Effective Communication Skills

Personally, I feel that good communication is extremely important in order to avoid miscommunication.

Miscommunication is what we all wish to prevent yet even cause it to happen in our daily lives. As illustrated in our second class via the activity on the conversation between the manager and his employee, miscommunication and misunderstanding of someone's intention could lead to unintended consequences.

For me, I have had many experiences where I misunderstood someone's intentions. In some cases, I know very well to clarify with him/her. However, I have also been afraid to confront the other person, resulting in unhappiness brewing under the surface, which is very unhealthy for the relationship.

Thus good communication is not just about choosing the right words. There are many factors to consider, like what we learnt in our second class on channels of communication. I feel that talking face to face and calling a person are definitely the easiest ways to get a clear message across with the right intentions. Why? Because our facial expressions and body language bring across the bulk of the message. I may have to correct a person but my body language shows that I am not upset with him. This would help him to accept my advice better.

Secondly, our attitude towards communication is also important. We must be willing to communicate. This sounds funny, but many people are unwilling to talk to others to clear up miscommunication face to face. Perhaps they are afraid of what the other person might think of them. However, I feel that clearing up misunderstandings are more important than pride. Thus one must be bold to clarify situations with others.

In summary, I would choose my words carefully while communicating, but I would note that body language and attitude are also important factors for ensuring good communication without miscommunication.