Famous Taiwanese host, affectionately known as Small S and America President Barrack Obama both have a common charactertistic - They communicate effectively and people stop to listen when they speak.
However, effective communication is not just meant for the famous or rich. Everyone needs to be able to convey their messages effectively - May it be in a social setting when you want to charm the girl of your dream or to defend yourself in an argument.
For me, there is a pressing need to correspond effectively with the people around me. This is because working in the events planning industry requires me to converse in different manners to different groups of people.
To my superiors, I have to be professional when presenting the progress of my projects. To the contractors, an array of negotiating skills is needed to bring in terms the best quotes and to deliver my client's specifications accurately to them. To my clients, I have to understand their requests and be as accommodating as possible - Sometimes even to their
unreasonable requests.
Recently, I was involved with this project and this particular client from the government service sector wanted to change the entire site layout a day before the actual event despite having signed the contract to confirm the events layout. In such circumstances when I know my contractors will not be able to complete their work in time, I would have to negotiate with my client, while still appearing to be on his side. This is why, I particularly like the tips presented in "Good News and Bad News messages" of this module, as they are practical at minimizing the damage done to this working relationship.
On a side note, while being able to converse with the various groups of people, I don't enjoy talking much. I would choose watching a movie myself than meeting new friends. However, I realized even though talking to people is not my cup of tea, this does not imply I cannot be a good communicator.
On the contrary, because of the benefits of effective communication mentioned above, I am willing to step out of my comfort zone to interact with people. Given time, I know my communication skills will improve. Also, I've realized if I make a conscious effort to identify and change the not-so-good aspects in my verbal and non-verbal communication behaviors, I will soon be able to communicate professionally like Small S or even President Obama.
Till then, I will do my best to apply what I have learnt in this course to myself and I am particularly looking out for the "Building Inter-personal communication skills" and "Mock Job Interview" lessons.
So far, everything in this course has been engaging and fun and I look forward for more of it. =)
Dear Jim,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this personal story with us! The story certainly shows how miscommunication can arise when we least expect it. I am curious - how was the issue resolved?
Possessing the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently is an essential part of our everyday lives, and I am glad that you have taken the first step towards finding out more about, and understanding this process!
I look forward to working with you this semester.
Cheers,
Ms. Lim
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteThere is one thing I want to point out here - you are a good communicator! You may not know it but during the EMERGE Voices concert last year, I realized that you can really entertain the crowd when you were up on stage as a host.
I agree that having good communication skills can benefit everyone no matter what you do. But most of us think that communication is a natural process, thus miss out on what good communication really is.
I'm just glad that we are in this module together. Let us gear towards communicating effectively like 'Small S' and Obama!
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting reading about your background and your experience. In your profession, effective communication makes a big difference I guess. I have to admit I used to think that certain professions, such as working in research labs, means that I don't have to do a lot of "talking". But I've realized that its not about how much you communicate, but about how well you put across whatever little you may have to say.
And yes, I am looking forward to working on our resumes as well. It is something that makes a first impression on our potential employers and hopefully we can all learn how to make a good one. Looking forward to working with you in class and more fun activities!
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Andrew about your epic prowess. The first time I heard you sharing during class my first thought was "Whoa, this guy needs to go for Professional Communication II instead!"
Anyhow, like everyone in this course, I agree that communication skills are essential to succeed in the workforce. I used to think that communication skills were not of particularly high importance for researchers. However, after doing one and a half years of Life Sciences and crawling out from under my rock, I realised that communication skills are no less important for such a profession.
With regard to your awesome client, you are not alone. Your client must be from the events division of clients from hell. Check out his comrades at http://clientsfromhell.tumblr.com/.
Looking forward to improving our communication skills this semester!
Dear Jimmy,
ReplyDeleteYour hosting as an emcee for the Emerge Voices concert last year really shows that you are a good entertainer and a host as you displayed your ability to handle difficult situations.
It is good that you realized that there is a pressing need to communicate effectively in the workplace.
We will be entering the workforce soon, and I believe with an good communication skill, we will be able to strive in our career, or at least, work in a harmoniously environment.
Look forward to your next post.
Cheers!
Dear Jimmy,
ReplyDeleteI think I haven’t had a chance to speak to you in class yet but you come across as a rather good communicator It was thus, quite surprising to read that you don’t enjoy talking much. I, on the other hand, love to talk and meet new people. But strangely enough, I give off a rather unfriendly vibe. This makes me think that sometimes our non-verbal cues may not be totally under our control.
It was interesting to read that you are an events planner. You would probably be able to put all that we learnt in class to use immediately. I totally agree with you when you mentioned President Obama’s ability to conduct the attention of a huge crowd to himself. The charisma that certain people are able to portray is something I hope I will be able to learn from this course.
Take care! :))
Jigna
Hey Jimmy,
ReplyDeleteI was surprise to see that you don't enjoy talking much. having known you for years, i can always trust you to break an awkward silence when the need arises.
I feel that you have the ability to become an excellent entertainer. Continue to nurture your talent and you will be able to become a professional communicator.
Take Care,
SiJie
Thank you everyone for your comments!
ReplyDeleteMs Lim: I persuaded the person who wanted the change by drawing his attention to the additional cost incurred, the legal implications as per the contract and how the current setting is much elegant than the one he proposed.
However at all times, I appeared sincere and wanting to help him out. I even acceded to some our his request for minute changes, just so he feels happier! :)
Andrew: Thanks! See you for Emerge 2010 this year too =)
Aishwarya: I totally agreed with you! - Being concise with what we want to say! This saves us the trouble of spending so much time explaining (and I think we look so much more professional this way) See you in class =)
Gerard: You're the first person I spoke to in class and I had a very good first impression of you! From the way you carry yourself, I think you're a very confident person. You're a good speaker too! I like your class presentation last Thursday! Look forward to working with you in class (And I had a good laugh at the webbie you've provided) =>
WeiLi: Agreed with you too! I think the workforce is saturated with too many people having a degree and having a set professional communication skills, both written and orally will definitely differentiates us from the rest! =)
Jigna: Unfriendly vibe? LOL! That's a very interesting way to describe yourself! From the way you post this comment, I actually feel that you are a friendly and sincere person! We really have to talk in class! =)
SJ: Yeah man, SJ. I don't like talking. I think many of the celebrities don't like talking to. :>