Communication is like ballroom dancing; it takes two to “tango”. Often, no two dance partners can really read each other’s mind, a certain level of skill is required by the two partners to coordinate each other and make them look good. In the same way, without telepathy between two individuals of different backgrounds such as ethnic and education, successful communication requires some skills of both the speaker and listener or the writer and reader.
To understand and to be understood
Effective communication skills help two individuals to understand each other in this two-way process. To a speaker/writer, these skills are essential to ensure that the other party is able to interpret his or her message the way s/he intended it. On the receiving end, these skills prompt the listener/reader to reflect if s/he has interpreted the speaker’s message correctly. When the listener fails to understand correctly the intentions of the speaker, misunderstanding commonly arises. To make things worse, words said and deeds done cannot be retrieved or undone. The extent of misunderstanding can thus be so great that it may cause permanent bad feeling and even hatred.
To build and maintain relationships
To be alive is to reach out to others. From the moment we first cried to the moment we bid farewell to this world, relationships are the core of our existence. Our relationships with others form the context for all other aspects of our lives. To build and maintain good relationships with family members, friends, colleagues and even clients, effective communication skills play a significant role. These skills greatly reduce the occurrence of misunderstandings and conflicts in interpersonal relationships. Ineffective communication skills, on the other hand, may sour or sometimes destroy relationships.
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6 comments:
Hi Barry, I think your posting was very clear and concise. There was coherence and cohesion in your post as seen from the sub-titles that visibly inform me of the message you are sending.
I especially like the way you started the whole posting by comparing communication to ballroom dancing. I agree with your point of view that it takes practice and skill for 2 people to coordinate with each other in order to complete a dance.
Miscommunication would probably be likened to the tripping and stepping on toes of their dance partners! Fortunately, we do not need to have telepathy for us to communicate effectively. Like dancers who pick themselves up after a fall, in events when we misunderstand others, we would have to admit our mistakes and then learn from that experience in order for us to improve our communication skills.
You discussed about the needs for both speaker/ writer and listener/ reader to have effective communication skills. It is true that both parties have to put in effort to ensure that they understand each other.
Finally, I was very much enlightened by your phrase: ‘To be alive is to reach out to others.’ No man is an island, and effective communication will definitely aid us in building up and maintaining good relationships with other people.
Jimmy
ES2007S Group 2
Hi Barry,
It certainly takes two to tango just as it takes two hands to clap. Effective communication is never one way. Often misunderstandings arise from misinterpretation hence it is important that we seek to listen properly and seek clarity when in doubt. Just as well, it is vital to maintain good relationships with those around us because no man is an island.
Ho Teck
Hi Barry,
I most certainly agree with you that misunderstandings arise easily if both parties are not 'on the same page'. For me, it occurs most often when I do not have any visual cues to play on. Take e-mail for example. It is so easy to misconstrue what the other person is trying to say, especially when there can be many different ways in interpreting the tone of an e-mail. With e-mail fast becoming one of the most used tools in communication within the working world, I feel it is important to have the know how in writing and interpreting non-visual communication. Don’t you agree?
Mei Ling
Nicely put Barry and so true that you can wound or strain a relationship with the wrong choice of words. It is also true that you can't take back our words or wrongdoings however, it is possible and better to apologise when you make a gaffe. In my experience, more often than not, damage repair is always better than doing nothing.
Teacher- Fiona
The opening paragraph was a good analogy of effective communication. Personally, I can relate to this after joining ballroom dancing. When a partner tries to make the communication process one-way, he/she actually prevents the exchange of ideas. This will eventually frustrate the other partner. There is also a possibility of frustrating oneself, as he/she often sees the other party as a disinterested individual when he/she does not react to their body language (NVC). The result of such ineffective communication is often the ending of a partnership. To prevent such incidents, it is imperative that the sender projects an idea across coherently to ensure the listener receives the message the sender intended. Also, one has to send and be prepared to be open to replies to make communication work.
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