Friday, November 7, 2008

With effective communication skills, selling ice to an Eskimo doesn’t seem too Herculean anymore.

I was looking through all my six blog posts which I have written before embarking on the task of penning down my reflections for ES2007s. Indeed, I have learnt and gained an insight on the different aspects of communication where I have often neglected and paid little attention to before taking up this course.

From my first blog post, I mentioned the importance of the different aspects of communication which i still hold fast to them. However, after attending the entire course, it has made these somewhat abstract points into something real.

I was first brought into the world of understanding body language,

where more often than not, how one truly feels is often communicated in this way.

Body Language- The one thing capable of betraying your mouth.

I managed to put these skills to the test where I helped to resolve a conflict between two friends of mine by encouraging both of my friends to learn to put themselves in one another shoes. And it worked !!
My friends who are currently studying in NUS told me that they would like to take this course next semester too. ( A good news for you, Brad (: )

This course has also highlighted to me the importance of written communication, where in many situations like applying for a job, where our written communication is often assessed before the assessment of our abilities. Learning to adopt a direct/indirect approach in conveying good/bad news message aids me in writing a letter that will be interpreted correctly by the reader and helps in improving interpersonal relationship.

Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.

Indeed, it was an enriching 48 hours spent learning the “why and how” of communication. I believe I will continue to learn to communicate effectively as I await different situations that will put my skills to the test and to help further refine it.




Short note:

To my classmates and Brad : Thank you all so much !!