All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players. And only the best of them accomplish.
The first two lines written by Shakespeare contain great truth. With that, I believe that the only best players will excel. There are various aspects of a person that can make them the best player, one of which is – undoubtedly – effective communication skills.
Effective communications skills will give me an edge over fellow candidates when I apply for a job. I am personally put off by people who are not able to convey their thoughts and opinions gracefully. I also feel that employers look at one’s ability to convey their ideas effectively when considering a candidate. However, the need for effective communication skills does not stop at the job interview.
In the working world, professionalism and the ability to communicate ideas are very closely related. A brilliant idea would be wasted if it is not well presented. Effective communications skills make the delivery of the ideas more graceful. Effective communication also adds grace to the way we deal with those who disagree with us, a common issue in the working world. When dealing with such situations, we should try to get our point across as gracefully as possible to avoid further complications or ill feelings.
Communication also plays a huge part in our personal and social lives. I sincerely feel that people will develop love and respect for those who are kind with their words and actions. Be they our family, friends, relatives or enemies, they will all begin to soften and love you for communicating so beautifully. Even if they do not understand the words you speak, or the language you write, they would surely understand your nonverbal cues, for these cues are international.
Effective communication skills are therefore essential for me because I want to be the best. The best that I can be.
“It is very small in size, but it can cause so much havoc, and it can cause so much damage more than any other organ of the body,”Mufti Ismail ibn Musa Menk mentioned this with regards to the tongue in one of his videos. He puts it beautifully that the tongue is a gift, and should be used as a gift. That effective communication skills are important, cannot be justly emphasized.
Shameem Khan
Your first line reminds me of the Game of Thrones. Most literature is after all, derived from an earlier work.
ReplyDeleteBut I digress.
I like your emphasis on gracefulness in communication. Being able to read a situation and be sensitive to subtle changes in verbal or non-verbal cues is an important. This is especially so when you're in a discussion to a superior and you are taking an assertive stance to state your opinion. Being able to read when it is your superior's turn to speak or teach and then knowing when to change your body language and tone to be more submissive, is important as it is also a sign of showing respect. After all, you must recognize that they are making a choice to put in an effort and take time out of their busy schedules to help you.
I agree that while having good verbal, non-verbal and paraverbal skills are important. We should also not discount the effort it takes to put our thoughts into spoken words. That lets our listeners follow our train of thought easily. I myself find it hard to speak my thoughts out well especially when participating in a group discussion. While I may not be facing difficulty in speaking out, but I'm still a far cry from being an effective communicator!
Thank you for your comment Isabel! Humility is indeed an important character trait of a student. Students should accept that their teachers know more than them (even if they do not, they do have more experience)and thus listen to their advices. I remember how some arrongant students in my previous schools refused to listen to our teachers, giving them a hard time. Words are definitely the main way through which we convey our ideas and we need to choose them carefully. Don't worry, I am sure that this module will help you biuld on your communication skills. Plus, I believe all of us will always have room for improvement as long as we live!
DeleteShameem's opening line is actually a very famous line from Shakespeare's play "As you Like It", a comedy and yes it does sum up our roles in this life to some extent. However, I beg to disagree with you that on;y the best accomplish because even if we concede that that the top 10% of the human race comprising the best brains, entrepreneurs, etc. run the world, we need all the rest of the 90% comprising the essential cogs in the world's machinery so to speak to 'run' the world. And if all these people decide to stop, the top 10% will just be theorizing - all talk and no action!!So my take is that effective communication is very important for the thinkers and planners but it is just as crucial down the line so that the work gets carried out as planned.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply, and for opening up the my perspective. I guess I meant to say that only those who can communicate effectively will excel. Reflecting on your comment, I agree that we all need effective communication to run the world. :)
Delete