say is interpreted and inferred by the receiver. How successful the intended message is deciphered, really depends on the choice of words, the tone, and the body language.
Communicating is easy, communicating effectively is not.
Technology seeks to bridge the geological divide between people, allowing convenient communications via email, instant messaging and even video conferencing. What people rarely notice is the decline of actual human to human interactions that binds families and sustains relationships. Therefore, it is imperative for us to make any form of real human communications to be effective, impactful, and serve the desired purposes.
Being in university is certainly one platform for inter-personal communications to burgeon. This is where bonds are forged for life, and where one’s ability to share knowledge is of the utmost importance. Every now and then, we would be challenged to make a presentation in front of an intimidating audience. This calls for steely confidence that produces the smooth flowing presentation everyone yearns to give. Confidence is important, but am I able to bring my message across to everyone in the room? Being clear and concise is often the key to keeping the audience on their toes and knowing what the idea of the presentation is. This is where fine communications come into play.
Also, in today’s highly connected world, people from all over the globe come together and work together. Being an excellent communicator helps to break the ice amongst the group, and dissipate potential rifts that may occur due to racial and religious differences. Take one interesting example, the recent attention towards McDonald’s Singapore Doraemon soft toys clearly shows that the management staff did not perform its job well. Being sensitive, in this case, towards the Muslims and thereby removing the pig toy from the entire Chinese Zodiac Doraemon collection, resulted in a fairly large hoo-ha amongst the Chinese. If the management bothered to communicate with both the Malays and Chinese, it would realize that their concerns are largely uncalled for. An amicable result could be implemented instead. McDonald’s eventually buckled to public opinions and is offering the toy for sale now.
This example clearly depicts how effective communications is important not only to myself, but to society as a whole.
Teamwork is where a group of people work as a team, literally.
Teamwork actually involves a great deal of effective communications too.
Project discussions, for example, require us to be well equipped with the ability to share ideas, debate, conduct evaluations and so on. It is an uphill task to perform, juggling differing cultural backgrounds and personalities, and at the same time to prevent any conflicts within the teammates. Some thoughts would inevitably come to mind: Would I be able to overcome these obstacles? Would I be able to steer my group towards the goal and within the tight deadlines we have to adhere to?
Having great teamwork is already half the battle won. We do not want to waste valuable time solving conflicts within the team itself, in the working world, this would mean diminishing productivity, and in turn, loss in revenue for the company. That is why, picking good teammates is crucial. It is also of essence to note that having an “all star team” does not necessarily equate to success. I would not want to be in such a case, as often, there would be heated arguments. A most desirable team would be one that consists of people who are varied and equipped with differing skill sets. People who are able to complement one another, and work together are actually something that all teams should strive for. A highly motivated and bonded group would definitely outshine a group of over-achievers.
More drinking sessions anyone?? =p
Great example on the Macdonald's doraemon incident to reflect on communication issues!!! It makes me realise that effective communciation is not only confined to two person talking or in a team, but also affect an entire society. I had seen a large apology post in the Strait Times regarding this Macdonald's doraemon incident recently and that they are doing their best to minimize the inconvenience caused. I believe that mass media play an important role in communciating with the society. :)
ReplyDeleteI could not agree with you more in the idea that choosing good teammates is crucial but the "all star team" does not necessarily equate to success. We can easily find an example about this in real life. That is the famous football club Real Madrid - although this club is known to have many football stars but it is not the best football club in the world. Thus, there are many factors that affect the success of a team and teamwork is one of the most important factors.
ReplyDeleteI loved your style of writing. I felt it was well phrased, engaging and refreshing! Your post was a great read.
ReplyDeleteThe MacDonald's doraemon controversy is a very good example of how lack of communication can create nasty situations. But, I dont think communicating with both the Malays and the Chinese could have brought up a solution for the whole issue. By solution, I mean a way out by which people belonging to both communities are satisfied and happy. However, communication can definitely create a situation where both sides are willing to compromise and acknowledge the other's religious sentiments.
I agree with you that technology makes us able to communicate in many other ways. Yet, while we might want communication that is face-to-face to be able to create more impact and be more effective since there is a decline in such type of communication like you mentioned, I believe that we should also put in effort in learning how to communicate effectively through other methods like instant messaging and blogging. After-all, the other methods are also exchanging ideas and information between people, and there are certain characteristics of communication that are specific to the mode of communication itself. For instance, symbols like =) and =P represent facial expressions, but to someone new to the computer and technology, they might thought that they are merely symbols. Hence, it is important to learn how each method of communication works and how people communicate through the tools.
ReplyDelete"Communicating is easy, communicating effectively is not". This sentence you quote is excellent. I strongly agree with it. I think that it is very important for us to master effective communication skills. You also mentioned that the University is a good place to hone our communication skills. I feel that it is a good start as we are getting prepared for the transit into the working life where communication is very important. Your example on how bad communication causes misunderstandings is very good. Communication is made more important in Singapore because of our multi-racial and multi-religious community. However, this cohesion that we are now so proud of, were they not formed because of some past events of miscommunication. The McDonald’s incident actually strengthened our communal ties and showed how one community can compromise for others.
ReplyDeleteDear All,
ReplyDeleteI thank you all for your comments. As everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I am always excited to read comments from you guys. The differing perspectives have opened my eyes wider, and allowed me to critique on my own personal behaviour, in terms of both communications and teamwork.
I believe that this would be a good time to summarize the points that were mentioned.
Kevin: You mentioned the effects of mass media communications with the society. The mass media is an effective tool in transmission of information between two parties. And there would be times where misunderstandings arise, perhaps due to the incorrect encoding or decoding of the message, or it could be a deliberate action to misguide the public. Therefore, communications via mass media is effective in the sense that, the message can be widespread and significant in impact.
Khoa: Your example on the football club is apt. With Asians crazing over football, we can take a few minutes off from these fanatics and study how a team bond and communicate, even when the team comprises of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Lakshmi: Being able to compromise is usually the key to resolving conflicts. But before the compromise, communications come into play. Thus, we should first learn how to communicate effectively, and then learn to resolve conflicts better.
Jing Mei: You were right to say that communications come in many ways. Your example of using symbols or emoticons (tech speak) is excellent! It is amazing how a simple smiley face can lighten up the mood of an email or an instant message. Mastering such forms of communications are important in this modern age of ours, with technology such as iPhones no longer an exclusivity but the norm.
Junius: Being a citizen of a multi-racial country calls for one to be sensitive to others (be it religion or culture). I am glad we both share the same beliefs in the importance of communications in this instance. One of the reason why our country is so peaceful is because our leaders are good communicators, and they know the importance of racial harmony. Without communications, the different races in Singapore would be segregated and disharmonious because of the lack of understand for one another.