Friday, November 14, 2008

Not quite the END

In my 1st post, I talked about the importance of effective communication. It also encompassed my hopes of being able to reap those benefits that I have mentioned. Yet, as this module comes to an end, I have come to realize that having learnt so much during the course of the module have made me discovered that there is still so much that I do not know.

This module(The science of effective communication) has been extremely important in enabling us to consciously formulate the way we communicate, by teaching us how to determine appropriate communication channels, and choice of words(7Cs) how to react in situations such conflicts and cultural differences. It increases our awareness regarding the process of communication, such that now, I take special care in considering what I have learnt in the module when writing a professional writing.

These skills can help us avoid the pain of learning from grave mistakes and give us a head start to face the working world. Yet, at the end of the day, they are still tools. As much as a sculptor needs his tools, no work of art can be created without experienced hands behinds those tools. To me, what we have learnt are important skills, but it takes experience and practice to fully utilize those skills to achieve effective communication. Perhaps this is the reason why this module is called the SCIENCE of effective communication?

Communication is both a science and an art. Yet, the ‘art’ aspect of communication involves tacit knowledge which cannot be taught and can only be honed by practice.
There is still so much that I do not know, learning the art and science of effective communication will not end with the end of the module, it is going to be a lifelong process.