Why effective communication skills are important to me?
Firstly, I believe everyone has the inborn ability to communicate. However, not everyone is able to communicate effectively. I may possess two languages like many others, but I am still not able to guarantee that what I truly meant will get across to the other party entirely without any distortion. Personally, I detest being misunderstood. To allow others to get the whole picture, I always end up beating about the bush and occasionally, even missed out the main point. Eventually, I realized communication involves the efforts of both parties - the speaker and the listener. Communication is only considered as effective when the intended message from the speaker is channeled to the listener without the loss of the true meaning. I need to make sure that I did not misread what the speaker is conveying, and my intentions do not get misinterpreted by the listener.
Secondly, effective communication can help to save time. Imagine having to read a lengthy email explaining about one’s choice of T-shirt design when all he could have done is just state the design he prefers. This is especially important during the planning of events since the details have to be finalized for the proposal, every second before the actual date of the event counts.
Lastly, ineffective communication can lead to miscommunication which translates to unnecessary arguments and maybe even conflicts. This will definitely be detrimental in a few years’ time when we step into the working world where everyone is literally fighting for their survival.
Sad to say, I am one of those who are not able to communicate effectively as of yet. However, I do hope that through this course, I will be able to at least learn some effective communication skills and put them to good use.
